For the first three days of the second week of school, the entire TCS high school enjoyed a fun, and renewing reset at Spruce Lake Retreat Center in PA. It was a time of bonding, worship, and of course, fun games and activities in which everyone participated.
The first day marked the kickoff of the TCS Olympics! Immediately after lunch, the students were separated into four different teams: green, yellow, red, and white. These teams competed against each other in fun, mini games with surprise twists such as tug-of-war with cooking mitts or blind three-legged races.
“Although we were all a little sleepy when we first got there, it got fun real quick. We were all skeptical about the groups because they were completely random, but it was honestly fun. I’d say my favorite game was the three-legged race. It was such a good bonding experience,” says junior Alyssa Marino.
After dinner, the students hiked down to the gym where they had their first session with the speaker, Alex Seidler. Before he spoke, however, the high school engaged in a time of worship with the band Tehillah Worship Collective.
“Personally, the worship at the retreat was a very powerful and intimate moment where God was present, and this led us to experience the Holy Spirit in such a profound way. I got to pray for my friends and dance at the altar. It showed that worship can and should be fun!” said junior Nicky Gonzalez.
Later Alex Seidler shared his message with the students. He talked about his experience as an overseas missionary and preached about building a relationship with God.
“I liked the speaker! He was appealing to the youth, and I really felt that during and after worship you could feel the Holy Spirit’s presence,” said junior Kathryn Rojas.
Alex connected with the students during his three sessions and everyone left feeling spiritually renewed.
After each session, the students broke off into their discipleship groups to discuss the message and connect with one another.
“I thought the discipleship groups were good. I felt comfortable sharing, and I thought it was a good amount of people to where it wasn’t overwhelming to share anything,” says new student, sophomore Audrey Callahan.
The students will meet with their discipleship groups during school for the rest of the year and they continue wo grow in the Lord together.
During the retreat, the students surrendered their phones to their teachers to enjoy some tech free time.
“Taking a break from phones was like quitting sugar for a few days. It was boring at first, but you feel better without it,” says junior Joseph Guardado.
Taking away phones allowed the students to focus solely on connecting with God and their peers!
On the last night, each grade went to their own separate campfire. They made smores, sang songs, and talked about the retreat and upcoming school year.
“I thought the campfire was a fun time to bond with classmates and learn about all the things I have to look forward to the rest of the year,” said freshman Jason Leary.
The campfires were a great way for the grades to welcome newcomers and bond with each other.
The next morning, before they left, the high school participated in one more fun even, the closing ceremony of the TCS Olympics. The teams had 20 minutes to create a routine in one of the four categories; rhythmic gymnastics, synchronized swimming, gymnastics, and break dancing. Watching the routines that each team created was a fun experience and not a single person was left with a straight face. It was the perfect end to the retreat.
The students started the school year on a spiritual high and are excited to see how God will work through TCS this school year!