Beau Ellis | Summer Staffer turned into full time retreat host! I have the honor and privilege to serve guests from all over in their adventures in our Fall, Winter, and Spring seasons! You can find me chilling on the couch with our dog and some video games!

Youth retreats are that special time when something real can happen. Speaking from experience, a fall, winter, or spring retreat is always a unique opportunity to connect with youth in a way you wouldn’t normally get at summer camp. 

Don’t get me wrong, summer camp is an amazing time to get deeply relational and have a lot of fun! But a retreat in the fall, winter, or spring is often more quaint, focused, and down-to-earth than the awesome mountain top experience of summer.

Creating a Safe Space for Youth

With that being said, how does one have a legendary youth retreat? 

Well, every retreat group is unique unto itself! Therefore not everything (or everyone) will have a cookie-cutter, copy-and-paste approach. However, there are some constants!

For example, at youth retreats students want to be seen. Our friends at St. John’s College in Santa Fe block time off in their retreat that allows for students to witness to each other, make room to share their feelings, and discuss their pasts. This is so effective because students want to be in a safe environment where they can be themselves and share their stories. 

Really, that’s the art of a youth retreat; being able to see your students for who they are and bring their authentic selves out into the light of day. With all of that in mind, I’m going to give you my guide to having the best youth retreat ever!

Step 1: Decide the Purpose

The first thing to do is decide this one key thing: is this for recreation or to galvanize? 

Recreation means to rest or have good old-fashioned fun. Sure, you may do challenging, different-than-your-norm, or adventurous activities, but the motivation is simply to refresh and enjoy time together. 

Galvanizing, on the other hand, means to shock or excite someone into taking action. The end goal is to inspire your group and come together around a common purpose. 

Of course, this exists on a spectrum. We once hosted a group that came out to learn African drumming. They came to learn a new skill, but they were also here to have fun! So their retreat was rooted in galvanizing but had a touch of recreation. 

This recreation-or-galvanizing approach serves you well beyond planning for the big picture of your retreat. When you plan a Bible study, expedition into historic Santa Fe, or just a learning seminar, you have to know if you want youth to be laughing and jumping around or nodding their heads in approval and pondering a poignant thought.  

I personally recommend leaving room for both. Have those time slots of deep conversation and intentional learning, but also include fun breaks! Give students time to digest what’s been covered with some fun archery tag or a hike in the woods! 

The point is, have a balance between intentional time and spontaneous fun.

Step 2: Have a Plan

My second biggest recommendation is to HAVE A PLAN!

Now trust me, I’m more of a go-with-the-flow kind of guy. It’s fun for a bit to have an idea of what will happen and then just ride with the wind.

However, youth are not in short supply of things to occupy their mind. If their retreat isn’t structured, they will most likely gravitate towards a familiar app, friend, or behavior. But a retreat is a chance to break that rhythm and try something new! 

You don’t need a 25-item itinerary, but having a clear outline SIGNIFICANTLY helps you, your kids, and the retreat host stay grounded. It doesn’t have to be perfect either; make the plan based on your youth, not someone else’s! 

Your retreat might look different from how you remember youth retreats — and that’s okay! Different doesn’t mean less meaningful. 

Step 3: Bring the Fun

Lastly, make sure to have fun! 

A retreat is a time for innovation and adventure! What’s the ONE THING you’ve always wanted to do with your students? A campfire? A specialty dinner handmade by you? Karaoke? 

Don’t be shy, TRY IT! Youth (really everyone) loves to be thought of with intention. 

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and have an awesome, jam-packed retreat! And hey, if you’re out at Glorieta and want to know some fun ideas, reach out to me! As a host, it’s my personal joy to make every retreat special for the groups who come out to camp. 

(Seriously — send an email to retreats@glorieta.org with ANY and ALL questions, and we’ll help you out!) 

Keep it Going 

Inspired to start planning your retreat? Learn more about hosting your retreat at Glorieta! Camp is all about intentional, wacky fun — let’s make it happen.