This is an excellent outline for a weekend service retreat, complete with great instructions for using small groups and with appropriate biblical meditations. Although the author suggests it's for 8th graders, I think it could work well with kids from 5th through 8th grade.

Review on “Give us this Day”
By Beth Volesky
Prepared by Cole McCormick
My first overall judgment of the contribution was that it was extremely detailed with what events will be going on and what time they will be happening. I think the tool that would support this 8th grade confirmation retreat would be, Vella’s twelve principles, which include;
1. Needs assessment
2. Safety
3. Sound relationship
4. Sequence and reinforcement
5. Action with reflection, or praxis
6. Learners as subject of their own learning
7. Learning with ideas, feelings, and actions
8. Immediacy
9. Clear roles
10. Teamwork
11. Engagement
12. Accountability

The first thing that I liked was the introduction to the retreat with Vella’s first step of Needs assessment, I thought. The needs assessment gives the learners a chance to be active in what they need to learn. Right away, the eighth grade students and adults are active in participation and is a brief introduction of what they will be learning in the retreat. First they say what they need to live, which are some of the same things that Martin Luther met by “Give us today our daily bread.” These things include food, clothing, home and several others. This leads into the fact that God provides all of these things.

The second thing I noticed (which I also liked) was moving from a large group to small group to large group to small group cycle. I think this fits with Vella’s forth step of Sequence and reinforcement. This step is moving from small to big, slow to fast, easy to hard.”

The third thing that I liked was the mention of; start becoming a safe community where kids can explore their thoughts/prejudices about hunger and poverty. This was noted in the first small group time together. This ties into Vella’s second step of Safety because people need safe environments for dialogue and a safe community overall.

The last thing (forth) that I noticed (which I did not like) was how structured and specific the whole weekend was assembled. It seemed like every event was very specific and also had a time right along with it. I think some more flex time could have been added.

One last note, I appreciated and enjoyed the idea of the “Thanks Station” What are some of the things that we take for granted? What are the things that we are thankful for? We should constantly be expressing “THANK YOU” on a regular basis and never stop doing it. Also, I don’t think we can do it enough.

Thank you for your submission, Beth!

Cole McCormick

Review on “Give us this Day”
By Beth Volesky
Prepared by Cole McCormick
My first overall judgment of the contribution was that it was extremely detailed with what events will be going on and what time they will be happening. I think the tool that would support this 8th grade confirmation retreat would be, Vella’s twelve principles, which include;
1. Needs assessment
2. Safety
3. Sound relationship
4. Sequence and reinforcement
5. Action with reflection, or praxis
6. Learners as subject of their own learning
7. Learning with ideas, feelings, and actions
8. Immediacy
9. Clear roles
10. Teamwork
11. Engagement
12. Accountability

The first thing that I liked was the introduction to the retreat with Vella’s first step of Needs assessment, I thought. The needs assessment gives the learners a chance to be active in what they need to learn. Right away, the eighth grade students and adults are active in participation and is a brief introduction of what they will be learning in the retreat. First they say what they need to live, which are some of the same things that Martin Luther met by “Give us today our daily bread.” These things include food, clothing, home and several others. This leads into the fact that God provides all of these things.

The second thing I noticed (which I also liked) was moving from a large group to small group to large group to small group cycle. I think this fits with Vella’s forth step of Sequence and reinforcement. This step is moving from small to big, slow to fast, easy to hard.”

The third thing that I liked was the mention of; start becoming a safe community where kids can explore their thoughts/prejudices about hunger and poverty. This was noted in the first small group time together. This ties into Vella’s second step of Safety because people need safe environments for dialogue and a safe community overall.

The last thing (forth) that I noticed (which I did not like) was how structured and specific the whole weekend was assembled. It seemed like every event was very specific and also had a time right along with it. I think some more flex time could have been added.

One last note, I appreciated and enjoyed the idea of the “Thanks Station” What are some of the things that we take for granted? What are the things that we are thankful for? We should constantly be expressing “THANK YOU” on a regular basis and never stop doing it. Also, I don’t think we can do it enough.

Thank you for your submission, Beth!

Cole McCormick

Review on “Give us this Day”
By Beth Volesky
Prepared by Cole McCormick
My first overall judgment of the contribution was that it was extremely detailed with what events will be going on and what time they will be happening. I think the tool that would support this 8th grade confirmation retreat would be, Vella’s twelve principles, which include;
1. Needs assessment
2. Safety
3. Sound relationship
4. Sequence and reinforcement
5. Action with reflection, or praxis
6. Learners as subject of their own learning
7. Learning with ideas, feelings, and actions
8. Immediacy
9. Clear roles
10. Teamwork
11. Engagement
12. Accountability

The first thing that I liked was the introduction to the retreat with Vella’s first step of Needs assessment, I thought. The needs assessment gives the learners a chance to be active in what they need to learn. Right away, the eighth grade students and adults are active in participation and is a brief introduction of what they will be learning in the retreat. First they say what they need to live, which are some of the same things that Martin Luther met by “Give us today our daily bread.” These things include food, clothing, home and several others. This leads into the fact that God provides all of these things.

The second thing I noticed (which I also liked) was moving from a large group to small group to large group to small group cycle. I think this fits with Vella’s forth step of Sequence and reinforcement. This step is moving from small to big, slow to fast, easy to hard.”

The third thing that I liked was the mention of; start becoming a safe community where kids can explore their thoughts/prejudices about hunger and poverty. This was noted in the first small group time together. This ties into Vella’s second step of Safety because people need safe environments for dialogue and a safe community overall.

The last thing (forth) that I noticed (which I did not like) was how structured and specific the whole weekend was assembled. It seemed like every event was very specific and also had a time right along with it. I think some more flex time could have been added.

One last note, I appreciated and enjoyed the idea of the “Thanks Station” What are some of the things that we take for granted? What are the things that we are thankful for? We should constantly be expressing “THANK YOU” on a regular basis and never stop doing it. Also, I don’t think we can do it enough.

Thank you for your submission, Beth!

Cole McCormick

Overall, this is a great retreat that can stand on its own, as well as be adapted for different contexts. One reason is that this retreat includes a variety of learning styles through small group discussion, large group lecture, individual reflection, a physical game (U-Ball) that simultaneously teaches, and rituals, such as communion and prayer. Throughout the retreat, the participants on the retreat are engaged in cognitive, affective, and psychomotor learning. This is seen in the conversations of small groups and intentional processing in personal reflections (cognitive), the sharing and listening is brought out through small groups and serving others (affective), and the play and organization of a group game (psychomotor).

This retreat also touches on many of Jane Vella’s twelve learning principles in her book Learning to Listen, Learning to Teach. I will mention only a few here. Through self-reflection and journaling, this retreat opens the people at it “to participate in naming what it is to be learned.” (needs assessment principle) The use of small groups within this retreat creates a safe space for transformative dialogue (safety principle). Lastly, through engaged small group reflection on their service work, this retreat brings together action and reflection (action with reflection principle).

Lastly, I think that this retreat provides a structure that can be adapted for many topics, such as the Ten Commandments, parables, the creeds, etc. Each retreat could have the elements of small group, individual reflection, service, and large group learning.

Overall, this is a great retreat that can stand on its own, as well as be adapted for different contexts. One reason is that this retreat includes a variety of learning styles through small group discussion, large group lecture, individual reflection, a physical game (U-Ball) that simultaneously teaches, and rituals, such as communion and prayer. Throughout the retreat, the participants on the retreat are engaged in cognitive, affective, and psychomotor learning. This is seen in the conversations of small groups and intentional processing in personal reflections (cognitive), the sharing and listening is brought out through small groups and serving others (affective), and the play and organization of a group game (psychomotor).

This retreat also touches on many of Jane Vella’s twelve learning principles in her book Learning to Listen, Learning to Teach. I will mention only a few here. Through self-reflection and journaling, this retreat opens the people at it “to participate in naming what it is to be learned.” (needs assessment principle) The use of small groups within this retreat creates a safe space for transformative dialogue (safety principle). Lastly, through engaged small group reflection on their service work, this retreat brings together action and reflection (action with reflection principle).

Lastly, I think that this retreat provides a structure that can be adapted for many topics, such as the Ten Commandments, parables, the creeds, etc. Each retreat could have the elements of small group, individual reflection, service, and large group learning.

I didn't get all of the pages the first time, after re-reviewing I still think this would could be modified for a lock in setting and could even be adapted for a smaller group. There are so many great ideas and bible references.

This looks like a great retreat option, this could even be used in a "lock in" type setting. This could be taken one step further, especially if it was done in a "lock in" setting of coming up with an action plan to help those in need in your community, whether it be a food drive, or serving a meal, or doing a themed dinner to raise money for a certain cause specific to your location.