Youth Retreat on Worship
October 19, 2025 / 11am-5pm / Lake MI cottage
I shepherded 12 high school students from Church of the Servant through a 6-hour 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, they created a ritual using candles and also a worship service of their own. Individually, they wrote a letter to themselves (that we will deliver to them in a few months), I guided them through an imaginative prayer with hand motions, and they had time to draw a sacred space in journals with colored pencils. Lastly, we ended the gathering by assisting the host with moving heavy outdoor furniture into his storage unit before enjoying some brownies.
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.
“There is a great and mighty River flowing throughout history toward the healing and restoration of all things. Jesus called this the kingdom of God, where what God wants to happen happens. But he didn’t say, ‘Believe about this River.’ He invited us to join him in it and to learn how to swim with the Current for the sake of the world.”