ReTREAT Yo' Self

HIIIII! It’s May and that is WILD to me! With the end of the semester comes celebrations for what has been done, as well as prep for the year to come. That being said...for this blog I wanted to talk about...RETREATS! So let’s get to it. First off, what is a retreat?

HUH? WHAT?

Retreats are a common outing for the Biola community. Usually, they are between one to three days and are designated for specific groups of people (such as members of a team like a mission trip or a ministry on campus). The trips are meant to create space for fellowship, bonding, community and growth! Sometimes, they are also a space that allows the teams to begin training and preparing for whatever they are anticipating ahead. That’s why many retreats happen at the beginning and end of the semester. Staff directors take this time to sort of prime their students so that they are ready for the year ahead

My Retreat Experience

This particular weekend that I am writing about was my third time going to Spiritual Development retreat! Since I am part of chapel programs, I get the opportunity to spend two weekends a year on retreat with the department. They bring us to Pali Mountain in Running Springs, California. Here, I get to know other ministry teams within Spiritual Development such as the Torrey Conference team, as well as students from different ministry teams like Evangelical Mormon Interactions!

Our directors spend the weekend facilitating getting-to-know-you games and they take time to teach us about the departments’ core values and why we are doing what we are doing. I got to spend quality time with my chapel band for next year, and it was such a joy!! This weekend was the first time the team as a whole got to get together and hang out. It was fun getting to know each other and made me so expectant and excited for the year to come.

In a nutshell, we get to eat good food and have conversations with each other in the mountains. What a dream!

Now, this is just my experience with retreats. Other teams/departments might look a little bit different, but ultimately I think that spending time in community with the people you are working with and around is vital, especially on teams doing ministry together.

Hopefully this blog was able to give you a little insight on what retreats look like here at Biola!

Til’ next blog,

Aubs