Get away from it all: Rest, renewal and inspiration = retreat
February 11, 2024
Camp Gilmont in Texas (camp/retreat center)
As this new year begins, I invite you to take a moment to think about what you and the groups you belong to need. What clarity is needed? What do you need to take that next step? As you look ahead, consider a retreat. We all need time away from our daily rhythms to discover new patterns and get the rest and inspiration needed to sustain us.
Jesus retreated often. Sometimes he retreated alone to pray, and sometimes he brought the disciples out somewhere new. Each time, Jesus re-entered his ministry with a slightly different focus. Drawing on that model, our PC(USA)-affiliated camp and retreat centers provide welcome, programs, and that space away for rest, renewal and inspiration.
What do you need a retreat for? Maybe your session needs time to form and bond. Maybe you have a big capital campaign ahead or are starting a new ministry. Maybe you need inspiration so you and your group can better integrate social justice into your daily and communal lives.
The labyrinth at Heartland Presbyterian Center in Missouri. (camp/retreat center)
For more than 100 years, our camp and retreat centers have been here to walk alongside you. Take a moment to explore what your local camp and retreat has to offer for you and your group — either programmed for you or space for you to create your own retreat experience.
And remember the greatest gift you can give your grandkids or other children and youth is a week at camp — a weeklong retreat with peers and guidance from young adult leaders!
You can find them all our camp and retreat centers at bookaretreat.com.
And don’t forget the life-enriching experience of spending a summer as a young adult working with your peers at summer camp. Job opportunities are at summertoremember.com.
Hope to see you at a retreat or camp soon!
Camp and Retreat Sunday is officially Feb. 11, 2024, but schedule it when it works for your congregation. Find resources at pcusa.org/campsunday.
Brian Frick, Director of Camp and Retreat Ministries, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Revised Common Lectionary Readings for Sunday, February 11, 2024, the Transfiguration of the Lord (Year B)
Today’s Focus: Camp and Retreat Sunday
Let us join in prayer for:
PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Shonita Bossier, Vice President, Operations, Presbyterian Foundation
Bronwen Boswell, Acting Stated Clerk, Office of the General Assembly
Let us pray
Loving God, thank you for the abundance of “loaves” in our lives. Thank you for the camps and conference centers of our church, where we learn to appreciate the wonders of your Creation, feast on your unending love and share that love with others. Amen.