March 2, 2023

On President’s Day last week, Galilee’s Youth Group returned to Camp Highroad for our 2nd annual President’s Day Retreat. As it was on the eve of Lent, our focus was on how to unplug and quiet unnecessary noise while building our relationship with God.

Our Galilee youth team joined with groups from other churches including Herndon, Centreville, Sterling, Arcola, and Trinity UMC to talk about how we can create moments of Sabbath in our busy lives.

We live in a fiercely competitive culture and how we spend our time impacts the path we’re on and the sort of people we become. But it can’t all be go-go-go. We talked about how Jesus needed downtime just like us and how He provides a great example for making time personal, emotionally profitable, and even sacred.

Participants at our President’s Day retreat

We surely did not sit and talk all day, because real “time away” means enjoying yourself.  There was a massive (and muddy) game of kick ball, a beautiful hike through the winter woods (including an owl sighting), plus games and crafts in the Highroads lodge.

We got to know each other by sharing lunch and dinner together. We cl0sed the day in song and prayer. It was a special time, a day redeemed from the ordinary because it was spent unplugged as a restful Sabbath.

Check out the pics: