We just finished our annual Disciple Now Retreat Weekend. It was an absolute blast and God did some big things! These weekends are always special.
Anytime students get away from the normal routine of life to seek and lift high the name of Jesus, big things happen. Students hear from Jesus in new and fresh ways as they seek Him in Gospel Community. Here is the recap video of Disciple Now 2016:
As youth workers, we should always be seeking to improve our “product.” When I say product, please don’t hear, “event void of Jesus.” Yes, our primary objective is to point people toward Jesus. Period. But this doesn’t mean we should get comfortable in how we engage students. Retreat weekends should call students into worship, Bible study, contemplation, community, and fun. How we execute these each year is our “product” and we should always be refining how we are engaging students. Being intentional and creative in this process both removes barriers and creates environments where student can encounter Jesus. With this in mind, here are my Disciple Now Musts:
- You MUST put together a strategic team.
Administrative Team –> Team Leads –> Volunteers
Strategic Teams work smarter not harder. They do this by splitting the work load as much as possible. Our retreats are planned and organized by an Administrative Team that leads and coordinates Team Leads, who in turn coordinate and lead volunteers. Team Leads are in charge of college leaders, communication, drivers, food, host homes, sponsors, check-in, fun, service projects, stage design, etc.
Want to see how we organize it all? Download our Master Disciple Now File!
- You MUST communicate early and often.
This is really just a good rule for ministry and life, but it’s particularly helpful during events. Not only do you need to be communicating with students how awesome the weekend will be, but parents need to know dates and details as early as possible. Our communication and planning process begins about four months out.
Furthermore, communication just before and during a retreat weekend can be tricky. We have found REMIND to be a huge help. This is a FREE texting service that schools use to communicate with students and parents. You choose a code, parents text the code to a number to join, and boom, your line of communication is now open. We use four different text streams for parents, college leaders, drivers, and all volunteers. The unique thing about REMIND is that you can’t see any numbers, so do not technically own their information. While not needed for weekend events, there are probably better solutions for your primary/longterm texting service.
- You MUST dream big.
What should be the theme or focus of your retreat? What would help solidify the message in the hearts of students? How many volunteers do you want? How many students do you expect to show up? What would encourage students to invite their friends? What will be what students talk about for years to come?
These are just a few of the questions you should ask when planning an event. Ask God not only for a big outcome, but for big dreams in the planning process. When you set your sights high you will work/pray your tail off to get there. When you set your sights low (intentionally or through lack of planning) you will get sub-par results/response.
- You MUST pay attention to the details.
If you want your student ministry to seem faithful (or “professional” for that matter) you must pay attention to details. The earlier you jump into the planning process and actually begin to execute the plan, the better you will be able to pay attention to the details during crunch time. You should NEVER have to “wing it” during an event or retreat weekend.
When you have to pull off a game or service project at the last second students will know it. Worse, parents and volunteers will know it and form opinions about you and the ministry you run. These may be unfair and unwarranted opinions, but your church should expect the same level of professionalism they find in the business world. Yes, you might be part-time or volunteer, and yes, your budget is probably tiny, but don’t make excuses. Rather, set a high standard for yourself and the ministry and then watch what God will do with a faithful servant!
Want some help paying attention to the details? Like I already told you…go grab our FREE Retreat Planner! This Master DNOW Excel File has multiple tabs that will help you organize and plan your next retreat. It was created by one of my amazing leaders and will walk you step-by-step through event preparation and how we coordinated 301 students, 51 college leaders, 91 Host Home/Driver/Sponsors, and 58 general volunteers.
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David Hanson: Texas native, Texas Tech Red Raider, M.Div. at Truett Seminary, husband to Ashley, father to Ava, Ben & Madelyn, Student Pastor at The Fellowship in Round Rock, Tx, table tennis (ping-pong) extraordinaire, addicted to coffee. For anything else…you’ll just have to ask.
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