I have had some request for a peek into my planning for our Tween Retreat for our 4th-6th graders. Here is our schedule and some brief description of activities for “The Great Escape Tween Retreat”. Please feel free to post questions or comment. Most of our lessons were based on lessons from the No Miss Lessons for Preteen kids. ( I can’t remember if it was book one or two.)
The Great Escape Theme= Allow God to be in complete control of your life
7 – 7:15p.m. Arrival at church/unload
7:15 – 7:30p.m. ice breaker
Knowing Jesus
7:15 – 7:30 p.m Hair Brained idea Activity
Have each person pluck 3-5 hairs from their head and place them in an envelope. Have kids write their birthday month and day in the right hand corner of the envelope. Collect envelopes and mix them up.Redistribute the envelopes so each person has someone else’s envelope. Ask kids to examine and identify and see if the kids can determine who hair it is. Have kids write the name of the person who they think the hair belongs to on the outside of the envelope. Pass envelopes around so that everyone can take a guess. Ask:
How easy was it to identify the people whose hair was in the envelope?
What was difficult about this activity?
How is this activity like getting to know Jesus?
Just as it is difficult to know someone by a few hairs, we can’t know Jesus if we only see a small part of Him. We need to know Jesus and to know Him well. This weekend we’ll explore how to know Jesus and how to know we know Him.
7:30 – 7:45p.m. Bible Experience
Scatter 5 paper plates with names of famous people face down around the room. Ask kids to move to a paper plate and stand near it or on it. Have kids each pick up a paper plate and silently read the name on the plate. Have kids at each plate describe how the rest of their lives would be different if they personally knew that person (with out saying the name on the plate). Have the kids at the plate answer the following questions:
How would your relationship with this person change your living conditions, free time or group of friends?
Would your parents approve of this relationship? Why or why not?
Would you want to grow to be more like this person? Explain.
Continue having the kids at each plate tell about their person in this manner, and ask the children standing by the Jesus plate to go last. REMEMBER where you placed this plate.Have the kids guess whose name is written on each plate. Ask:
What’s the difference between knowing about someone and having a relationship with that person?
Ask one of the tweens near the Jesus plate to read aloud the passage listed on it. Then ask:
How do we come to know Jesus?
How do we know if we know Him?
How does knowing Jesus change our lives?
Say: By confessing our sins, we begin a relationship with Jesus and come to know him. And by obeying Jesus’ commands, we know that we know him.
7:45- 8:00 p.m. Reflection
Place the Jesus plate face up in the middle of the room. Have kids circle around it. Have one leader share how Jesus has affected their life. Leader testimony (short 3-4 minutes)
Say: Some of you may know a lot about Jesus but not yet know him personally. Let’s take a few moments to silently consider our relationships with Jesus.Give kids the opportunity to publicly express their desire to know Jesus or to grow in their relationship with Christ by standing next to the Jesus plate. If kids do step forward, lead the rest of the group in praying that those people will come to know Jesus better.Let kids know they can talk to you further after the lesson if they have questions about what it means to know Jesus.
8 -8:15p.m. Closing
Have someone in your group who has good handwriting write the words “Know Way” on poster board. Then have kids each add to the sign by drawing a symbol or writing a word that describes what it is like to know Jesus.
8:15 – 9:45 p.m. Migration in Reservation (Night Hike) with focus on salamanders
9:45– 10:30 p.m. Campfire/snack
Loving Jesus
10:30-10:50p.m. Love Operation (Skit)
Have a volunteer lie down on a table. Say: We have a bit of a problem here. Our volunteer needs to have his(or her) love removed for a check up, but I’m not sure where to look to find it. So I’ve invited 3 specialists to see if they can find the patient’s love and remove it. Invite the 3 doctors to describe each procedure they’d use to remove a person’s love. Have each doctor tell where love is located and why they think it is in that area of the body.
Dr. Brain – love is in the brain because it’s intellectual
Dr. Heart – in the heart because it’s emotional
Dr. Stomach – found in the stomach because that’s where pizza ends up
Encourage the doctors to outdo each other in their explanations. Allow group members to ask questions of the doctors.After the skit, say: We hear the word “love” used for everything from our favorite food to an expression of the relationship between two people about to be married. But what is true love? And what does it mean to truly love Jesus? Today we’ll explore the importance of loving Jesus.
10:50-11:10 p.m. Bible Experience
Supplies: Bible, the scripture written on 1 piece of paper – Matt. 10:37, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, 1 Peter 1:8, and 1 John 5:1-5. Fold the paper and place it under a rock in the center of the room so that it can’t be seen.
Form groups of 4 tweens and the groups form a circle around the rock. Say: Soon I’m going to assign each of you a scripture passage that sheds some light on what love is and how we’re suppose to love Jesus. But first take a couple of minutes to brainstorm what you think is under the rock.
After groups brainstorm what they think is under the rock, have a volunteer from each group share the group’s ideas. Ask:
What is it like to guess what might be under this rock?
How is the way you guessed about what is under the rock like the way some people approach a relationship with Jesus?
What is the best way to find out what is under this rock?
Have the kids move the rock. Then pick up the paper, and assign a Scripture from the list to each group. Have the groups read their passage and determine what it says about love (loving Christ, loving others, or love in general).Have the kids discuss the following questions in their groups:
What “rock” in our lives do we have to remove in our lives to love Jesus?
What keeps us from loving Jesus more?
According to the Bible, why is it important to love God?
What are practical ways to help our love for God grow?
Love is a difficult concept to understand. But the Bible gives us a good picture of love. And it tells us that loving God should be one of our utmost goals.
11:10 – 11:25 p.m. Reflection
Read 1 Corinthians 13 to the kids. Give the kids 4 minutes to express their love for the rock through their words and actions. Remind kids to use the 1 Corinthians 13 definition of love, rather than the world’s definition of love.
What was it like to demonstrate love toward a rock?
How is this like the way God might feel when he demonstrates love toward people who don’t respond?
How did God demonstrate his love for us?
How can we respond to God’s love?
In groups of 4 or less, and have kids brainstorm ways to express love to Jesus as well as to each other. Encourage kids to come up with practical ideas, such as random acts of kindness for a person needing a helping hand.
11:25 – 11:50 p.m. Closing
Have kids brainstorm symbols that could represent each of the letters in the phrase “I LOVE JESUS”. For example, someone might suggest a picture of an eye for the letter I or a heart shape for the letter o. Then have kids draw the shapes on the newsprint to create a picture of their love for Jesus.Close by having kids express their love for Jesus with one-word prayers acknowledging the characteristics of Jesus they more appreciate, such as “comfort”, “peace”, or hope”.
Midnight – Lights out
8 – 8:45a.m. Pack up/breakfast
8:45 – 9 a.m. On the Road to Shelter
Following Jesus
9 – 9:20a.m. Calling All Dogs
Have kids sit in a large circle. Then give 2-3 kids dog treats, and let the dog into the room. It is likely the dog will visit everyone at first before choosing to become buddies with the kids holding the treats.Have the kids see if they can get the dog’s attention away from the people holding the treats. Then, after a few minutes, have the kids with the treats feed them to the dog.
What did you notice about the way the dog decided where to go?
How is that like or unlike the way people choose where to go in life?The dog chose to follow the smells it liked. Ask:
What ”smells” in life are hard to resist?
People tend to follow things that appeal to them most, just as the dog did. Sometimes following Jesus doesn’t seem to be the most appealing option. Today, we’ll explore why it’s important to follow the path Jesus walks instead of the paths the world offers.
9:20 -9:40 a.m. Bible Experience
Form 2 or 3 groups, and give each group a bible. Have a reader read 1 John 3:7-10. Have group leaders take their kids through lots of different locations (under tables, around pews, in and out of rooms, up stairs, and so on). While they’re still being led around the area, have the kids discuss what this passage says about following Jesus. Encourage kids to explore all aspects of the Scripture passage, including why we’re to follow Jesus, what pulls people away from following Jesus, and what jesus does to attract people to following him. After 6-8 minutes have the kids come back together.Ask them to discuss the following questions in their groups and then report to the whole group:
What was it like to be led on this unusual trek while trying to study the Scripture Passage?
IS following Jesus always easy? Why or Why not?
What does your study and this experience tell you about following Jesus?
Unlike the advertising we see on TV and on the internet, Jesus doesn’t advertise all sorts of benefits for people who follow him. Instead, he simply commands us to follow him because it is the right thing to do. But it’s not always easy to follow Jesus, especially when others stand in our way. Still, with support from each other, we can do it.
9:40 – 10 a.m.
Preparation: Prepare 2 pans of flavored gelatin (use 2 boxes for each pan). Chill the pans of flavored gelatin overnight).
Ask: Have you ever been in an earthquake or seen the results of one on tv?
What causes earth quakes?
Earthquakes are caused when the tectonic places under the surface of the earth shift. Sometimes they run into each other, and this causes the ground above the plates to shift and shake. We’re going to experience miniature earthquake today.Have children form two groups, and have kids sit in their groups at a long table. Give each group a pan of flavored gelatin and a cup of marshmallow. The gelatin in your pan represents the earth, and the marshmallows are your building materials. Using the marshmallows, you’ll need to build a house that can stand up by itself. Give one group the box of toothpicks, and say: I’m giving toothpicks to this group to use along with the marshmallows.After groups have built houses, test them by shaking the table.Ask:
Which building didn’t fall (or didn’t fall as easily)? Why?
Say: Some places on earth sit on the place where tectonic plates come together. These places are called fault. In some fault area, such as Southern California, it’s important to build building with special reinforcements to keep the buildings from falling during earthquakes. The toothpicks one group used were kind of like the special reinforcements to keep the buildings from falling during earthquakes. The toothpicks one group used were kid of like the special reinforcements put into buildings in a fault area. Ask:
What kinds of situations in your life might feel like an earthquake?
Read Colossians 2:6-7 and ask:
According to this scripture, what do we need to do to reinforce our lives?
What does this passage tell you about following Christ and doing what he says?
How can you reinforce your life with Christ?
Just as the tooth picks reinforced our marshmallow “buildings”, God wants us to reinforce our lives with faith in his Son, Jesus. No matter what “earthquakes” or problems we may come across in our lives, God will strengthen us through our faith in Jesus Christ.
10- 10:20 a.m. Closing
Have volunteer read aloud Matthew 4:18-19. Ask:
What does this passage tell us about how Jesus leads people?
How easy would it be for you to get up and follow Jesus with out knowing where he’d lead you?
Explain to the kids that you’re going to lead them somewhere.
10:20-11:45 Hike
11:45-12:30 Lunch
Communicating with God
12:30-12:40pm Follow the Bouncing Prayers
Have 2 teams form a single file line facing the center of the room – two teams on each side of the line pinned to the ceiling. Give a bouncy ball to the first person in each line on one side of the room.Say: The people with the bouncy balls must bounce the balls on the floor and attempt to make them hit the adding machine tape that’s attached to the ceiling on the first bounce. Then the first people in the lines across from them must catch the balls and attempt to hit the adding machine tape in the same way. After someone attempts to hit the tape, that person must move to the back of his or her line. Keep track of the number of hits your team gets. The team with the most hits wins the game.
What was it like to try to hit the line on the ceiling?
How is this like or unlike the way you feel when you try to pray to God?
Sometimes it seems that prayer is a hit or miss activity. But if we see prayer as a “sometimes works, sometime doesn’t” proposition, we lose confidence in prayer. Today we’re going to build our confidence in the power of prayer.
12:40-1p.m. Bible Experience
Have kids form a circle. Read Hebrews 4:15-16. Say: The Bible tells us we can approach God any time with anything and do so with confidence because Jesus understands our feelings and our weaknesses. God knows how tough it is to live in this world because he lived here as one of us.* Think of a feeling you’ve tried to express or would like to express in your prayers. Then we’ll explore the Scriptures to see if we ca find a time Jesus experienced that feeling. For example, Jesus experienced sadness when his friend Lazarus died.Go around the circle, and have each person name an emotion. Brainstorm with the group about a time Jesus might have felt an emotion. Then find the emotion on a card and read the verse. Remind kids that while the Bible is a record of Jesus’ ministry years on earth, it doesn’t include every detail of his life. Therefore, kids may not find every emotion. Assure kids that because Jesus was fully human, he knew all the feeling and insecurities we know.After you’ve gone around the circle, form groups of no more than 4 and have kids discuss the following questions:
What surprised you about this activity?
What difference does it make to know that Jesus experienced the same emotions we experience?
What power is there in knowing that God knows our every thought, feeling and deed?
How can we access that power through prayer?
1 – 1:10 p.m. Reflection
Have kids form a circle around the Bible. We have a direct line to God through prayer. And because God became like us through Jesus, we can be assured God understands our needs, concerns and joys. But God’s answers to our prayers aren’t always what we hope. Fortunately, God knows what we need. Let’s put what we’ve learned into action by talking to God about the thoughts on our minds and the feelings we’re experiencing in our lives.We are each going to pray silently or out loud – that’s your choice. As you are praying, come forward and place the end of your string into our Bible. Hold onto the other end as you go back and sit in the circle. After everyone has prayed, the Bible will have lots of strings in it, one held by each member of your group.Say: Just as we’re connected to this Bible by these strings, we’re all connected to god through prayer. Let’s commit to building our relationships with God by talking with Him often.
1:10 – 1:20 Closing
Place the waste basket in the middle of the room. Give one volunteer 5 chances to throw the ball into the basket from 15 feet away. Give another volunteer a5 chances from 10 feet way. Give another volunteer 5 chances from 2 feet away. Ask:
What was the key to success in this activity?
How is that like the key to success in prayer?
Say: Prayer sometimes appears to be hit or miss, like tossing a ball. However, the closer we get to God, the more we understand that prayer works! And though we may not always receive the answers we want, growing closer to God helps us to see that God is indeed listening to our prayers.Have the kids tell one thing each will do to grow closer to God this week.
The Great Challenge
Challenge tweens to pray about a specific topic every day for the next week, read their Bibles for an hour each day or to share Jesus with three friends during this coming week. Follow up next week to see how they did. Leaders participate in the challenge too. Have preteens share what they learned from this challenge. Be honest about your triumphs and failures. Preteens need you to be authentic.
1:20-1:40p.m. Wrap up
Give each child an object representative of each lesson.
Trusting God
1:40 – 1:50 p.m. Travel back to church
2:00-2:50 p.m. Service Project
2:50 – 3p.m. Closing
Summarize retreat and close with reference to Escaping to God.
