Sample God and Country Retreat Resources

 

If there is one thing that can consistently be said about the God and Country program, it is that it has always been taught in a variety of ways and in many different settings, i.e. at home with the family, in a classroom setting at church, or one-on-one with the pastor or an adult mentor. God and Country can even be done at a weekend retreat.

 

While it is possible to design retreat experiences around the God and Country program, it takes careful planning and consideration to maintain the integrity of the program. Retreat settings are not always feasible. There are many issues to take into consideration, but a God and Country retreat starts with the following assumptions:

  • Core requirements and guidelines will be upheld (not watered down)

  • Homework or pre-camp assignments will be required

  • Participants will be required to present their work to their pastors

  • Participants will receive a retreat patch. They will be responsible for ordering their own religious award after their pastors have approved their work.

One of the first challenges is to build a retreat that offers first and foremost the opportunity for spiritual growth. Yes, the retreat is based on the God and Country curriculum, but the goal of the retreat is not to earn an award but to grow closer to Christ. A retreat is to build faith and make new friends. The retreat planning committee must look at the overall weekend experience and the worship atmosphere besides planning the nitty gritty details of fulfilling the award requirements. Providing free time to balance the heavy emphasis on lesson work is essential. Children will be expected to work hard in their small group sessions, but they will also be expected to play hard too. Retreats must build time for fun and fellowship in less structured activities. Different camps may present different opportunities for outdoor activities as well. It is the responsibility of the retreat planning committee to oversee these options.

 

It is assumed that the retreat planning committee will provide opportunity for community service. In some instances, campers have participated in ecology or camp improvement projects for the camp or nearby community. In other instances, campers have learned about a community-helping agency and then brought donations for it (i.e. stuffed animals, Bibles, canned goods, etc.).

 

It must also be noted that the individual lessons in the God and Country curriculum incorporate a “hands on” component. Therefore each lesson includes its own craft project. Additional crafts may be used as options during free time.

 

The following options focus on specific program level. Only three options will be explored: God and Me, God and Family, and God and Church. Please note that all material presented here should not be used “as is” but adapted to fit your particular needs. Any questions? Please contact Deb Hazlewood at debh@praypub.org.