The old saying is: "If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail." In other words, always have a plan. When it comes to weekend retreats, you cannot plan too much. The more you are organized, the more your staff, students, and parents will trust you to LEAD them out of town. You may be a "go with the flow" kind of leader. But when it comes to being out of town and away from the familiar, YOU MUST have an agenda!! My pastor reminds me often, that if you don't have a plan, someone else will. And the majority of the time, it will be a plan you won't like!!
Here is my agenda for my youth group last year when we went to Shabbach DC (6 hours from home):
Friday, March 27, 2009
6:30am Load luggage on buses
7:00am Group prayer in the Family Life Center
7:30am Leave for Washington, DC
11:30am Stop for lunch – fast food
12:45pm On the road again
3:00pm Check into Wytestone Suites, Woodbridge, VA and get ready for
service; chaperones come to Terri’s room to pick up snacks.
Wear FORCE Youth group shirts tonight
4:00pm Leave for Potomac Mills Mall
4:15pm Free time at the mall; eat dinner
6:45pm Load buses for Shabbach Youth Conference Worship Service
8:00pm Service begins
11:00pm Return to hotel
11:30pm In-room talk time
12:00am Lights out = STAY IN ROOMS!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
8:30am Rise and shine; hot breakfast in hotel lobby
9:15am Brief chaperone meeting while STUDENTS begin getting on buses
9:30am Buses depart for Washington, DC (approx. 40 minute ride)
10:15am Arrive in front of U.S. Capitol building; take group photo;
If time, walk around visitor center.
10:30am BE IN LINE OUTSIDE ORIENTATION THEATER for group check-in
11:10am Group tour of Capitol begins.
12:45pm Load buses; leave to get lunch. Eat at Potomac Mills Mall.
3:30pm Return to hotel for free time, dinner and to freshen up for Shabbach Service;
Wear Shabbach shirt if you have one.
6:00pm Load buses for Shabbach Youth Conference Worship Service
7:30pm Service begins
10:00pm Return to hotel
10:45pm In-room talk time
11:15pm Lights out = STAY IN ROOMS!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
7:00am Rise and shine; breakfast buffet opens in hotel lobby
8:30am Load buses and check out of hotel
8:45am Brief chaperone meeting while STUDENTS begin getting on buses
9:00am Leave for Shabbach Youth Conference
9:30am Service begins
12:30pm Buses depart for HOME
1:30pm Stop for lunch
Approx. 9:30pm Arrive at FMCOG
Emergency Contact Numbers:
Bus Company: xxx-xxx-xxxx
Hotel's Number: xxx-xxx-xxxx
Head Chaperone's Hotel Room Number: xxx-xxx-xxxx
Head Chaperone's mobile: xxx-xxx-xxxx
PG's Assistant Mobile: xxx-xxx-xxxx
Give your plan to every youth worker, every student, and every parent before you leave your church parking lot. Or even better, have a parent meeting 1 week before you guys leave after your mid-week service and give it to them then. This way no one is wondering where you are or what you'll be doing next. It is amazing how much confusion is cut away, simply by having a plan and sticking to it. It is amazing the peace you give parents when they know where their kid is and what he/she is doing at every moment. I say this every year in our MANDATORY Parent Meeting, "I want you to know where your child is every moment or every day you have intrusted them into my care. The only thing you won't know is when they are going to the bathroom or brushing their teeth." Today, more than 100 teens go on a trip that I am not directly leading. Why? Because I pay the price to plan and train, and now my parents, staff, and kids TRUST the plan to go as planned!!
One of my favorite says, "Sweat during the preparation, so you won't bleed in the battle!!"
Hope I Helped,
pg
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