ICYMI – July 9, 2013
If you are like me you try to read as many articles, blogs and books as possible but just cannot catch all of them. “In Case You Missed It” is my way of pointing out a few “reads” that I think are too good to miss.
6 Moves that Lead to a Killer Retreat – Michael Bayne
Leading an effective retreat is really hard work. There are so many moving parts that have to come together if the weekend is going to be effective. If you have ever planned one then you know what I am talking about. Travel, lodging, meeting space, food, fun, leaders, the speaker, rules, games, small group notes, the band, t-shirts, snacks, medical kits, sound, lights, and video all have to have our attention if we are going to maximize any retreat experience. In our student ministry we pull off several retreat experiences for teens every year and we love to watch God work when we pull students out of their normal routine. We have learned a few moves that help make the weekend have more impact. Here are a few of them…
Camp offers a tech-free weekend at a hefty price – Travis Andrews
How much would you pay to not use your iPhone? Would you pay the price of a cheap television to avoid seeing one? If so, you aren’t alone. This past June, Digital Detox held its first three-day camp, the purpose of which is offering a technology-free weekend. It costs $350 and sold out.
The camp, called Camp Grounded, boasts that it is “where grown-ups go to unplug, getaway [sic] and be kids again.” Held at Camp Navarro in the Redwoods of Northern California, the camp includes all the activities you’d expect from a camp: sing-alongs, capture the flag, archery, etc. It also includes activities that might benefit from a electronics break, such as writing sessions and creative workshops.Ironically, the camp has an e-newsletter.
Camp Grounded is a branded offering from Digital Detox, a company that organizes “off the grind” retreats, allowing users to escape technology for three-day increments for individual as well as corporate retreats.
We write about an awful lot of wonderful technology here, but there’s no question that it permeates most aspects of our lives. If folks are already willing to pay $350 to escape it for three days, you can only wonder how profitable the escape-tech business will be in ten years.
