Last weekend, our Youth Fellowship ministry took 15 students to Smith Mountain Lake for our first ever Fall Retreat. To give you a glimpse into our weekend, it was filled with laughter, games (including an egg toss), food, singing, swimming, hiking, and studying scripture together. Smith Mountain Lake is one of the most beautiful places I have been, and it was fitting to be able to enjoy such a beautiful part of God’s creation together on our retreat.
Our theme for the weekend was “experiencing scripture” and we did this by practicing Lectio Divina together. Throughout this time, we were sharing and discussing what stood out to us and how we related to the passage. One of the most special parts of the weekend was Saturday evening worship and Lectio Divina. This was our third session of worship and Lectio Divina for the weekend. In previous sessions during the weekend, mostly just the leaders were sharing. Saturday night was different. This was the point in the weekend where we had felt like we had been together for way more than the 24 hours we had been (if you have ever been on a youth retreat, you probably know what I am talking about). We spend every Wednesday night together, but having the extended time on a retreat brings groups of students closer in a different way. It felt like we had reached a point where we all felt comfortable with each other.
Christian (our Director of Youth Fellowship) led us through Luke 15:11-24 (The Parable of the Prodigal Son) and our group was small enough to be able to have a discussion all together. Both leaders and students were sharing and asking questions and we had a deep and rich conversation about the passage. The coolest part of this was that it did not feel like adults trying to explain the passage to students but rather just brothers and sisters discussing scripture together. In a group where the age range was 11 to 65, it was really special to fellowship in this way together. I was amazed at the honesty of students during this time. Leaving this discussion it felt like our community had deepened.
Another one of the best parts of the weekend was our Saturday afternoon swim in the lake. We had a beautiful, sunny and 70 degree October day and the group decided to head out to the dock for most of the afternoon. This consisted of swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding, jumping off the dock, throwing the football around, laying on the water trampoline. When we weren't in the water, we were playing the Hot Ones hot sauce game in which you try to see how hot of a hot sauce you can withstand (and by “we”, I mean everyone else).
Swimming in the lake and hanging out on the dock gave us an opportunity to have everyone together in one place and it felt like it brought the group together. The water was indeed freezing (if you were to ask me), but we spent hours out there. It was such a gift to have nice enough weather to be outside and in the water. Not everyone wanted to swim, but it was special to be all together laughing and playing for hours. For a few minutes I was pretty far towards the middle of the lake on a paddle board and I could hear the beautiful sound of faint laughter and chatter coming from the dock and the water around it, which was a sweet picture of our weekend at Smith Mountain Lake.
The best part of the fall retreat was being able to fellowship with one another and encounter God together. Taking part in community with our students for an entire weekend and getting to build and deepen relationships was such a gift.
—Natalie Gillesse, Young Adult Fellowship Volunteer Leader
