We are ecstatic to announce a new resource in our Life Support box: Life Teen Core Training. Through both written and video resources, we will help you train your Core Members whenever they join your team. This will hopefully allow you more time with your teens and less time behind a desk. In every Life Support box you will receive a new training resource for your Core Team. This 8-part training series will cover topics including:
• Core Recruitment
• Life Nights: Gather, Proclaim, Break, Send
• Relational Ministry
• Small Groups
• Core Spirituality
• Pastoral Care and Discipline
• Retreats
• Conflict Resolution
The seventh resource in our 8-part series covers retreats. With so much busyness and noise in the life of typical teenagers, retreats give them a chance to get away and experience God in a unique way. For many teens, this can be one of the highlights of their high school years. This Core Training covers the “why” of doing retreats, as well as the important logistics (where, how, when, etc.). We will then look at the process of choosing a theme and how to plan, prepare, and promote a retreat. Finally, we will discuss how to involve parents and discuss potential issues that can arise with teens during the course of the weekend.
A Core Training outline has been provided to help the Core Team understand why we do retreats, how the planning process works, and the critical role they play. Be sure to take some time to train the Core Team in these essential elements of retreats so that they can best minister to the teens. This training can help you to be more prepared and more organized to help teens encounter God more profoundly than they ever have. So, take time to challenge yourself and set goals for your next retreat.