New Heights: Spiritual Disciplines Retreat for Middle School Girls

By Nicole Garrett, Shannon Weaver, & Stacy Hall Summary This retreat was created with middle school girls in mind. It aims to teach them about spiritual disciples and give them an opportunity to practice them in solitude and in community. This retreat focuses on prayer, meditation, simplicity, stewardship, Sabbath, Scripture, fasting, and rest. This retreat plans includes an entire annotated weekend schedule. Objective We want the girls on this retreat to know the spiritual disciples, their importance, and how to practice them in everyday life. We want them to feel like they can practice the disciplines outside of the retreat setting and succeed in everyday life. We desire for the girls to edo these spiritual disciplines and integrate them into their every day lives. Purpose of Retreat The purpose of this retreat is to help middle school girls begin to develop the life-changing habit of practicing spiritual disciplines. The vital importance of spiritual disciplines is discussed in a following section, but there are also specific reasons to utilize the retreat setting to teach them. First, a retreat provides more of a structured environment in which middle school students thrive—the developmental stage that middle school students are typically in does best in very structured situations. Also, retreats are more targeted and allow students to focus more on a particular topic such as spiritual disciplines. Furthermore, the setting of a retreat provides opportunity for the development of whole group intimacy instead of simply within certain groups of students who attend. This can be extremely beneficial to our purpose since developing spiritual habits can do much better in the presence of accountability and belongingness. Another benefit of doing a retreat on spiritual disciplines is that since retreats normally occur in the middle of the school year, it allows for the students to be able to immediately put what they have learned into practice. Instead of learning things at camp in the middle of summer and then forgetting what they have learned by the time the school year rolls around and things most likely become more difficult, students have the opportunity to integrate what they have learned even in the midst of the stressful school year; thus, they are taught to be persistent in their spiritual habits even in the busiest times of their lives. A retreat also gives more students an opportunity to attend since it tends to be cheaper than a camp. Key Verse “Teach your children to chose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it.” Proverbs 22:6

Explanation of Importance of Spiritual Disciplines God wants a relationship with each one of His children. In order to strengthen that relationship we are called to spiritual formation through the work of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual formation is a process. It is the metaphorical chipping away of our own flesh so that we may become more like Jesus. It is only when we invite the Holy Spirit to transform us and chip away our earthly flesh, that we are molded into the image of Christ and can live a truly fulfilling life. Scripture reminds us that God is the potter and we are the clay- we need to allow Him to mold us to fit His design! Spiritual disciplines help us to pursue this growth in our faith. Spiritual disciples can be done individually or in community. They include but are not limited to: fasting, silence, solitude, simplicity, rest, journaling, hospitality, scripture, and prayer. Parent Meeting You should have a parents meeting when introducing this retreat to the youth group. The retreat forms should be given out 2 months before the retreat and the parents meeting should be held 2 weeks after the forms have been handed out. At the parents meeting the youth pastor needs to present the purpose and importance of this retreat as well as the key scripture. A sample schedule should be handed out as well as a form with the trip facts: date, time, location, and packing list. Parents should fill out a medical release form for their daughter and an emergency contact form. The parents meeting should have a time for question and answers between the parents and the youth pastor. This is also the appropriate meeting to ask for parent chaperones for the retreat. Chaperones You will need a different amount of chaperones depending on the number of middle school girls going on the retreat. It will be important to have female chaperones. Chaperones should be prepared to help drive to the location, to be present and help with the programming, and to help with food for the retreat. Preparing Students for the Retreat To help make your students feel more comfortable during the retreat, it is important to make them comfortable with each other. This is why we recommend having a pizza party, or another casual activity, for the students who will be going on the retreat while their parents are attending the parent meeting. At this pizza party, allow the students to relax, talk, and hang out with each other. This allows the students who are going on the retreat to get to know each other better before they go on the retreat, which will make them more open while on the retreat, which will make the weekend even more beneficial for the students. Payment Deadlines Students must provide a $50 deposit prior to the retreat in order to prevent tons of students from signing up and then bailing out at the last second which prevents the youth pastor from being able to plan properly. Thus, the deposit indicates a commitment to attend and is non-refundable. The full price of the retreat should be due about a week

prior to the retreat in order to not only know for sure the exact number of students attending but also to provide money needed to cover the cost of supplies and other expenses. What to Bring Supplies/Materials: -Food (If the retreat center does not have food service available)

1 Breakfast, 1 Brunch, 1 Lunch, 2 Dinners -S’mores Supplies

Marshmallow sticks, marshmallows, chocolate bars, graham crackers -Journals/Notebooks (1 per student)

-Decorations for Journals (scrapbooking paper, markers, glue, stickers, magazines, buttons, etc.)

-Music and Instruments for Worship -Saving Private Herbert Supplies

4 bandanas (2 of one color, and 2 of another color), 1 pantyhose filled with flour per student

-Volleyball -Soccer -Steal the Bacon Supplies

-Object for the middle (towel, inner tube, basketball, etc.) -Spider Web Supplies

-String

Optional items: -t-shirts If in tents: -tents -water/canteens -firewood -fuel -camping stove -tables/chairs Student Packing List: Clothing/Bedding:

• shirts/t-shirts • pants/jeans • shorts (no more than an index finger above the knee) • underclothes • socks • swimsuits (no two-pieces) • beach towel • jacket • raincoat/poncho

• sweatshirts/sweatpants • pajamas • hats/bandanas • tennis shoes • sandals/flip-flops • laundry bag • clothes to get messy in • sleeping bag/blanket • pillow/pillow cases

Toiletries • soap/soap container • toothbrush/toothpaste • washcloths/bath towels • shampoo/conditioner • comb/brush • deodorant

Other Items • notebook • pens/pencils • flashlight • insect repellant • sunscreen/chap stick with sunscreen • water bottle • lotion • Bible • hand sanitizer • medication (give to designated chaperone)

Optional Items • food • devotionals/books • sheets • sunglasses • swimming goggles • Frisbee/board games

Prohibited Items • two-piece swimsuits (one-piece only) • sheer clothing • strapless or low-cut shirts • tank tops • shorts/skirts more than an index finger above the knee • alcohol • tobacco • illegal drugs (personal medication must be given to designated chaperone) • weapons (guns, knives, matches, etc.) • pets • valuables (to prevent misplacement or theft)

• electronic devices (includes absolutely everything—video games, iPods, cell phones, portable DVD players, laptops, etc.)

Set Your Date For this retreat there will be extended periods of time when your students will be outside, so for this reason, we recommend having this retreat during the spring months when the weather is warmer. Any weekend during the months of April and May would be best suited for this retreat. Suggestions for Location Ideas We recommend having this retreat at either a retreat center or campground that has plenty of space outdoors for the retreat activities to take place. A location with a woods or open fields would be ideal for this specific retreat. Fundraisers Not every student will be able to pay for this retreat on their own, so, depending on your youth group, you may need to organize some fundraisers to help your students afford this trip. These are just a few ideas that you could use to help raise money. Labor Auction: This is an effective way to raise money, however, it will require willingness and dedication of the students. On a Friday night, have the church come together for an event, possibly another fundraiser, like a Spaghetti Dinner, and at one point during the night, have a Labor Auction. The church members can bid for each student in exchange for 8 hours of labor doing whatever housework they need done (i.e. car washing, lawn mowing, dusting, vacuuming). Whatever money is paid for the student goes towards that student’s trip. Spaghetti Dinner: This fundraiser can be done at the same time as the Labor Auction. People can pay a fee for a ticket for dinner, and aside from the cost of supplies (which can be donated by church congregation members), the profits can be given to the entire youth group, which can then be divided up among students who worked the actual event. This fundraiser could also be done with other meals, like a Fish Fry, so your church and location will determine what you should serve. This fundraiser usually works best on a Friday or Saturday evening. Car Wash: Find a local business that will give you access to their water and will let you use their parking lot. Have your kids spend an entire Saturday washing cars, and the money that is raised will be divided up among students who worked the event. You will need to get buckets, hoses, towels, sponges, and soap (you could ask the church to donate these items). You should also have students make signs on poster board to help attract the attention of drivers. It is also smart to rotate students through the different jobs (washing, hosing off cars, holding signs, taking money).

Transportation All of your students attending the retreat should meet at the church, and then the entire group should travel to the retreat together. If your youth group has church vans, shuttles, and/or trailers available for your use, we recommend using those to transport your students, but if this is not an option for you, caravan in as few vehicles as possible. Vans are preferred for this trip, because they allow you to transport more students and equipment, where as cars have a very limited amount of space, which would require you to take more vehicles. Debriefing for Students and Leaders Once the camp is over, it is important to debrief with the students and leaders—to go over again what has been covered in order to solidify it in everyone’s minds. Schedule Friday 4:30pm Depart Church for retreat site 5:00pm Set up camp or move into camp 5:30pm Introductory Session [1] 6:00pm Dinner[*] 7:00pm Group Game [2] 8:00pm Craft: Journal decorating [3] 9:00pm Session: Prayer [4] 9:30pm Application Session: Prayer (Individual Quiet Time, prayer stations) [5] 11:30pm Group Worship/ Testimony [6] 12:00am Sleep Saturday (Early wake up permitted for Quiet Time) 9:00am Wake up call/Free time 10:30am Brunch [*] 11:30am Session: Silence, Solitude, Scripture, Fasting [7] 12:30pm Application Session: Silence, Solitude, Scripture, Fasting [8] 2:00pm Group Game [9] 3:00pm Free Time 5:00pm Dinner [*] 6:00pm Session: Simplicity/Stewardship [10] 6:30pm Group Activity relating to Simplicity [11] 7:30pm Free Time 8:30pm Campfire and S’Mores (Snack) [12] 9:00pm Group Worship/ Testimony [13] 10:00pm Individual Quiet Time [14] 12:00am Sleep Sunday 8:00am Wake up call 8:30am Breakfast [*]

9:30am Church Together [15] 10:30am Group Game/Activity [16] 11:30am Free Time 12:30pm Lunch [*] 1:30pm Session: Rest as a Spiritual Discipline [17] 2:00pm Group Activity relating to Rest [18] 2:30pm Closing worship time/ Testimony [19] 3:30pm Pack up 4:00pm Head back to church 4:30pm Back to church [1] Introductory Session Gather everyone together in order to bring the retreat to order. Welcome everyone and tell them you are excited they are there. Give an overview of the weekend. Include any rules you may have for the weekend. Some rules may include: 1. No bullying 2. No wondering off alone 3. Respect yourself and others 4. No makeup or technology Then go into a time of explaining what spiritual disciplines are and why we should learn about them and pursue them. You can use the same information as the parent meeting: God wants a relationship with each one of His children. In order to strengthen that relationship we are called to spiritual formation through the work of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual formation is a process. It is the metaphorical chipping away of our own flesh so that we may become more like Jesus. It is only when we invite the Holy Spirit to transform us and chip away our earthly flesh, that we are molded into the image of Christ and can live a truly fulfilling life. Scripture reminds us that God is the potter and we are the clay- we need to allow Him to mold us to fit His design! Spiritual disciplines help us to pursue this growth in our faith. Spiritual disciples can be done individually or in community. They include but are not limited to: fasting, silence, solitude, simplicity, rest, journaling, hospitality, scripture, and prayer. You can use the analogy of training for a marathon to your walk with Christ. Start small, be disciplined, and you will get to where you want to be. [2] Group Game It is best to start with some get to know you games in case some of the girls are not as close as some of the others or if someone has brought a friend along who does not know everyone. Some sample-ice breaker games include: Name/Action Game: Students and leaders stand in a circle. One person says their name and does an action at the same time, like touching their knees or sticking out their

tongue. Everyone repeats the name and action back. After the first person goes, the second person goes, then everyone repeats that second person’s name and action and then the first person’s name and action. Make your way around the circle. Knot Game: Everyone stands in a circle and puts their hands in and grab 2 other people’s hands. After everyone has become a giant knot, twist and turn your way into a circle without letting go of each other’s hands. Have two groups and race to see who can untie themselves first! Two Truths and a Lie: Sit in a circle. Each person takes a turn saying 3 statements about themselves. Two statements must be true and one must be a lie. The other girls must guess which one is a lie. [3] Craft: Journal Decorating Journaling in itself is a spiritual discipline and the girls should be encouraged to journal their prayers and quiet times with the Lord. At this time each girl will be given a notebook and supplies to decorate it. Chaperones can make one too! Encourage the girls to use Bible verses and meaningful images to decorate their journals. Supplies you will need include: notebooks, scrapbooking paper, markers, glue, stickers, magazines to cut out of, and buttons. [4] Session: Prayer

1. Ask the girls: “How important do you think that prayer is?” “Do you think that your prayers make any difference?”

2. Ask: “Does anyone know who Elijah is? 3. Explain the following: Elijah was a prophet (a messenger for God) to His people

the Israelites. The king, King Ahab, was really evil and purposely did things that were displeasing to God. So Elijah prayed that it would not rain in order to punish King Ahab and to cause him to turn to God instead of repeatedly doing what was wrong.

4. Say: “Well, the book of James uses Elijah to show how powerful the prayers of God’s children are.”

5. Read James 5:16-18 (talks about the power of righteous person’s prayers) 6. Say: “Elijah was just as much a human as we are, but his prayers caused it to not

rain for three and a half years! Can you imagine it not ever raining for that long? So this passage is emphasizes how powerful the prayers of God’s children are.”

7. Say: “There are four basic parts to prayer—adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication.

8. Say: “Adoration is praising God for who He is and loving Him with all of our hearts, minds, souls, and strength because of who He is. He is our Creator, our Savior, our Friend, our Father, our Refuge, our Helper, our Provider, and He is

faithful, true, patient, merciful, and forgiving. It is when we meditate on how good God is that our praise and love for Him increases.”

9. Say: “Confession involves admitting what you have done wrong and asking God to forgive you for it. 1 John 4:8-9 says, ‘If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Thus, this verse indicates that all of us have sinned and need to forgiveness, and that when we have sincerely asked for God’s forgiveness, we are truly forgiven, no matter what we have done.”

10. Say: “Thanksgiving is being grateful for all that God has done and is doing for us. He voluntarily died in our place and He is always passionately pursuing us even when we are not seeking Him. We also have the blessings He grants us and the gifts that He gives to us with every day to be thankful for, such as good friends, talents, food and shelter, help through a difficult situation, and a listening ear whenever we need to talk to someone.”

11. Say: “Supplication involves humbling presenting one’s requests to God. It is prayer for others, issues in the world, and your needs.”

12. Say: “Another important part of prayer is listening in order to hear what God is might be trying to say to you. God really wants you to talk to Him, but He also wants to talk to you. So it is important to learn to be quiet and just sit and listen while focusing on God because if we are constantly talking then it is hard to hear what God is saying.”

13. Review and summarize what has been said: • The prayers of God’s children have great power and wonderful results. • Prayer includes adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. • Adoration is praising God for who He is. • Confession is seeking God’s forgiveness for sins. • Thanksgiving is expressing gratitude for all that God has done. • Supplication is humbly presenting one’s requests to God. • As with any conversation, listening is a very important part of prayer.

[5] Application Session: Prayer (Individual Quiet Time, Prayer Stations) During this time the girls will be able to spend quality time alone with God. Practicing the ACTS prayer method, journaling, sitting in silence, and reading Scripture can be incorporated into this time. [6] Group Worship/ Testimony After their first experience with quiet time it is important for the girls to come together to experience community prayer. During this time the girls can sit in silence and pray out loud whenever they desire to. Pull some passages of Scripture, Psalms is good, to read aloud together in a group. Also give time for the girls to testify if they feel God calling

them to. Have a few songs for worship together, if some of the girls are gifted musically, see if they would like to lead worship before the retreat to give them time to prepare. [7] Session: Silence, Solitude, Scripture, & Fasting Silence (10 minutes) Read 1 Kings 19:9-13 out loud 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 11 The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. (NIV)

In this passage, the Lord tells Elijah that He would pass by, however when God passes by, it was not in the “noise” of the wind, the earthquake, or the fire, instead God showed Himself in the gentle whisper.

We need to practice being silent, because God doesn’t speak to us in the noise of today, so we have to put ourselves in a place to hear His quiet whisper at times. This is why we did not allow you to bring your cell phones or iPods, because we wanted to you take a break from the noise to focus on hearing God’s voice.

This does not mean that you have to spend excessive amounts of time being silent, rather it means that you spend a few minutes quieting your heart and opening yourself up to hear the voice of God. Elijah prepared himself to hear the voice of God by pulling his cloak over his face and going out to meet God.

Take 5 minutes to discuss in groups of 2-3 ways that you can prepare yourselves to hear God’s voice. After they have done this, ask the girls to share their ideas with the group.

Solitude (10 minutes) There are many places in the Gospels where Jesus is said to have spent time by himself in order to spend time with God. Read the following passages out loud: Mark 1:35 And early in the morning, while it was still dark, He arose and went out and departed to a lonely place, and was praying there. Mark 6:45-46 And immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the multitude away. And after bidding them farewell, he departed to the mountain to pray. Mark 14:32-34

And they came to a place called Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here until I have prayed." And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled. And He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch." And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground, and began praying. Luke 4:42 And when day came, He departed to a lonely place; and the multitudes were searching for Him, and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from going away from them. Luke 5:16 But He Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray. Luke 6:12 And it was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. (NIV)

While Jesus did spend a lot of his time with other people, he also understood the importance of spending time away from everyone else to be with God. When life was difficult, Jesus sought comfort in God instead of in other people. We should do the same. When Jesus had been doing a lot, He turned to God in order to be refreshed, and we should do the same.

The way that Jesus used solitude regularly for different reasons should be our model for how we are to practice spending time alone in order to grow closer to God.

Take 5 minutes to talk in groups of 2-3 to discuss some of the reasons why it is difficult to spend time alone. Then have the girls share some of their responses with the entire group.

Scripture (10 minutes) Read the following passages out loud: John 1:1-2 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.

o The Bible is the word of God, so it is important that we spend time reading it, and we should also spend time memorizing it, for it is the weapon that we have been given to fight temptation.

Read Psalm 119:1-16 out loud 1 Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD. 2 Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart— 3 they do no wrong but follow his ways. 4 You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. 5 Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! 6 Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands.

7 I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws. 8 I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me. 9 How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. 12 Praise be to you, LORD; teach me your decrees. 13 With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. 14 I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. 15 I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. 16 I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.

• To live the life that God has called us to live, we are to study and follow the word of God.

• Take 5 minutes in groups of 2-3 to discuss how you spend time in the word. After this time has passed, have some of the girls share their responses.

Fasting (10 minutes) Read Luke 4:1-14 1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” 5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” 9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; 11 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” 12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. 14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.

o Jesus fasted for a period of time in order to overcome temptation and be filled by the Spirit. We should fast in order to draw closer to God. When we limit ourselves it allows us to focus on God, and rely on Him instead of the other things in our lives.

o Fasting does not just have to be fasting from food, it can be fasting from anything. When we fast we need to do so in a way that we take the time to focus on God, and you do not need to inform everyone that you are fasting, because it is something that is between you and God, so don’t go around bragging about your fasting.

o Have the students take 5 minutes to identify the thing(s) in their lives that they could or should fast from. After that, have a few students share what they feel that they should fast from.

Application (30 minutes) We have asked you to fast from a meal today, so that you may start to experience the discipline of fasting, but we strongly encourage you to consider fasting from those things that you just identified when you get home. Right now, we are going to give you 30 minutes to go practice the disciplines of silence, solitude, and scripture. Take your Bible, a pen, and your journal, and go find a place somewhere by yourself. During this half hour, be silent. Don’t say anything, just listen. Don’t spend this time with any of the other girls here, just go be by yourself. You can simply sit, or you can read your Bible, or you can journal. It is up to you. Do what you need to do in the silence and the solitude to draw close and listen to God. [8] Application Session: Silence, Solitude, Scripture, Fasting To practice silence and solitude and Scripture, students will go off and have individual quiet time. During this time they are not to speak but are to sit in silence for a while to prepare their hearts for the Word. Then they should read and reflect on a passage in the Bible. The girls should be encouraged to journal. [9] Group Game Take this time to play a youth group favorite! Some ideas for group games are: Saving private Hebert: For larger groups, this game can be very fun. Split into two teams. Each team needs a Herbert and a nurse. The two Herbert’s and the two Nurses will wear a distinguishing color. Everyone else gets a pantyhose leg that is filled with flour in the foot area. To win the game, one team must whack the Herbert of the other team. Rules: If a player from team A whacks a player from team B, the team B player must sit down until tagged by Team B’s nurse. The nurse can also be tagged, but doesn’t have a flour hose themselves. The nurse cannot save Herbert. Volleyball: Grab a volleyball and create a makeshift court if one is not available. Soccer: Again, an easy one, just grab a soccer ball and play a pick up game.

[10] Session: Simplicity/Stewardship Ask: “How many shoes do you have? Is your closet overflowing with clothes? How many of you love going shopping? Although there is nothing wrong with enjoying going shopping or liking clothes and shoes, it becomes unhealthy when you place more importance on having things than on God or when having things become so much of an obsession that you always beg your parents for the latest fashion or thing on demand because you feel as if it is something that you have to have.” Say: “Simplicity is being willing to live with less instead of always seeking to get new and better things in order to focus on living for God and in order to be able to give more, while stewardship is using the things that you already have wisely and responsibly. Read Matthew 6:25-33—”For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will wear for clothing?' For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Explain: “Even though God created us to have certain likes and desires, He wants us to be willing to live simply and be thankful for what we have and to be more concerned with living for Him than having things that are cool or getting things just because it seems like everybody else has them. One way in which you can practice living more simply for God is to cut back on how many things you ask your parents for by asking yourself whether it is something that you actually need or if it is simply something you want. Also, taking care of the things that you already have is one way to practice stewardship. [11] Group Activity Relating to Simplicity A fun game about getting rid of possessions is a twist to the game Steal the Bacon. Steal the Bacon focuses on having more and more to win. Toss the Bacon is the opposite, about having less and less. Have 2 to 4 small teams for this game. But multiple objects in the middle: a towel, an inner tube, a basketball, and whatever else you can find. Call out the teams who are going and the purpose is to get all of the items to the other teams’ home base and away from your own.

[12] Campfire and S’Mores (snack) Just like it sounds. Build a campfire and roast S’Mores. If you don’t have a campfire, roast the marshmallows over a stove and still enjoy time together. Sing some favorite songs. [13] Group Worship/ Testimony This time should be similar to the other group worship and testimony time. [14] Individual Quiet Time Again, the girls can go off and have some individual quiet time with the Lord. This will be a time of silence and solitude. They should pray, listen, and read Scripture. [15] Church Together This should be a simple service. Have a call to worship through a song then go into a time of worship. One of the leaders should present at 15-minute sermon. It can relate to hearing God’s voice or maybe to one of the disciplines that will not be emphasized in the sessions. [16] Group Game/Activity If you are able, go on a hike during this time or do some team building activities if you have access to a challenge course please take the opportunity to do these activities. There are a few challenge course stations that could be easy to create. Spider Web: Find two trees close to one another and make a spider web out of string. The holes created between the trees should be big enough for a person to go through, but not big enough to just step through. The goal is for all the girls to stand on one side of the web and use each other to get everyone through a different hole in the web and over to the other side. Once a hole has been used, it cannot be used again. Time the girls to see how quickly they can get through. The Log: Find a long log that all the girls can stand on. They are not allowed to talk during this challenge. As they stand on the log they must get in order of their birthdays or something else you may think of. If a girl talks or falls off they all must start over. [17] Session: Rest as a Spiritual Discipline Rest (30 minutes) Read Genesis 1:1-31 out loud 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. 6 And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” 7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day. 9 And God said, “Let the

water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. 12The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day. 14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day. 20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day. 24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” 29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

o God took time creating the world; it was a process. It’s a lot like our daily lives; we have a huge number of things that we try to get done on any given day.

o Ask the girls to list off some of their activities and obligations. o These things are important, but they take our time. We tend to continuously add

more and more things to our schedules, which just wears us out that much more. We don’t always take the time to rest and renew ourselves. We keep working, and ignore our bodies when they tell us to relax.

o Tell a story of a time in your life when you either got tired during sports because you weren’t resting, or you got tired because you were doing too many activities, or you pulled an all-nighter in college, etc. Any personal story about working too hard and not resting will work here.

o God worked hard, but after He had accomplished all of this, He took the time to rest.

Read Genesis 2:1-2 out loud 1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. 2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.

God took the time to make the world, and He put His time and effort into creating the universe, however, when He was done, He took the time to rest. As God, He could have continued to keep working, but instead, He took the time to rest before He continued.

This is why God created the Sabbath. He wanted us to take the time to rest in the midst of our busy lives, because He knew that our bodies could not handle working everyday of the week. He knew that it was so important, that He demonstrated it for us.

Have you ever noticed that when you don’t take the time to rest that you tend to get crankier, more easily stressed, and tend to get sick? That’s part of the reason why God wants us to rest. He did not create us to be continuously doing something.

Resting does not just mean sleeping (although sometimes that’s what we need most). Have the girls form groups of 2-3 and take 5-10 minutes to brainstorm ways that they can rest. After they have done this, have them share their ideas with the group. Challenge the girls to not only practice rest this weekend, but to take the time to figure out how they rest best (whether it is taking a nap, listening to worship music, sitting outside, drawing, etc.) and intentionally rest at least once a week. [18] Group Activity Relating to Rest Rest together! Enjoy some structured free time. Sit around and tell stories or nap in the sun. [19] Closing Worship Time/Testimony As it is time to wrap up the trip, it is important for the girls to have an opportunity to share what they have experienced and learned. Bring all the girls together for a time where they can discuss what God has shown them. You can ask them questions such as: -How did you experience God most during this time? -What are you going to do once you get home? -What one word describes who God is to you right now?

Close in group prayer asking God to continue to grow each of you and bring about his plans for your lives. [*] Meals If your retreat center offers a food service decide if you would like to use it. Otherwise it will be up to you to plan and prepare the 5 meals that take place over the retreat. For breakfasts it is easy to have milk, cereal, fruit, granola bars, or donuts. Lunch and dinners do not have to be hard either. You can cook burgers, mini personal pizzas, or hotdogs.