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Camp Restore Hosts Southern District LCMS Senior High Youth Retreat
Over 120 youth showed up at Camp Restore Thursday June 11 for a weekend of fun, hard work and reconnecting with God.
Volunteers help clean up historic Sebastopol Plantation.
The theme of the retreat was “Jubilation Nation.” Jubilation Nation is focused on celebrating the joy of forgiveness as we forgive others. An acronym used was JOY – Jesus first, then Others, before Yourself.
Participants help lead worship by dancing.
Youth have fun in a game of human foosball.
The teens were able to pick two servant events. Some servant events offered were rebuilding three houses affected by Hurricane Katrina, maintaining a cemetery and making repairs to a historic plantation home. Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Gardendale, AL went into the Broadmoor neighborhood to pass out fliers for Gloria Dei’s summer camp.
Helping clean up Holt Cemetary.
Workers at the McCalin house pose for a picture.
Youth help load a truck full of food for people in need at the New Orleans Mission.
Making new friends at a nursing home.
Volunteers learn carpentry skills at Walt’s Workshop.
Traveling Christian band Tangled Blue led the music for the services. Tangled Blue also hosted a break out session. They talked about their passion for music, coping with life’s struggles and gave advice to aspiring musicians.
Southern District youth gather for worship.
After a long day in the sun, volunteers unwind by singing karaoke.
Break out sessions were created out of popular teenage issues and hobbies. There were girls- and guys-only sessions giving guidance for dating and anger management. Brenda Schmidt and Nichole Bradshaw, RAI staff, led a session looking at the movie Twilight from a Christian perspective. Vicar Kyle Mietzner led a session about social media and how Christians can most effectively use them.