Worth the Effort

Saturday, Mt. Zion Community Church held a winter retreat for teens. It was open to all local teens. Six hours of food, games, singing, and good Christian messages, butut let me back up. There had to be preparation for this exciting event. The church family began to plan months ahead.

Our youth Pastor handled the games and kept a list of teens that would need a ride. Several of the adult mentors made decorations. I got involved when one of them asked me to help decorate the church, gym, and community hall with the scenery. I had a stash of cardboard in my basement left over from a furniture delivery and the task of making a forest of trees began. Twenty-two cardboard pine trees later, they were cut, painted, and dried waiting to be hauled off and placed throughout the church.

Other workers planned the snacks and a meal. Teenagers and food are inseparable. The food was filling and delicious, and there was plenty to eat. The food was an oasis amid the games and messages.

Several of church members gathered in the fellowship hall and began decorating and converting it into an indoor winter wonderland. Pale blue netting, snowflakes, silver stars, and a menagerie of animals were set out to bring the transform the buildings. A forest of trees lined walls and topped lunch tables as centerpieces. The glitter is still clinging to my shirt and pants. I even noticed a flake or two in the mirror as I shaved getting ready for church Sunday morning. I may have a sparkling in my eye while listening to the sermon.

Twelve teens were signed in. That made enough for three teams of four. Each team was assigned a name like Blizzard or Frosty. Kids played games like a dog sled run where one teen was the blindfolded sled dog and one rode a creeper directing them through a maze of traffic cones all the while being pelted with dodge ball “snow balls.” There was also a tandem 2 x4 ski race and several other skits and games.

The youth pastor had periods of rest and gave the Gospel message, allowed snack breaks, and there was even some free time before the meal of soup, sandwiches of Italian beef or BBQ chicken, ice cream and chocolate cookies or brownies.

Before the end of the retreat one teen accepted Christ as Savior, one teen gained assurance of salvation, and several others made deeper commitments to following Christ. The knowledge that these teens gained a closer walk with God made the effort worthwhile.

We kept the winter wonderland scene intact for our Sunday services so everyone watching on live stream could see the different scenery behind the pulpit.