ON RETREAT WITH BEYOND EXPERIENCE

ONRetrEAt Hearing from our emerging adults with

The annual Beyond Experience (BE) Retreat is still in the recent memory for most of us. While our memories might be different, there was a great sense of how the main message of invitation was disseminated. We were eager to hear from the Beyond Experience participants (BE’ers) & Kaiārahi about their reflections. We don’t want to keep this a secret. Obviously, we could have been selective in what we share, but we won't hold back the honest responses of people's experience from you. The good feedback is great; however, we want to find growth for ourselves and the programme through the constructive stuff.

WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGGEST TAKEAWAY FROM THE BE RETREAT?

• Enjoying time to be silent • How technology intersects with our lives • Meaningful connection • Better insights into issues for Young Adults. • How being an Emerging Adult impacts my life • How to not complicate spending time with God • I am invited to be myself • There is an amazing community of people around me on a similar journey • Humans are a lot more complex than I realised, yet God knows us completely & loves us fully • Connections with other passionate leaders • Feeling valued as a young leader • Sense of potential calling in Christian leadership • Responding to invitation, rather than assuming the invitation is for others and not for me • The importance of being a leader with a faith in today’s world • I am not alone • I need to take time in my busy life to stop and spend time with God and do nothing

• Make retreat longer • I enjoy chances to debrief • Encourage us all to write down 3 take-home points • The planning team did such an incredible job of fitting so much into the weekend . . . perhaps do a “long weekend” • More Pilgrimage time • More reflective focus time • Think about sustainability and housing

WHAT CANN BE/SSUNZ DO BETTER IN RUNNNING THE BE RETREAT NEXT YEAR? WHAT ARE OUR OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH? • Maybe more worship • More discussion time/ small groups • Consider a panel • Kaia-rahi for 2nd years • More workshop options • MoVe retreat to beginning of the year

From this, we will work hard and genuinely consider what has been suggested. The BE Retreat will be back next year, date to be confirmed.