History of the Ada Christian Middle School Retreat
In the mid-1990’s as part of an effort by parents and teachers to help enhance the middle school experiences, the first Ada Christian Middle School Retreat was held. Over the course of the next few years, several different sites and formats were tried. The closeness of Camp Roger and variety of activities available there helped make it our retreat home.
Goals of the retreat
The retreat day is a day of great fun for students, teachers, and parent helpers. One of our goals is to have a very enjoyable time in a beautiful setting. In the various activities and games students will mix with teachers, parents and other middle school students. A second goal for the day is to get to know others in the middle school. The primary goal and focus of the day is that each person at Camp Roger grows in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ and of His will for his or her life. The 3 times of music, the 3 messages from guest speaker, the 3 small group discussions, the initiatives, the testimonies, the activities, the meals, and the campfire are all planned to help us better understand how much God loves us and to help us love Him more.
Experiences during the day
During a beginning warm-up session, middle school students join their intramural team (each of the 6 intramural teams is made up of 6th, 7th and 8th graders) to compete against other teams in wacky games. Three times during the day our guest speaker will present a message from God’s Word relating the theme of our school year. Each of these presentations is followed by small group discussions (small groups are made up of 6 or 7 students divided by gender and grade and a teacher or parent leader). The groups talk about what they heard and make applications in their lives. Two times during the day, the students are involved in activities (volleyball, soccer, swimming, canoeing, kick the can, capture the flag, Frisbee golf, scavenger hunt or hoop football ). Once during the day, students participate in an initiative with a group of their classmates. These initiatives, which simulate life situations, require communication, participation, cooperation, and physical and mental flexibility. The day culminates in a campfire with praise songs and opportunities to share the day’s experiences with the whole group.
Preparing students and point of emphasis
In order to get the most out of our experiences and have the day run as smoothly as possible, we prepare students through our Wednesday middle school chapel, a review during homeroom on Thursday, a Friday morning briefing in the commons before we board the bus, and another review before the wacky games at Camp Roger. We want to be clear on what we must do and what we must not do so that everyone has the opportunity to have an outstanding experience. An area that has highest priority in the middle school is being sure that everyone is valued and included. Students, teachers and parent helpers all are charged with the mission of including and valuing everyone. We believe what God says in I Corinthians 12, that every part of the body is important and gifted and indispensable.
