Passages Retreat
Second Talk

1:00 P.M. Second Talk: Changes

Leader will give this talk; hence, there is no outline. The talk, which is spontaneous in nature, is based on Saint Paul’s quote: “When I was a child I thought like a child, spoke like a child, and reasoned like a child. When I became a man I put aside childish ways.” The main purpose of the talk is to set the tone for the remainder of the retreat.

1:45 P.M. After the talk, candidates will break up into their individual groups with team leaders for Small Group Session 2.

Small Group Session 2

Leader stressed the ways we’ve changed since childhood.

Give an example of something that you considered extremely important when you were a little child. Share how you feel about the person or thing now. Ask each candidate to do the same.

Father also mentioned that as we mature our values become more and more important. When we were children we often selected our friends by who had the best toys or the nicest house or the best treats. As we grow up we learn how these things have nothing to do with friendship.

Ask everyone to offer one or two words which indicate what values are important in true, mature friendships.

Sometimes we fail to put aside our childish ways. Regardless of who we are or how old we are, there are still childish ways we hope to overcome. Christians recognize these things and at least try to develop a means by which to change them. In your notebooks describe something you hope to change in your life – and try to design a way by which you might bring this change about.

The leader should do this exercise along with the candidates. When everyone is finished, the leader should share what he/she wrote and then ask each candidate to do the same. Before regrouping ask for one person to share what they wrote with all the candidates.

2:15 P.M. Reactions

Everyone regroups. One of the Rectors settles everyone into place and asks for one candidate from each group to offer responses.

2:45 P.M. Recreation

All candidates and team members should be involved in some form of organized activity as per our discussion at the planning meeting.

5:15 P.M. Dinner

		Department of Youth, Young Adult, and Campus Ministry Orthodox Church in America PO Box 675 Syosset, NY 11791 http://yya.oca.org yyacm@oca.org The Hub | Back to top