RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

We do two children's ministry staff retreats a year. We call them "Advances" because our goal is to move forward, not "retreat."

The first Advance is held in late July for two days. The goals for this Advance are:

Day One:

• Spiritual Renewal
• Prayer Time
• Team Building
• Vision Casting
• Fun and Games
• Leadership Development

Day Two:

• Personal Enrichment
• Leadership Development
• Goal Setting for next year
• Calendar Planning for next year

The other Advance is held in January for one day. The goals for this Advance are:

• Spiritual Renewal
• Prayer Time
• Leadership Development
• Review of previous year
• Goal overview for coming year
• Fun and Games
• Team Building

Here are some general tips for holding an Advance (retreat):

• Hold it off-site. It will enhance the experience.
• Give your team the agenda ahead of time so they can come prepared to discuss, plan, etc.
• Invite someone from your senior leadership to come and speak.
• Have a note taker who writes down or types up everything that is discussed. Send a copy to everyone after the Advance is over.
• Start the day off with a devotion and payer. 
• Have fun. Play some games, do a fun activity, etc.
• Have some team building activities that will bring you closer together.
• Provide lunch and snacks.
• Cell phones off.

If you would like a copy of our agenda for both of our Advances, feel free to email me at dalehudsoncm2@gmail.com.

Posted by Dale Hudson