Healing Retreat

Purpose Statement:

The purpose of this retreat is to help reveal to teenagers the areas in their life where

healing is needed in order to set them on a path towards healing.

Retreat Description:

This healing retreat involves large group sessions, hands-on workshops, and small group

discussions to get students involved in learning about healing and how it applies to them

personally. By incorporating musical worship sessions and group games we aim to keep

students engaged and connecting to their peers, leaders and most importantly God.

Retreat Target:

This retreat is planned for a group of about fifteen senior high school students. With

certain adaptations it could accommodate more.

Why you should have this retreat:

This retreat is for all those who are looking for healing. This healing can come in many

different forms through many different avenues however we know that it all comes from

our Lord and Heavenly Father. You should have this retreat to encourage those who are in

need of this special touch from God whether it be physically, mentally, emotionally, or

spiritually. For we know that God works in mysterious ways but His power cannot be

compared to anything else. This retreat provides the time to come together in prayer and

support to overcome the challenges of life so that we can receive healing.

Registration Details:

Forms need to be given out before the retreat is to take place, you will need to have a

date set to receive them so as to have an accurate head count for your retreat.

Along with the registration forms you will need to have a form for parents’ permission

along with a form saying that each person will follow the set rules.

On the first day of the retreat you should have each person registered into a room or with

a group as to inform them of the room or group once they arrive.

Icebreakers:

After registration you should have a time for everyone to get to know each other. Here is

a link that has some great icebreaker games.

http://wilderdom.com/games/Icebreakers.html

Day1the face of healing

Schedule

9:00 – Breakfast

10:30 – Session Begins

12:00 – Prep for Lunch

12:30 – Lunch

2:00 – Workshop Begin

4:00 – Free Time

5:00 – Prep for Dinner

5:30 - Dinner

7:00 – Evening Activity

9:00 – Small Group Time

10:00 - Bedtime

Session

First start the day with the morning session, this session will be over what healing is and

how we can know if we need healing. Begin this session by having a worship time consisting

of uplifting music such as music from Chris Tomlin, Michael W. Smith and other artists.

After the music pray the prayer of healing.

A prayer for healing

God, hear my prayer,

And let my cry come to You.

Do not hide from me in the day of my distress

Turn to me and speedily answer my prayer.

Eternal God, Source of healing,

Out of my distress I call upon You.

Help me sense Your presence

At this difficult time.

Grant me patience when the hours are heavy;

In hurt or disappointment give me courage.

Keep me trustful in Your love.

Give me strength for today, and hope for tomorrow.

To your loving hands I commit my spirit

When asleep and when awake. You are with me; I shall not fear.

After the prayer begin by asking the group—what is healing? After they give some

answers give your answers. First there is the biblical definition which can be found from--

http://www.michiganquakers.org/healing_and_prayer.htm

Then there is the definition of healing found from the dictionary:

–adjective 1.

curing or curative; prescribed or helping to heal.

2.

growing sound; getting well; mending.

–noun 3.

the act or process of regaining health: a new drug to accelerate healing.

Origin: before 1000; Middle English heelyng (adj.), helynge (noun), Old English hǣlinge (noun).

See heal, -ing2 , -ing1

—Related forms heal·ing·ly, adverb self-heal·ing, adjective un·heal·ing, adjective

After we know what healing is we look at how we can know we need to be healed. Here are

some signs to know if you are hurting and need help.

- Struggling with an addiction

- Are in a depressed mood

- Feeling sad or empty

- Tearful

- Has a loss of interest in normal activities

- Having weight loss or weight gain

- Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much

- Feeling worthless

- Grieving

- Poor concentration

- Low Self-esteem

- Get irritated or agitated easily

- Withdrawal from people

- Or have an apathetic mood

These are all signs that someone would need healing along with other major crises that

arise which can cause someone to hurt. At this point give a personal story of healing and

have others do the same. Close with the healing prayer again.

Games

With this being the first day you will want to start with icebreakers. You can choose from

this website for good games— http://wilderdom.com/games/Icebreakers.html

Workshop

During this time have the group

split up into small groups to

discuss the session from the

morning then involve one of the

activities from the list found at-

-

http://wilderdom.com/games/Ps

ychologicalExercises.html

Free-Time

At this free-time encourage them to take time in nature, read some scripture, or be a part

of more group activities.

Evening Activity

The evening activity will then be a game for all members of the retreat. You can find these

games at-- http://wilderdom.com/games/index2.html

Small Group Discussion

End the evening with small group discussions in which you should talk about what was

discussed in the morning session and during their workshops.

Day2Healing in community

Schedule

9:00 – Breakfast

10:30 – Session Begins

12:00 – Prep for Lunch

12:30 – Lunch

2:00 – Games

3:30 – Workshop

5:00 – Prep for Dinner

5:30 - Dinner

7:00 – Evening Activity

9:00 – Small Group Time

10:00 - Bedtime

Session

What kinds of healing are there? What role does community have in healing?

Preparation for Message:

Read the sections under the first three subheadings (What kind of hurts are we talking

about? through Why bother with past hurts?) of this article.

http://lordslaw.com/soulheal.htm

This article will give you a framework to go by for this day. It talks about many of the

different hurts that one may have experienced in the past or are currently experiencing.

Begin Session:

First, welcome everyone to the session that day.

Then, pray for your time together.

Sing:

Mighty to Save by Hillsong, Healer by Kari Jobe, and Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)

by Chris Tomlin

Prayer:

Pray for God to be with the speaker and with those hearing the message. Pray that the

words said would be from God.

Message:

Healing involves going thorough the necessary steps needed to recover from some sort of

sickness or hurt.

There are many different things that an individual may

need to experience healing from. These could include

healing from emotional damage such as: regrets,

bitterness, anger, pain, fear, feelings of unworthiness,

sins against us and/or anxiety.

Have the students watch this video of the testimonies

of others and their healing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVtr-R-nS9o&feature=related

Some of the emotional damage we experience comes about through our own actions and

other times it can be caused by the things others

have done to us. It may also be a combination of

both. Either way, it is our responsibility to begin the

healing process. We must actively engage in the

healing process. If we just sit and wait for the pain

to go away, we will have to wait for a very long time.

Prayer. Forgiveness. Community.

These are three things necessary for emotional

healing to begin.

Pray:

Open in prayer and ask God to reveal areas in the lives of the students where they are in

need of healing. Then, give the students time to pray silently on their own. Encourage

them to talk to God about the ways they have been hurt.

Forgiveness:

The element of forgiveness can be very powerful. Finally forgiving someone or being

forgiven by someone can sometimes be the first step in experiencing healing.

Have the students write a letter to someone who they need to reconcile their friendship

with or they need to forgive. They should use this letter as an outlet for the feelings that

they have kept hidden. The students can send this letter to the recipient or not,

whatever would be most helpful to them and for their relationship. If a student cannot

think of anyone that they would want to write a letter to, have them write a letter to

themselves about what they are currently going through or learning.

Now, encourage the students to keep praying about the area in which they struggle to find

healing. Also, encourage them to continue to

Ending Song: Blessed Be Your Name (Matt Redman)

Dismissal to free time and then lunch.

Games

Look through this list of these games and pick 2-3 games that the students would enjoy.

When you go to this website select the appropriate age and number of players. Then, a

list of games will be provided.

http://www.youthgroupgames.org/

Workshop

Workshop: Using Community and the truths of Scripture to help foster healing

Theme verse for use of Scripture:

2 Timothy 3:12-17

12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13

while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because

you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the

Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ

Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting

and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped

for every good work.

First share the theme verse for the use of Scripture.

Then have the students split into small groups of three to five people.

In the group have them answer the following questions (spend at least 10 minutes on this

and use more time as needed):

1. Why do you think it says that those who want to live a godly life will be persecuted?

2. Do you think persecution is needed in order to be godly?

3. What are ways that others have deceived you in the past?

4. How do you think Scripture can be useful to both those who have been persecuted

and those who have been deceived?

5. Describe an experience when Scripture has been especially helpful to you.

6. How does Scripture relate to healing?

Next, have the whole group come together again and ask the following:

1. What was your groups’

overall view of the

usefulness of Scripture?

2. How did your group think

Scripture was related to

healing?

Next, begin to talk about

community.

Theme verse for community:

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

9 Two are better than one,

because they have a good return

for their labor: 10 If either of

them falls down, one can help

the other up. But pity anyone

who falls and has no one to help

them up. 11 Also, if two lie down

together, they will keep warm.

But how can one keep warm

alone? 12 Though one may be

overpowered, two can defend

themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Have the students split into the same groups that they were in before. Ask them the

following:

1. What evidence do these verses give that community is important?

2. What do you think you could do to create more community at your school or church?

3. How do you this community and healing can be related?

Next, bring the whole group together again and ask the following:

1. What was your group’s view of community?

2. How do you think community can help foster healing in an individual’s life?

Evening Activity

Play capture the flag. Use this website for game rules and instructions.

http://www.wikihow.com/Play-Capture-the-

Flag

List of Materials:

o sound system

o projector screen

o ―flags‖ for capture the flag

o paper

o pencils or pens

o envelopes

Day3When healing doesn’t happen

Schedule

9:00 – Breakfast

10:30 – Service Begins

12:00 – Prep for Lunch

12:30 – Lunch

2:00 – Workshops Begin

4:00 – Final Gathering

5:30 – Pack up

6:00 – Pull-out, grab dinner on the road home

Service

Welcome

Worship through Music

- Blessed Be Your Name (by Beth Redman & Matt Redman)

- Desert Song (by Brooke Fraser)

- Mighty to Save (by Ben Fielding)

How do we react to healing?

As students have learned over the past couple days, healing happens in more than one way.

Jesus healed the blind man with his spit in the dirt (John 9:1-12), and told the lame man to

get up and walk (John 5:1-14). The woman who had been subject bleeding for twelve years

(Luke 8:40-47) merely touched the robe of Jesus and because of her faith received

complete healing.

There are more stories than this in the Bible of the

healing work of Jesus. People expected him to work

miracles and he provided. Do we expect miracles from

God, and if so, what happens when we don’t find the

healing we’re looking for.

Matthew 7:9 - 11

Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him

a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a

snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to

give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts

to those who ask him!

Our heavenly Father knows how to give

us better gifts than we know or

understand. But what happens when we

ask for bread and we get a stone?

What happens when we ask for healing

and we don’t get it?

Dr. Bud Bence, professor at Indiana Wesleyan University, offers four options to this

question.

1. The stone that we bear is really bread in disguise. The ailment we suffer may be

bread and we just haven’t realized it yet.

2. The stone we bear will be turned into bread at the proper time. It is not yet time

for God to heal our wounds.

3. Our stone is bread to someone else. Though we may be suffering for the time, God

is using this suffering to give life to someone else.

4. The stone that we bear is more important to our spiritual lives than is the bread

that we want. God is using the pain and sickness in our lives to grow us.

These options are best explained through illustrations. It will be more meaningful if one of

these illustrations given is from your own personal life or the life of someone you know.

To listen to the sermon by Dr. Bud Bence, it can be found at

http://www.indwes.edu/Spiritual-Life/Chapel/ by clicking the chapel archives link. The

sermon is titled Spring Summit 01-19-11 pm.

Benediction

Workshop

Lectio Divina on James 5:13-16

For more information on Lection Divina go to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lectio_Divina

For instructions on doing Lection Divina with a group go to:

http://www.redeemer.com/connect/prayer/lectio_divina.html

Materials Needed: Bibles

Final Gathering

- Re-cap the past couple days and hit the main points of the retreat

- Challenge students to take what they have learned over the weekend into their

everyday lives

o This can include a very specific challenge that can be measured, such as

journal about your healing process over the next week and then come

together as a group to discuss how God has been working.

- This is a great time for students

to share what God has been doing

in their lives over the weekend,

allow a few students to share with

the group.

o It might even be a good

idea to talk with a couple

students prior to this final

gathering and ask them

personally to share

- Take a whole group photo and pray

together as a group before getting

on the road to head home

Tips on Follow-up

We often put a lot of focus on planning and organizing for weekend retreats. However, it

is also important to spend time planning for what you will do when the retreat is over.

Retreats are a wonderful way to get new people plugged into your group and to encourage

those who have been involved for years. However, this does not have to end after one

weekend away. Making the choice to intentionally build relationships after the retreat is

over can be very rewarding. Here are just two of the many ways you may want to so this.

Letters of Remembrance

In the busyness of everyday life, it is easy to forget the things that

you have learned during a short weekend retreat. When there are

objects for the students to remember their

experience by, the effects of it can be even longer

lasting. One neat way to provide the teens with

something to remember the retreat by is to have

them write a letter to themselves. At first this may seem quite odd, but

it can be very beneficial. During free time, have the students write a

letter to themselves about what they are learning and what God is

teaching them. As a leader, hold on to these letters for a few weeks or

even months. Then, simply mail the letter to the student. When the

student receives the letter they will be reminded of what they learned

and experienced during the retreat.

Group Photos

One very simple thing you can use to remind teens of their

retreat experience is through pictures. Take the time to snap a

few pictures throughout the weekend. When it is over you can

do a multitude of things with them. Some uses for these

pictures are:

- upload them to your church’s or youth group’s Facebook page

- print them and put them up on the walls in the youth room

- put them on a blog

- print off a picture of each teen and send it to them

- make a photo album and leave it in the youth room

This simple gesture can mean a great deal to the students and help them to remember

their experience and help the effects to reach farther than just that weekend.