Thereโs something incredibly special about community-wide youth group retreats. Weโre big fans of bringing together different youth groups, seeing kids make new friends, and deepen ministries across town.ย (And we love seeing y’all succeed!)
But we also know how overwhelming it can get, especially if your ministry is the one leading the charge on putting everything together. Weโve got this checklist of sorts to help you launch a youth group retreat your students and your community wonโt forget.
Location is everything
When it comes to planning a retreat, choosing the right location is key. Thereโs a lot of factors to consider, like:
- Centralized location for all churches involved in the retreat
- Where kids will stay (if itโs an overnight event)
- Activities available in the area
- What the overall budget is for the event and what ministries want to put towards a location
- Amenities at the location and how those amenities can offset additional costs of other elements like food or lodging
This next bit is important: once you have your location, plan your retreat around what that location offers. Donโt try to force certain activities to happen if the location canโt handle it! For example, if your location is an outdoor venue, donโt try to force a lights-and-smoke style worship session! Opt for acoustic-leaning worship services and minimal equipment.
Rally around a theme
A key part of the retreat is a feeling of togetherness. Having a uniform theme for the event can bring people together and make it easier for youth ministers to lead their groups. It doesnโt even have to be a large-scale theme; you can work with a central scripture that speakers and activities will unpack throughout the retreat! Keeping to a singular theme will help your students remember more of the weekend, while also allowing them to dive deeper into what they take away from the retreat.
Get activities together
Activities are a great way to support everything going on in worship and in breakout sessions. (Plus, itโs another way your middle schoolers can get out their excess energyโฆ) You donโt have to go all out with your activities, but make sure theyโre in line with the theme of the retreat. Also, consider the retreatโs location! If youโre in a gorgeous retreat in the woods, make the most of that ambience!
Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing:
- Hiking or nature walks: Take advantage of the outdoors and plan a nature walk or hike. You can add in a reflective element to this and allow kids the opportunity to journal what theyโve learned and soak up Godโs creation.
- Game nights: Organize a night of board games, card games, or other fun activities that encourage interaction and friendly competition. Itโs a great opening activity to get kids from different youth groups to open up and talk to each other.
- Service projects: Giving back brings people together and puts what your youth group is learning into practice! Plan a service project in the community, such as volunteering at a local soup kitchen or cleaning up a park.
Plan downtime
While it’s important to keep the group engaged and active, it’s also important to allow for downtime. (Yes, even for middle schoolers.) Plan a few hours each day for free time, where participants can relax and recharge. This is the perfect time to open up a โretreat shopโ or give students time to hang out at the amenities at the retreat location. If youโve got the bandwidth, you can also lead activities such as arts and crafts or quiet reflection time for students.
Create custom t-shirts
We can hear you nowโฆ โOh theeeere it is!โ
But wait, wait! Youโve already come this far! Let us finish!
Custom shirts are a great way to bring unity to a retreat that involves groups who wouldnโt normally interact with one another! And that feeling of unity can help students feel more comfortable with each other. Feeling comfortable means that students are less likely to focus on what someone new thinks of them and focus on whatโs being talked about in worship or small group breakout.
A DIY church youth group retreat doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. With some planning and creativity, you can create a meaningful and memorable experience for everyone involved. At Uth Stuph, weโve got over 25 years of experience helping youth ministers and group leaders create shirts that bring kids together. If you want a quote (and some fast turnaround), drop us a line!