Labor Day Retreat

On Saturday morning shortly after 7:00 a.m., nearly 100 students and adults boarded two yellow school buses and headed for the Linden Valley Baptist Conference Center, this year's location for my church's Labor Day Retreat. I don't know when my church first sponsored this retreat, which is the kickoff event for the new year in the Student Ministry, but it has been on the church calendar each of the fourteen years that my family has been a member of this congregation. This was my fifth year to be a counselor on this retreat, and the second year that I have written the Bible studies and devotions that we have used at the event.

We pack a lot into this overnight retreat. During the 35 hours that we were at Linden Valley, students participated in four worship services, four Bible study sessions, and a personal devotion period. Students also participated in group recreation on Saturday and had several hours each afternoon of free time, during which they could go kayaking or tubing on the Buffalo River (no current = no fun), swim in the pool, play soccer, football or ultimate frisbee (student minister got a fat lip), and spend a lot of money at the Snack Shack (Nerds Ropes rock).

I have been working with the class of 2009 for many years, and these seniors have been looking forward to this Labor Day Retreat since they were 7th graders because of the senior traditions associated with the event: leading family groups, introducing the new 7th graders, doing the senior skit, and staying up all night. The seniors set a positive tone and a positive example for the younger students throughout the retreat. Their introduction of the 7th graders was creative and enthusiastic, and they made an effort throughout the retreat to build relationships with the newest members of our youth group. The seniors actually did three skits instead of one - "The Race," "The Twelve Days of Christmas," and "The House is on Fire" - which were all hysterical. And, despite the fact that they stayed up all night (almost), they continued to be extraordinary leaders the following day (no grumps). These seniors made Labor Day Retreat 2008 memorable for all of us, and based on the status updates I have read on Facebook today, the general consensus is that this was "the best LDR ever." Thanks, seniors. You never cease to amaze me.