Youth Retreat on Worship
October 19, 2025 / Michigan / 6 Hours
I shepherded twelve high school students from Church of the Servant through a retreat on worship using this curriculum. We were at a lovely home on the shore of Lake Michigan, the blustery wind blew our hair everywhere, and we ate the most delicious chicken chili for lunch.
Together, we explored the following:
What is worship?
How do sacred spaces inspire us to connect with God?
How do rituals shape us?
In small groups, the young people created a ritual using candles. They then designed their own worship service. I guided them through an imaginative prayer with hand motions. Each person each wrote a letter to themselves (that we will deliver to them in a few months). Students also had time to draw a sacred space in journals with colored pencils. We ended the gathering by assisting the host in moving heavy outdoor furniture into his storage unit. Afterwards, we enjoyed some brownies together.
Students and their small group leader leading us through the worship service they just created.
The group of 4 leaders, the host, and high school students.
“Worship is the arena in which God recalibrates our hearts, reforms our desires, and rehabituates our loves. Worship isn’t just something we do; it is where God does something to us. Worship is the heart of discipleship because it is the gymnasium in which God retrains our hearts.”