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Bringing the Whole Family to Camp!

If you have kids, you probably understand the challenges of staying connected and grounded as a family. Life gets busy and quality time together can feel few and far between. A family retreat may be a great option for your family, and here are a couple of the benefits of bringing the family to camp. 

Away from distractions 

A family retreat is a great opportunity to not only get away from your day to day routines, but also get away from distractions. Coming to a retreat allows you and your family to be in a new or different space than your typical, because of this your attention isn’t being diverted in other directions and you can focus on the purpose of your retreat … connecting as a family

Trying new things together

In bringing the family to a retreat, you can try new things together! There are tons of exciting opportunities to try new things and do things you never thought you could such as riding the giant swing or going down our zipline. On a family retreat you have the ability to do so surrounded by people who know and support you while also strengthening those bonds!

Time together

A retreat offers intentional and purposeful time together where you can set goals and work toward dedicated conversations as a family. Through the structured experiences and setting of a retreat, you get to focus on what is most important, quality time together as a family. 

 Rhythms of faith

A retreat also presents opportunities for spiritual formation as a family. From praying before meals to Bible study to worship, a retreat offers a space for your family to engage in spiritual rhythms together. The spiritual rhythms of a retreat also don’t end with the retreat, the tools and experiences together can lead to lasting change and implementation of new rhythms at home too! 

These experiences are formative and fun for the whole family because they offer a new context. Ribbe (2010) says that these experiences are significant because they are “more intense and focused on a clear purpose in the context of new people, new places, and new activities” (p.149). All of these things from time together to getting away from distractions make a family retreat the perfect way to get spiritually connected as a family. 

 

Would you like to try a camp experience for the whole family?

This year Covenant Harbor is offering two family programs: our Moms and Daughters retreat as well as a Family Weekend! Learn more at https://covenantharbor.org/family-weekend/ and https://covenantharbor.org/moms-daughters-retreat/ 

 

Sources

Ribbe, R. (2010). Redefining camp ministry as experiential laboratory for spiritual formation and leadership development. Christian Education Journal, 7(1), 144–161. https://doi.org/10.1177/073989131000700110