On February 14-16, 23 of our middle school and high school students, together with 5 volunteer adult leaders, traveled up the mountain to Big Bear Lake
for Winter Retreat 2020. The theme of the weekend was prayer. My hope for the students was that they would have the opportunity – through worship, spiritual practices, and small groups – to learn what prayer is and what prayer does. They might then feel empowered to make prayer a regular practice in their faith journey. I was encouraged by the ways they shared with one another in small groups with openness and vulnerability. They stepped outside of their comfort zones to try different spiritual practices like Lectio Divina, the Jesus Prayer, and praying the psalms. And of course, what is camp without a host of fun activities? The students tried their hands at archery, a climbing wall, a zipline, and hours of nighttime snow tubing. There were some pretty memorable tubing runs down the hills — and thankfully no injuries! Coming back from camp, I found myself basking in gratitude for the students and leaders that we have at Knox. They all had great attitudes, and made sure everyone from middle school to high school felt included. The leaders generously gave up their weekends to lead, play, and share with the students. This is an incredible community and I feel blessed to be a part of it.