The word retreat conjures up visions of peace, of insight, of time away. TYME OUT Youth Center offers a welcoming, comfortable space for teens and preteens to experience those things. TYME OUT has overnight accommodations and programs for children and youth from churches, schools, and other youth agencies. We like to think of a retreat as a "time out" from the ongoing routine of life, to check in with how we're playing the game, and then go back in to play our best. Come join us!
Confirmation Retreat Guides teens as they prepare for Confirmation in the Catholic Church; includes faith sharing, prayer, scripture, community building, and decision making. This retreat concentrates on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts were given to us at Baptism and the teens who decide to receive the sacrament of Confirmation, will be sealed with the gifts of the Spirit. Processes on this retreat could include discussion, small group activities, games with meaning, the sacrament of Reconciliation, the sacrament of Eucharist. The ideal length of this retreat is a three day, two night experience. We can also adapt the retreat to one night, or even one day.
Relationships Retreat Based on Sister Kieran Sawyer's L.I.F.E. acronym which identifies Love, Infatuation, Friendship and Exploitation as the four main kinds of relationships teens experience. This retreat offers teens an opportunity, in a safe environment, to discuss how to make healthy relationships. The retreat utilizes a process called Us and Them. This allows the boys to ask questions of the girls and the girls to ask questions of the boys. The ideal length of this retreat is a two day, one night experience. We can adapt this to a one day.
The Other R's: Respect & Responsibility Brings teens and preteens to an awareness of the essential role each person plays in his/her own character development. This retreat is geared towards public school and it looks at how individuals make decisions; on the M&N level, it is all about Me and doing it Now; the P&P level, it is deciding based on Power and Pressure; the R&R level, decision making based on Respect and Responsibility. Role playing these different levels is an integral part of this retreat. The ideal length of this retreat is a two day, one night experience. We can adapt this to a one day.
Growing Up Catholic Offers the teen the opportunity to reflect on how his/her faith impacts character development. This retreat is geared for Catholic School youth and concentrates on the decision making levels mentioned in the other R's retreat. However, decision making as a Catholic is guided by our faith experience, so this is stressed in the activities on this retreat. Moral decision making is guided by the use of Bible passages that show what Jesus would have done. The ideal length of this retreat is a two day, one night experience. We can adapt this to a one day.
Social Justice Retreat An experience for freshmen or sophomores of how social justice is an integral part of our church for over a hundred years. The seven themes of Catholic Social teaching are the basis of this retreat. Interactive activities that are a part of this retreat, include 7 Themes of Catholic Social Teaching Relay, The World game, Wants, Needs, Haves activity and Peace Pole Prayer. The ideal length of this retreat is a two day, one night experience. We can adapt this to a one day.
Junior High Reflection Day TYME OUT has many opportunities for junior high youth. Besides the Growing up Catholic or Other R's, we offer a Leadership retreat and a transition retreat.
The Leadership retreat deals with self-awareness, problem solving, team building, communication, leadership skills, and conflict resolution. This is a very active retreat which suits this age group very well, while laying the foundation of how to be a leader. Many 7th grade classes in the spring and 8th grade classes in the fall utilize this retreat.
A Transition retreat is solely for 8th graders leaving the comfort of their Catholic grade school and moving on to the bigger pond of High school. This can be a very critical transition especially if God is not part of this journey. This retreat is usually scheduled for the early spring as that transition begins.
Grandparents/Grandkids Retreat Presents a wonderful opportunity for grandparents and their preteen grandchildren to spend some awesome time sharing stories and songs, games and fun, love and laughter, faith and prayer. The dates for 2010 are Sunday, July 18-Monday, July 19 and Sunday, August 8-Monday, August 9. Please call 262.966.1800 for a registration form.
TYME OUT can also design a retreat to fit your needs. We have created retreats on bullying in school, making good choices, creating the caring classroom, different forms of prayer, and pop culture topics. Just call and we can discuss the possibilities. For brochures or other information email us at: youth@tymeout.org.
