Principal Points - "Retreats"

Past Principal Points

Retreats, Retreats, Retreats

This week our students from grades seven through twelve will be going on three separate retreats. The 7/8’s will be going rock climbing, the 9/10’s horseback riding, and the 11/12’s canoeing. Each of these retreats is designed to cause our students to grow physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually. For students who will be going on a retreat for the first time (and their parents) some of our activities can be a bit intimidating. In fact, most students are quite fearful of at least one of them, and that is one of the reasons they grow.

We don’t want our retreats to simply mimic the experiences students have had at summer camps or church retreats, and we also believe that, as Christians, we must be prepared to stand strong and be courageous in the midst of a culture which is disintegrating morally and socially, so we have deliberately chosen activities which are challenging, stretching, and memorable. It has been my experience that virtually every student looks back on these retreats as one of the highlights of their years at AKCS, and that in every case they learn a tremendous amount about themselves, others, and the Lord. They learn about their strengths and weaknesses. They learn to overcome fears. They learn to encourage and support others. They learn to draw on Christ’s strength to meet their needs.

Of course, there is far more to our retreats than the three main events. Students will go hiking, play wide area games (Star Wars at night!), share in devotional times, sing around campfires, and play the odd prank or two. All of these provide opportunities to develop stronger, more wholesome relationships among students and between students and staff. And each one leads to growth in character.

To help develop Christian character, each retreat has its own theme. The theme for our rock climbers is Now is the Time. They will learn to overcome their own fears as they climb up and rappel down a 70 foot cliff, taking advantage of every foothold and handgrip as it presents itself. Although it is scary, it is really quite safe. (In fact, of the three activities this is the scariest and safest.) Each climber is securely fastened to a rope which will hold 6000 lbs. In spite of knowing they are safe, it is still a challenge to act by faith on what they know with their minds to be true. Our horseback riders will be challenged to Take Authority as they learn to bring their 1100 lb. horses into submission to their will as riders. Knowing where you want to go, and making a horse go there when you wish is no easy task sometimes. Our canoeists will learn about Working Together as they cooperate with their partners in each canoe. Sometimes getting where you want to go in life requires teamwork, and poor choices early on can make life much harder later.

Please pray for our students, teachers, and parent volunteers as they grow and learn together.

Brian Hazeltine, B.Ed., M.A.
Principal, Airdrie Koinonia Christian School