Youth Retreat Center - Youth Workin' It

10 Questions To Ask A Youth Retreat Center

April 16, 2013 By Stephen Pepper Leave a Comment

Q: I’m planning a youth retreat for the first time and am looking at a few different retreat centers. There doesn’t seem to be much difference between them, so do you have any ideas for how to narrow them down?

A: I’m assuming you’ve already taken into account the overall cost, on-site activities and the location of the center, as those will tend to be three of the main factors to bear in mind.

That being the case, here are 10 questions that it’s worth asking the youth retreat center. These might seem like little things, but they could give you a better idea of which location will best suit what you have planned.

Is internet available? If you’re needing to get online, a retreat center with no internet access for your group could be problematic, particularly if it’s in the middle of nowhere as you may not get good 3G / 4G signal on your cellphone.
Are there TV / DVD facilities? A center without these may mean it’s a no-go if you’re planning on having a movie night at the youth retreat.
Is there a projector available? Assuming you’ll be having some kind of meetings, you may also need access to a projector. Does the center have one or would you need to bring a portable one with you?
Can you have a camp fire? Time spent around a camp fire can be one of the most memorable parts of a youth retreat, so a center that forbids them might mean it immediately gets crossed off your list.
Is bedding provided? If you’re camping, this might not be applicable. However, if you’re staying in dorm rooms, a cabin, etc, don’t assume that bedding will be provided – ask the question in case they expect you to bring sleeping bags or some other kind of bedding.
Are meals provided? Although your list of centers appears to be similar, if one or more of them don’t include meals while another one does, the center with meals could prove to be far better value.
Are snacks provided? Even if meals are included, are snacks also provided or would you need to bring these with you? Alternatively, are there vending machines on site so that youth can buy chips, candy or soda if they want?
Will other groups be there? For a small youth retreat center, this may not be an issue. For larger locations though, there may be other youth groups there too – this might therefore restrict what facilities are available for you to use.
Are there additional charges for on-site facilities? If there’s a pool, will you have to pay extra in order for the center to provide a lifeguard? If there are tennis courts, will you have to pay extra to use the center’s tennis rackets?
What indoor facilities are there? If you’re planning lots of outdoor activities for the youth retreat, what options would you have if it rained? Is there an indoor hall where you could organize games, or would you be stuck either out in the rain or in dorm rooms?

It may be that not all of these questions will apply to your retreat, but hopefully some of them will help guide you in the decision you make.

We’ve also written a book called How To Plan A Youth Retreat – this covers all areas of retreat planning, including a chapter where we go more in depth about how to pick a youth retreat center. You can get a copy now from Amazon or a digital copy from us here.

Question: What other questions would be worth asking a retreat center to help you choose which one to use? Let us know in the comments below.

You can also connect with us by:

Signing up to receive our posts via email
Following us on Twitter
Liking us on Facebook
Signing up to our RSS feed

Should We Use The Same Youth Retreat Center Again?

February 19, 2013 By Shae Pepper Leave a Comment

Q: I was unhappy about something the last time we used a youth retreat center. I’m not sure if we should go back to the same place or find somewhere new – what do you suggest?

A: Depending on the situation, I certainly can’t suggest you return to a retreat center you felt uncomfortable with, but with good communication you may not need to end the professional relationship with that center – it may have been a one off.

If you do decide to use a new youth retreat center though, try these three things when choosing one so you can be proactive in avoiding possible issues during your stay:

1. Do your research

The internet is full of information and reviews about centers all around the world. Take the time to compare and contrast the companies, find reviews and call or email the center for more information. You’ll be able to get some ideas about how they do business and what a retreat might look like with them.

2. Go somewhere you know or where someone you trust has been

There’s a reason word of mouth is so powerful to businesses. Often people trust people, that people they trust, trust.

3. Visit the center yourself while activities are going on

Even though someone you trust has used a center, you’re ultimately responsible for the safety and enjoyment of your youth on the trip. Take the time to watch staff lead activities, interact with one another and youth and get a feel for the retreat center culture (is everyone happy, grumbling, bored, etc?)

Once you’re on a retreat it’s really important to remember that this a service you’re paying for, so you deserve to have things done right, in a way that you prefer and which takes the safety and enjoyment of your youth into account.

The Importance Of Communication

The key is all about communication. If you have an issue with staff at the center, make sure you take your issues immediately to the center management, especially if it’s a safety concern.

I was on a retreat once and was participating in a trust game with my young people. The center staff were observing the activity as they were running it and one of our youth didn’t have a partner. I was blindfolded for the trust activity. The entire group spread out over a large field during the activity. Two youth got into a disagreement and one walked off into the woods. It wasn’t until 5 minutes later when the game ended and I removed my blindfold that I was aware a youth had left the grounds. When I asked the staff where the youth went, they just shrugged. We searched for our youth for over 45 minutes – he was found safely hiding in the toilets.

The young person did get a talking to about walking off without notifying our staff (me or my colleague) about the issue. Time and space is certainly acceptable, but I’m responsible for the youth’s safety and I’d appreciate a heads up about their whereabouts.

The larger issue here was the attitude of the staff. They saw the entire situation happening and were trained retreat center staff – not just some volunteers who had no idea about how to run a group or keep youth safe, particularly in the woods. I immediately documented the incident and went to the management of the retreat center. They were apologetic but didn’t offer any real solutions to the problem other than to ‘look into it.’

Sometimes, even with preparation and planning, things can go wrong and accidents can happen. But, if you just don’t feel good about returning to a center, then don’t. However, if you feel like the retreat center did everything possible and you’re willing to give them another try then do it.

In my situation, even though our organization had used that center before, I decided to find other youth retreat centers for future trips based on my personal experiences. I was able to find a center that placed youth safety first and worked with me to ensure that youth had a safe and enjoyable time. They listened and acted on any concerns or questions I had about activities and group dynamics and worked hard to make sure that everyone in our group – myself included – felt great about our retreat experiences at their center.

Question: Have you ever had problems with a retreat center? How did you deal with the situation? Let us know in the comments below.

You can also connect with us by:

Signing up to receive our posts via email
Following us on Twitter
Liking us on Facebook
Signing up to our RSS feed

How Much Should I Charge For A Youth Retreat?

October 23, 2012 By Stephen Pepper Leave a Comment

Q: How much should I charge for a youth retreat? Quite a lot of the young people I work with are from low-income families, so I don’t want to set the price too high. I want to be sensitive to how much their parents can afford, but don’t know the best way to address the issue with them. Can you help?

A: Money is always a tricky subject, especially for activities that cost more like youth retreats. Like you said, it’s important to be sensitive to how much parents can afford without simultaneously embarrassing them that they may not be able to afford to send their child on the retreat.

Once you’ve started investigating possible youth retreat centers, you’ll have a much better idea of how much your budget will need to be. This is because the center will probably be the largest part of the budget. Check out our previous post for a more detailed guide on how to calculate a youth retreat budget.

Before making a final decision on which center to book, we’d recommend putting together a Parent Cost Feedback form.

What’s A Parent Cost Feedback Form?

The form should contain a table that lists the following:

A shortlist of three retreat centers
Some pros and cons of each center
The estimated cost for a child to go on the retreat
Empty boxes beneath each option

Try to estimate the total cost of the retreat and put this on the form, rather than just putting down the cost per child for the center only, as this will give the parents a better of idea of how much they can expect to pay overall. It doesn’t have to be a final quote at this stage, but enough to give parents a good idea of what the options are.

You could include more than three youth retreat centers on the list, but this might give too many options to get a true gauge as to how much parents can afford.

Beneath the details of each center on the form, the empty boxes are for parents to indicate which would be their preference. All they need to do is to put an ‘X’ in the box for the retreat center that they would prefer, taking into account the cost along with the pros and cons. Using only an ‘X’ helps ensure anonymity so that parents aren’t embarrassed to choose the cheapest option.

At the end, you should have a good idea as to which is the most affordable option for the parents.

How to get the form completed

How you get the form completed will depend on your contact with parents. Here are some different methods depending on parental contact:

Church

Many youth retreats are organized through churches, so if this applies to you then the best option will probably be to make an announcement during a service. Leave the Parent Cost Feedback form at the back of the church for them to complete as they leave.

Community Center

If parents drop their children off at your youth club at a community center, ask them to complete the form at that point. It’s best to get this done at the beginning of the evening rather than at the end, as parents will probably just want to get home when picking them up.

No Parental Contact

Perhaps you never get to communicate with the parents of your young people for whatever reason. If that’s the case, mail them a copy of the form along with a return envelope with a stamp on it to encourage them to reply.

Another option is to set up a survey through Survey Monkey. This is free and you can email the link to parents if you have their email addresses.

Downloadable Parent Cost Feedback Form Template

When you buy a copy of How To Plan A Youth Retreat, you also get exclusive access to many different youth retreat templates and forms. This includes a sample Parent Cost Feedback form, as well as a blank feedback form that you can complete with details of the retreat centers you find.

Discover more about the book using the link above or buy it from Amazon by clicking on the image to the right.

Question: How do you find out from parents how much they can afford for activities like youth retreats? Let us know in the comments below.

You can also connect with us by:

Signing up to receive our posts via email
Following us on Twitter
Liking us on Facebook
Signing up to our RSS feed

How To Calculate A Youth Retreat Budget

May 29, 2012 By Stephen Pepper Leave a Comment

Q. I don’t know how to calculate a youth retreat budget – can you help?

A. Sure! There are a number of different expenses you’ll need to take into account when planning a youth retreat. Below is a list of some areas you’ll need to price out – they may not all apply to your retreat, so leave off any of these factors where you won’t incur any expense.

Youth Retreat Expenses

1. Youth retreat center – This is probably going to be the highest cost you’ll incur, so it’s important to price this correctly. When researching retreat centers, ascertain if the price quoted is based on a minimum number of youth attending, a ‘per youth’ basis or a mixture of the two. Also check to see what the cost includes; for example, are meals, activities, etc included?

2. Food – If the center isn’t providing meals, you’ll need to calculate the cost of food as part of the youth retreat budget. Even if the center does provide three meals a day, are snacks and beverages throughout the day included or will you need to bring those?

3. Speaker – Are you getting a guest speaker? If so, you’ll need to cover the cost of their place at the retreat and may well need to offer payment for their services.

4. Worship leader – For Christian youth retreats, you’ll probably be having a time of worship at some point. If you’re bringing along a worship leader, the cost for them will need to be covered, as well as payment if they’re a worship leader from outside the church.

5. Activities – Are you planning any activities either on or off-site that have some kind of cost involved? If so, include these costs. When booking group activities, you may be able to negotiate discounts for group bookings.

6. Travel & transport – How are youth getting to the retreat center? If parents will be taking them there and picking them up, there may be no cost for this area. If you need to hire a bus or minivan though include the cost of this, along with insurance, gas, parking, etc.

7. Resources – Are you creating your own curriculum for the retreat or planning on buying one? If buying resources, the cost could be included in the youth retreat budget. To save some money, check out our free youth retreat themes for ideas.

8. Subsidy – Some youth may not be able to afford to attend the retreat, so consider building in an extra amount to the youth retreat budget so that you can subsidize one or more places for students.

9. Prizes – If you’re organizing activities, games, etc, will you be offering prizes? Don’t forget to include these within the overall cost of the retreat.

10. Miscellaneous – There will no doubt be other miscellaneous expenses that aren’t listed above that are specific to your youth retreat. Take some time to think through everything that you’re planning so that nothing’s left off the budget.

Youth Retreat Budget Calculation

Now that you’ve identified all the different expenses, total these up.

Next, divide the total cost by the number of people on the youth retreat. Something to consider here is whether your volunteers will be paying for their own place on the retreat. If not, divide the total cost by the number of youth. If volunteers will be paying their own way, include them when dividing.

Youth Retreat Cost

Once you’ve performed this calculation, you’ll have the Total Cost Per Person. As suggested by the name, this is how much you’ll need to charge per person in order to keep within the youth retreat budget. You may also want to consider adding on an extra amount to the Total Cost Per Person to cover any unforeseen expenses or other expenses you forgot to include within the budget originally.

Youth Retreat Budget Calculator

If you buy a copy of How To Plan A Youth Retreat, as an added bonus you get exclusive access to a youth retreat budget calculator based on the list of expenses above. The calculator is a spreadsheet where you simply enter all the different amounts and the number of people attending your retreat – it will then automatically calculate the Total Cost Per Person for you.

In addition to the budget calculator, you also get access to more than a dozen other youth retreat templates and forms to help your planning – these are all fully customizable and downloadable. Get your copy now!

Question: What other expenses are worth considering when calculating a youth retreat budget? Let us know in the comments below.

You can also connect with us by:

Signing up to receive our posts via email
Following us on Twitter
Liking us on Facebook
Signing up to our RSS feed

Youth Retreat Themes – Hunger

March 26, 2012 By Stephen Pepper 2 Comments

Coming up with youth retreat themes can be one of the hardest parts of planning a youth retreat. Over the coming months, we’ll be giving some youth retreat theme ideas for you to use.

On Thursdays, we give free youth work session plan ideas. As the name suggests though, these ideas are based on shorter youth work sessions, so aren’t always suitable as themes for youth retreats that take place over a weekend or longer.

These youth retreat themes will therefore give you a broad outline for your retreat, enabling you to expand on the material to tailor it for your own youth group.

Youth Retreat Themes – Hunger

Following the recent release of The Hunger Games, this felt like an apt choice as a youth retreat theme. Although not based on the book, this theme will help young people explore the issue of hunger facing many other youth around the world.

This youth retreat theme has been created using a number of materials from The Turning Point Trust, a charity working with children and families in the Kibera slums in Kenya. The Turning Point Trust was set up by Jon & Jo Parsons – Jon was one of my youth workers when I was a teen and he and Jo are doing incredible work in Kibera.

Meals

This will be one of the biggest challenges, as this youth retreat theme involves taking up the Kibera Diet Challenge. This restricts the types of food, methods of cooking, etc – check out the rules of the challenge here.

As youth retreats tend to be held further away, you might need to forgo the 4th rule as you’ll need to buy the food in advance. However, see the activities below for an idea on how you can still make the young people work for their food.

There is also a Kibera Diet Challenge recipe book to give you some ideas of meals that can be made, along with the ingredients needed.

Meetings/Discussions

Turning Point have also provided a free reflections worksheet for those taking the Kibera Diet Challenge. This provides some good discussion points to have with your youth to help them consider further the issues facing those dealing with hunger on a daily basis.

The reflections worksheet includes some suggested reading from the Bible, but if you’re not running a Christian youth retreat then this section can be left if you wish.

The worksheet is also based on people taking the challenge over the course of five days. As most youth retreats occur over the course of a weekend, these reflections could be condensed accordingly – perhaps day 1 on Friday, days 2 & 3 on Saturday and days 4 & 5 on Sunday.

Activities

As mentioned in the meals section above, walking to a store might not be a viable option on your youth retreat, especially because most youth retreat centers tend to be in the middle of nowhere. Here are some activities though to help your youth experience this part of the challenge.

Organize a quite literal scavenger hunt – Hide each day’s food all over the youth retreat center complex or preferably over an even wider area, if there are woods or hiking trails nearby. Provide a map or instructions for the youth on where to find the food.
Fetching water – Do some research into churches, businesses or community organizations within a 2-5 mile radius of the youth retreat center. Contact them in advance to ask if they’d be willing to have you all walk there and fill up large water containers, acting as a faux-well. Your youth can then work as a team to help each other carry the heavy water containers back to the retreat center.
Fire making – As electric appliances can’t be used, consider cooking meals over a fire or by using some basic outdoor camping cookers. If building a fire, gathering firewood can be used as an activity each day and would be a great opportunity for relationship building. Be sure to conduct risk assessments due to the safety aspect of this though (see our book for more details on how to conduct a risk assessment for youth retreats).

After the youth retreat

Having experienced a little of what it would be like to eat meals similar to someone in a Kenyan slum, your youth may be impacted by this and want to make a difference.

One way of doing this would be to support the Turning Point Trust. You can do this in a number of ways:

Donating money
Fundraising – also see our posts giving youth group fundraising ideas
Prayer
Internships – if your youth are old enough, they may wish to look into actually going to Kenya to support Turning Point directly

Question: What other activities would you do to address the global issue of hunger? Please let us know in the comments below.

You can also connect with us by:

Signing up to receive our posts via email
Following us on Twitter
Liking us on Facebook
Signing up to our RSS feed