Sunday afternoon at 2 pm at the East Campus we will return from our Winter Extreme weekend where we will have studied the Life of Jonah in community with one another. We will obviously be totally exhausted with all the activities we will have done as well and great food we’ve eaten. My hope in this blog this morning is to remind you of a few Faith at Home principles that you can implement coming out of this retreat. The first is the opportunity to make a conference call and hear the details of our retreat together. From 1:30 to about 1:45ish I will be sharing with anyone who uses their phone to participate. Call (218) 339-4600 and then enter the access code 426137#. It is just a simple call no added fees. Make it on your cell most providers have free long distance on the weekend!

Additionally, I would like to share some Questions NOT to Ask:

Avoid yes/no, short answer, or very broad questions such as:

• How was your trip? (too broad)
• What did you do? (too broad)
• Did you have fun? (yes/no)
• Are you going back? (yes/no)
• Did you get along with your team? (yes/no)
• Did you like the culture? (yes/no)

Consider asking specific, open ended questions that begin with words such as:
describe…
in what ways…
explain… or who/what/how/why

Some of these may include:
• What was the most meaningful thing about the weekend? The most fun thing?
• Describe three highlights of the weekend.
• What are the most significant lessons God taught you? How did you learn them?
• What did God teach you about Himself?
• How did your expectations for the weekend match up with what happened? Was this good or bad and why?
• How did you spend your free time?
• Describe one person who had an impact on you and why.
• How would you describe your relationship with the Lord before and after the trip?
• What next steps will you take spiritually? In lifestyle choices?
• In what ways do you think God wants your life to change?

You may feel like those were a lot. Yes…so pick the two or three that will be best for post retreat breakdown with your son or daughter and use this weekend to create more Faith at Home discussions!

Peace,
Pastor Bruce