COMMUNITY GUIDE

Fall Retreat can be a fun time away from campus, homework, and the dorms to be with their best friends and learn more about God. However to others, it can be a very intimidating and vulnerable time when you are in an unknown environment with unknown people. When planning out your fun time during the weekend it is best to consider both sides of the spectrum and plan activities to include a variety of people.

HOW DO I START?

• Starting with something fun and/or funny in your first session creates a common experience for students to bond over.
• A quick game before discussion groups could provide a lot of value. Choose a game where students have to actually get up and meet new people.
• Transition into a time of gather with small groups of 4-6 students per group. Group students together by a name tag system, dorm, gender, or classification. You could also place 1-2 student leaders or staff in these groups.
• Provide some discussion questions starting off with light fun questions and transitioning to deeper one. Here are some examples
  • What is your name, campus, year, and major?
  • What are the best road trip snacks?
  • Have you ever been to a retreat before?
  • What are you hoping to get out of this weekend?

WHAT ABOUT GAMES?

Your accommodations, will determine your fun time. For example, most camps have recreation space for different sports and games. However, if you are in a closed environment like a house or hotel, maybe a scavenger hunt would be a fun twist. Here are some ideas:

• Volleyball
• Soccer
• Basketball
• Flag football
• Kickball
• Dodgeball
• Relay games

WHAT ABOUT A GROUP FUN ACTIVITY?

Most campuses incorporate a large social time in the middle of the weekend to break up the students’ intake of content. Here are some ideas:

• Dance (barn dance or themed by a certain color, era, etc.)
• Talent show
• Scavenger hunt

ANY HELPFUL GUIDELINES?

Organized community time is centered around two things: community and fun. There shouldn’t be many rules placed on this time but it could be valuable to encourage:

• No girls and guys hanging out one on one
• Avoid napping - make the most of the weekend
• Hanging out with new friends and branching out of cliques - fellowship and get to know other people while you are here

AFTER I KNOW WHAT I WANT MY CONTENT AND COMMUNITY TIME TO LOOK LIKE, IN WHAT ORDER SHOULD I PLAN IT OUT?

Take a look at our weekend graphic and schedule template to get a better idea.