Fifth and sixth grade students travel to Woodlands Camp for the 2022-2023 Fifth and Sixth Grade Retreat
Fifth and sixth grade students recently visited Woodlands Camp in Cleveland, GA, for the 2022-2023 Fifth and Sixth Grade Retreat. The retreat is designed for Wesleyan students to grow in their faith and to recognize that this life is not primarily about them, but rather about Christ.
Retreat leaders aim to give students an accurate understanding of God’s character, encourage them to take ownership of their faith, and challenge them to honor God by serving others. The retreat also serves to build community among middle school students at the beginning of the school year.
As students enjoyed paddleboarding, zip lining, and rock paper scissors tournaments, they also strengthened relationships with each other and faculty members on the retreat.
Middle School Counselor Sean Nestor encouraged middle school students with three messages about the importance of being rooted and established in love, which comes from a firm foundation in Christ. The theme was inspired by Ephesians 3:17-19 (NIV) which says, “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the Lord’s people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
Nestor shared the gospel with students and invited them to think critically about the roots of their foundation. He shared with students that we are all sinners and are powerless to do anything about it on our own. Then, he proclaimed that the good news of the gospel is that Jesus died to take away our sin, and He cleared the way for our foundation to be in Him. He reminded students that this salvation is a free gift, which we did nothing to earn.
During his final message, Nestor prompted students to strengthen their foundation in Christ by giving them practical steps to grow in their faith. He challenged students to:
- Read the Bible daily and apply it to their lives;
- Pray;
- Be in Christian community;
- Choose their friends carefully;
- And ask questions about faith.
“There is no better starting point to build your foundation on than the cross of Christ,” stated Nestor.
Thank you fifth and sixth graders for a great retreat, and we are excited to support you this year as you continue to learn about what it means to be rooted in Christ.
