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| Fall Retreat '08 |
Fall Retreat '08 - Know His Character
On September 26-28, West Side Baptist Church - Youth and Children went on our FIRST ANNUAL FALL RETREAT. We left Fitzgerald at 4PM Friday and, after stopping to eat a pizza picnic dinner at around 6PM, we arrived at the FFA FHA Camp in Covington Ga at just after 8PM. By 9PM we were in our meeting room and starting the intro of our lessons.
On Saturday morning we enjoyed a breakfast of grits, eggs, and sausage. Some also had fruit and or cereal, with milk or juice. Class began at 8:30.
We started our first lesson with a taste test. With four volunteers, who could pick out the "Real" Coke between four samples.
The first taste was of Ritz Cola, 3 of the 4 thought it was the "Real" Coke.
Second was COKE Cola, and again 3 of the 4 thought is was the "Real" Coke.
The third sample was Chek Cola, made here in Fitzgerald at Deep South.
ALL FOUR KIDS THOUGHT IT WAS THE "REAL" COKE.
The fourth sample was Tonic Water, and ZERO kids thought it was the "Real" Coke.
This was a lot of fun, but with a point. After the taste test, we asked why some of the volunteers liked the other drinks better or thought that the other drinks were the "Real" Coke? and How does that relate to people believing in false gods or not sure they follow the REAL God.
We asked an open question, "How do you know your following the real God?"
The second lesson started with a race. Four children volunteered, each blew up a balloon and on the word go tossed the balloon in the air, put both hands behind their backs, and blew the balloons across the room and back.
It was a close race, and when each team of two finished, we explained what the race represented. The balloons represented us, and the contestants represented the Holy Spirit. We asked the kids what was hard about blowing the balloons in the direction they wanted them to go. They said the balloons didn't want to cooperate and kept falling down. What happened. The volunteers (remember are the Holy Spirit) had to keep picking them up and getting the balloons (us) back on track. We talked about how hard the Holy Spirit has to work to keep us on the right track, and what we can do to make that job easier.
Our third and last lesson began with a skit performed by the teachers that went on the retreat with us. The skit made the point that unless we first know Jesus for ourselves, we can not share him with others. Of course this was done in a fun way where one lady loved food, not Jesus; a man spent his time pursuing relationships with women rather than one with Jesus; two women found joy in shopping, not knowing Jesus; another man found life in books, not Jesus; a grumpy old man kept to himself rather than surrounding himself in Jesus; a drunkard searched for joy in the bottom of a bottle; and finally at the end of our short skit, the young lady finds Jesus with the help of another young lady who knew Him and could tell her how to find Jesus Christ and shared the ABC's of becoming a Christian.
In between class, WE HAD FUN!
We got to play mini-golf, basketball, tennis, volleyball, and ping pong. The children got to play on the paddle boats and the youth were allowed to participate on the Low Ropes course. At the end of the day we were treated with a nice bonfire on the lake. We sang a couple songs and had a moment of invitation, followed by everyone holding hands and taking turns praying.
We had lots of fun in the cabins too. Pouring cold water over the shower curtain on someone while he was taking a shower was a favorite prank in the boys cabin.
Everything went well and we knew we had been blessed by getting to know more about God's character while having such a good time.
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