Camp Aldersgate

Fun Christmas retreat ideas

Hosting a retreat around this time of the year? Whether its a retreat hosted at an outside venue or simply a day retreat at your church, its always nice to offer a fun and easy activity that participants can take home with them afterwards. This year, why not offer them an opportunity to make a fun ornament to hang on their tree.

Homemade Ponsiettas

Supplies:

coffee filters
red acrylic paint
foam brush
toilet paper tube
scissors
glue
small clothespins (optional)
needle and floss for hanging

Directions:

1.Wet the foam brush with water and spread over the filter until the filter is completely wet. Dip the foam brush in a little paint and spread over the filter until completely covered. Some areas of the filter may be more saturated with paint than others and that's okay.

2. Now you're going to prep the toilet paper tubes. Cut them in half to make painting the inside easier. Use a foam brush to paint the tube inside and out, then set aside to dry. Once dry, press flat and cut the tubes into slices. You should get about 8 slices per tube.

3. Make a shallow puddle of glue (the size of the tube slices) and dip each slice into the glue, then 
place on the coffee filter and let dry.

4. Once the slices, now petals, are dry, trim away the extra paper. Glue six petals together, using mini clothespins or something similar to hold them until they dry. Run a strand of floss through the outer tip of one of the petals for hanging. 

5. Then you're done!

Why a Men's retreat?

Like a women’s retreat, there are many valuable reasons as to why it is important to host a men’s only retreat. Men like women need time to be with other men and spend time in fellowship and having fun. With men’s retreats it is important to plan according to the men’s retreats, if the men that are attending are outdoor types, then it is important to incorporate times outside and the likewise. Men’s retreats allow time for men to meet with other men and share honestly and openly about their struggles and their joys. Men’s retreats are typically the time when “men can be men” this while is sometimes over exaggerated, is still important for men like women to have time out and meet with other Godly people.

Why attend a women's retreat?

Fellowship with other Christians is a valuable part of our walk with Jesus Christ, these times with other believers allows us to gain new insight, share and be cared for by others. An important aspect of this is the ability to sometimes “get away from it all” and attend a retreat specifically for our own gender. We wanted to focus on some of the valuable experiences that can be found when women attend a retreat together.

One of the main reasons is that women’s retreats can sometimes give a fresh perspective to issues in our lives. The beauty of a gender specific retreat is that the topics and workshops are able to focus on issues that are relevant to the people attending. Another great reason why its good to go to an all women’s retreat is the chance to relax and spend extended time in worship and getting deeper into the teaching. Being away for an weekend, a day or even overnight can allow us the time, to experience fellowship with others as well as allow our spirit to rest and allow God to speak into your heart.  So what are you waiting for? 

 

Unique retreat activity #2.

Continuing on our theme of unique retreat activities, why not try making button bouquets with your retreat group? This fresh and fun craft takes a unique spin on flower bouquets and will help to show each person’s individuality as they design their bouquet! 

 

Materials needed:

An assortment of buttons

Fine wire

Wire cutters

An assortment of ribbon

 

Directions: 

Step 1) Cut wire to your desired stem length            

Step 2) Thread wires through the hole of the first button, ensuring you leave enough wire to twist around the “stem” to secure the design. Add buttons until desired effect has been reached.

Step 3) Continue making flowers until done, then arrange flowers together and twist wire to form the stem. 

Step 4) Finish by wrapping ribbon around the stem of the flowers to cover wire. 

Step 5) You’re done!

 

Unique retreat activity.

For a different and unique activity at your next retreat, why not try Mosaics? Mosaics are a fun and different way to design a plate, frame or make your own picture. Below are some simple directions to get this activity going and to make your next retreat activity one to remember! 

 

Materials needed: 

An assortment of surfaces to decorate

An assortment of tiles (different sizes and colours)

Glue

Grout

Rubber gloves

 

Step 1) Choose a surface that you would like to decorate 

Step 2) Decide what kind of design you would like, use a pattern, draw onto the surface or just be random and go for it.

Step 3) Start gluing your tiles! You can either lay all the tiles first or just start gluing.

Step 4)Your surface needs to sit for 24-48 hours, so doing this activity at the beginning of a retreat would work and then finishing it at the end.

Step 5) Cover the surface with grout. Add just enough water to the grout until it is like cake batter. Then, wearing rubber gloves cover the surface with the grout, ensuring it gets between the tiles.

Step 6) Once you have covered the whole surface and filled all of the spaces, wipe off as much of the excess as possible. Then let it sit for 20-30 minutes or until the grout becomes hazy looking.

Step 7) Finally, take a damp cloth or sponge and wipe the haze off the surface. Then your done!

 

Retreat Games #2

Games, games, games. In continuing our series of games that can be played at retreats, we have come up with a couple more games, which are quick, easy and fun to play at any retreat.

Remember when using games as icebreakers; be enthusiastic and energetic when hosting them. The games don’t need to be long, the idea is to get people moving, laughing and getting to know one another. 

Backward Clumps

Divide into pairs. Ask each pair to sit on the floor with their partner, backs together, feet out in front and arms linked. Their task is to stand up together. Once everyone has done this, two pairs join together and the group of four tries to repeat the task. After they succeed, add another two and try again. Keep adding people until your whole group is trying to stand together.

Knots

Divide your group into teams of 6-8. Each team forms a small circle. Ask them to extend their right hand across the circle and hold the left hand of the other team member opposite them. Then extend their left hand across the circle and hold the right hand of another group member. The task is to unravel the spider's web of interlocking arms without letting go of anyone's hands. Give them a three-minute time limit to complete the task. Pressure!

 

Retreat Games #1

It’s true we love games, and the great thing about games is that they can be used to not only have fun but also help get people together laughing and having fun sooner. So we thought we should share some games that are quick, easy and perfect as openers of a retreat.

 Say cheese please

 As each participant arrives, take their picture with a Polaroid type camera and hang their photo on a piece of easel paper in the entrance area of the meeting room in groups of two or three photos (depending on size of meeting - you may have only 2 per group or more if the group is large). Use your creativity and decorate the easel paper to extend a Warm Welcome and set the tone of the meeting. Once all participants have arrived, ask them to find their partner(s) from the photo display on the easel and spend about 5 - 10 minutes getting to know the person(s). Then have them introduce their partner(s) to the rest of the group and share something they discovered they have in common.

Line Up Game

Get in groups of five to ten people each. First group that gets itself into order according to the category you name, wins. For example first letter of middle name, shoe size, height, birth date, etc. Just be sure to pick subjects that people can line up easily.

 

Book Review: Complete Leaders guide to Christian Retreats

 

The complete leaders guide to Christian retreats by Rachel Gilmore helps to offer insight about different ways to host a retreat as well as the beginning planning stages. If you are interested in organizing a retreat but are not sure where to start this could be a book that is worthwhile reading.

 

The book goes over many different parts of holding a retreat including why to have a retreat, what a retreat is and who might want to attend a retreat.  The book also delves into the 3 key questions in planning a retreat that were also discussed in the last retreat blog post.

 

Lastly the book provides the reader with some basic planning ideas for retreats for adults, youth and families. If you are interested in learning more about how to host a retreat or would just like some ideas on it; we at Camp Aldersgate recommend this book.

 

Steps to planning a retreat

 

Here are 3 questions that we find useful to ask ourselves at camp when planning a retreat.

1)      What are your prime dates?

1. Its important to look at the calendar of the people that you want to attend, it’s a school group are their any important school functions such as homecoming that may prohibit teens from attending?

2)      How many people are attending?

b. What kind of turn out are you expecting? Is the location suitable to the number of people? Event coordinators recommend using locations that can appear filled as opposed to large hotels.

3)      How much time do you have?

c. How much time have you given yourself to plan a successful event? Remember the old saying “many hands may light work” when working with a team of people, amazing things are able to be achieved in a short amount of time.

 

By clarifying your timeline at the beginning of planning, can help to provide for a much smoother and more successful retreat!