2018 Beach Retreat Leader Manual

BEING A BEACH
RETREAT LEADER
Being a great Beach Retreat leader is more than babysitting. It’s a
tremendous opportunity and responsibility to spiritually and relationally
guide our students. We asked some veteran leaders to shed light
on how you can make the biggest impact with the students in your
condo so that they can experience God in powerful ways.
1. WHAT WERE YOUR BIGGEST FEARS AS A
FIRST-TIME BR LEADER AND HOW DID YOU
OVERCOME THEM?
• Ken Bridges (North, 10+ BRs) - The “unknown”
is always my biggest fear! What if they don’t
listen? What if someone gets hurt? What if I fail?
Years of experience have helped me understand
that I have to put all of my trust in the fact that
God is in control – all the time!
• Dara Broussard (West, 10 BRs) – I was not
involved in Student Ministry at all before I went.
So, I had no idea what to expect. I really had
to step out of my comfort zone and meet new
people. Most importantly, I had to learn to go
with the flow.
• Cody Albert (Cypress, 7 BRs) – I was just
worried because I wasn’t really sure what was
going on. For me, asking questions was the way
I was able to learn and adjust.
• Henry Holt (Woodway, 2 BRs) –I was really
concerned with a few things: relating to the
kids, losing one during the week, and setting the
condo on fire. I constantly checked the oven all
week long. As far as relating to the kids, if you
show them love, they respond well and respect
that.
• Steve Harris (1463, 8 BRs) – I worried about
how I would get to know my boys and have
fun with them while maintaining discipline,
authority, and respect. I quickly learned to relax
and follow the schedule as Second does such
a great job with planning, logistics, schedules,
and time allotment. It really allows me to focus
on my group.
• Heidi Harms (South, 7 BRs) – Looking back,
my biggest fear was knowing what to say.
Through prayer and practice, I learned that
I just had to jump in and trust that the Lord
would work it all out!
2. BETWEEN ALL OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES
ONE HAS AS A CONDO LEADER (STUDENTS,
JOBS, CONDO TIME, ETC.), WHAT ARE THE
KEYS TO MANAGING YOUR TIME WISELY?
• Heidi – I wake up before the kids so I can plan
and prepare for my day. I also want to have my
quiet time before they wake up.
• Steve – Waking up before the kids and getting
organized is key. I also make them aware of the
schedule throughout the day, every day. You
have to help them be aware of how to manage
their time. And, make sure on the first day to
set aside time slots for the interviews. If you
don’t schedule these early in the week, you’ll be
scrambling to try and get them done.
• Henry – I set alarms on my phone to remind me
of the schedule. I am constantly keeping an eye
on the time.
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