March 2022: Spring Learn & Serve Retreats at SIFAT
Editor’s Note: Each month, we mail an article with our contribution statements to the previous month’s donors. Click here to download a PDF version.
Written by Marie Lanier, Promotions and Marketing Coordinator
During March, our SIFAT calendar is beginning to remind of us pre-COVID-19 days. We are seeing lots of green—the color designated for Learn & Serve events on our staff calendar—on the large dry erase boards in the office hallway. While working, our office staff hears shouts and cheers drifting across campus, and we see groups of students walking past our windows on their way to the cafeteria for lunch. These simple things lift our spirits and make us realize that we have been missing the hub of activity that spring brings to our campus more than we realized!
Our Learn & Serve programming can be customized for different types of groups and various ages. Already this year, we have hosted an Around the World field trip and multi-day retreat for middle school classes, Global Health Days for college nursing students, a tour for youth leaders making plans to bring a group later this year and a retreat with work projects and programming for a mission team unable to travel internationally. At the end of the month, we will have three youth groups on campus for spring break retreats. For our small campus staff, the days are long, but the rewards are great!
We are enjoying our spring Learn & Serve retreat groups at SIFAT!
They have developed new curriculum to share in 2022 with the theme Thy Kingdom Come for our Learn & Serve Summer Experience and some of our longer retreats, as well as refreshed some of the existing programming to improve the quality of what we offer and make it exciting for returning groups to participate again.
The Challenge Course uses games and low ropes to develop teamwork and leadership. Bring your church staff, civic group or business team for a fun team-building retreat at SIFAT!
We reached out to a recent school group and asked the teacher about her students’ experience. Here’s what she shared:
There is a great benefit to seeing how people around the world live and how fortunate we are to live in the USA. For my students, the biggest takeaway was the Global Feast. They learned the blessing of the availability and access to food that is not global. It was helpful to understand that we could do something about it, such as making a change in the world even as kids.
You can also add the Challenge Course to customize your next retreat at SIFAT!
Whether a group comes for a one-day retreat or stays for a week, our staff strives to make sure they leave SIFAT with tools and ideas that they can implement into their daily lives. We do not want to instill guilt, but instead, we want to create awareness and action to make a positive difference! Even students can start Sharing God’s Love in Practical Ways!
Our urban slum brings the realities of daily life of more than 1 billion people in the world. Take part in the Slum Experience or the Slum Prayer Walk to bring these statistics to life.
Is your church planning a trip to SIFAT? Get a group together to come for a tour or an overnight retreat! You can spend the night in our Global Village, which features simulated housing from nine countries and an urban slum. Or for the less adventurous, sleep in our campus housing and take a prayer walk through the Global Village as we pray for our graduates around the world and those whose daily lives are so unlike our own. Whatever your group’s goals are, we welcome you to get away from distractions and visit SIFAT for a retreat.
Retreat packages and pricing or our youth summer experience information can be found at www.sifat.org/learn-serve. Our campus staff are available to help design an experience that will be perfect for your group. Call or email today to start planning your next visit! E-mail learnandserve@sifat.org to get started.
Youth groups and individuals can be part of our Summer Experience! Sign up today!
Summer Experience 2022 Dates
Thy Kingdom Come
Week One June 12 – 16
Week Two June 19 – 23
Week Three June 26 – 30
Week Four* July 10 – 14
*overflow week—the first three weeks will be filled before this one opens.
Volunteers of all ages and college-aged interns are needed to help our campus staff during retreats all year! Learn more at www.sifat.org/learn-serve or e-mail learnandserve@sifat.org for details.
