Let the fun begin! All of the locations in the Midwest Christian Retreats network have beachfronts you can enjoy with fun activities such as water slides, the blob, zip line, boating, and swimming. There is no better way to cool down on hot day during a retreat than a trip to the beach!

It seems as if summer is coming at us faster than we want it to. So it is time to get out the Wii Fit or go for a run to try to be prepared for beach season, plus we’ve got to get the grill fired up, plan a trip to grandmas house, get the yard mowed, AND get the kids signed up for a camp or youth retreat.

Never forget that the lakes at the summer retreats you attend could be full of FISH.

True story: 15 years ago in a youth summer retreat in Indiana, some youth decided to go fishing. They caught some of the biggest large mouth bass in the summer retreat lake.  They even took pictures to prove it.  To this day during their summer retreat they have an annual fishing tournament with trophies given. WOW, what is in your retreat lake?

These two words are nearly identical, but the most subtle difference is a world apart in application. If you get in your car with your teenager and drive to the store in silence, it’s an experience. If you head for the store with your teenager and have a deep conversation that brings you closer together, it’s experiential. Objectively, the two events are nearly identical—a car ride to the store. Subjectively, the later experience holds the potential of lasting impact on both lives.

In general, everyone wants to value-pack the time they have on retreat and make good use of every moment.  That makes sense that you would want to use each moment effectively while your group is on retreat, right?  Absolutely!  But to be effective you also must maintain balance in the event.  Events where guests are rushing from activity to activity with an agenda that starts early in the morning and runs late into the night generally results in guests who go home burned out and in a post-retreat haze.

The "haze" can be dangerous, people tend to retain less in the haze, and have memories like - "I was tired" as opposed to what I learned in that service really challenged me and changed my life.  A couple recomendations to keep your retreat value packed and haze-free:  1.  Give your attendees at least 8 hours of sleep each night - especially for week-long conferences & camps.  2. Avoid cutting free time from the schedule, instead, value-pack your free time.  Some free time once or twice a day gives people the opportunity to relax a little, engage other senses, and build relationships.  Today's post will highlight some free time activity options available at Midwest Christian Retreats locations as well as helpful hints to make free time a productive use of your time on retreat.