Planning a Winter Retreat

How to plan a Middle School Fall/Winter Retreat

All cells should plan a fall or winter retreat to take place between October and March. Retreats are a great event for your cell groups and, with some pre-planning, can turn out really sweet. Here are some points to think through when planning your retreat.

Plan:

• You will want to have a teaching series (3 teachings / discussions).
• Potential retreat locations - See below for a list of retreat site.
• Remember: Safety first on retreats: plan safe and legal activities, wear seat belts, etc.
• Sample Menus:
  • Breakfasts:
    • Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, and Juice or Milk
    • Bagels, Donuts and Juice or Milk
    • Hash browns, Sausage and Juice or Milk
• Lunches:
  • Grilled Cheese, Tomato Soup, Carrots & Celery
  • Cold cut sandwiches, Baked Beans and Chips
  • Sloppy Joe's, Coleslaw and Chips
• Dinners:
  • Spaghetti, French Bread, Bag-o-Salad, Cookies
  • Lasagna, Texas Toast, Bag-o-Salad, Brownies
  • Chicken Nuggets, French Fries, Canned Fruit
• Note: You will have a tendency to over-buy. Look at the servings per container on the packages; they are usually very accurate.

Pricing:

• Please do not exceed $50 per student.
• Have your checks made out to a central cell worker. Do not have checks made out to Dwell.

Promotion:

• Flyers:
  • Create a flyer (sample here) that has contact information for parents. The Dwell office will not have retreat information for the 40+ cells so make sure parents receive your contact info.
• Permission Slips:
  • Attach a permission slip (download template here) for each student.
  • You will need to take the slips with you during the weekend retreat.