Christian youth retreats are said to be some of the most significant events in a teen’s life.  When teens are taken out of their typical environment and put into a different one, the atmosphere is conducive to reflection, decision-making, and significant personal growth.  Unfortunately, not all Christian youths can afford to go to retreats.  However, with a bit of creativity and a little elbow grease, a teen can find a way to earn his way to camp.

Many Christian youth retreats take place over a weekend.  This article, however, will focus on the week-long Christian youth retreats.  These are the ones that teens find “too expensive.”  The first thing to do is determine the actual cost to the camper.  Remember to keep in mind incidentals, like meals and fuel costs.  Once you have the bottom line, check the calendar to see how many weeks there are till the payment due date.  Divide the total due by the number of weeks, and calculate how much cash must be earned or raised each week.  This makes saving for Christian youth retreats seem more possible.  The old adage says you eat an elephant one bite at a time.

Christian youth retreats often offer 3 ways to help a camper afford the cost.  These options include: fund-raisers, reduced fees, and scholarships.   Fund raisers can take the form of the typical door to door product sales, coupon book sales, or raffles.   Still other fund raisers are turned into large events, where the campers volunteer their time to serve at the event, in order to earn money toward Christian youth retreats.

Some families have asked Christian youth retreats and their directors if there is an option of a reduced fee.  Sometimes the camp will accept volunteer work hours at the retreat center as barter for all or part of the week’s stay a Christian camp for the youth retreat.  It is not uncommon that Christian youth retreats offer scholarships to students because they have financial support from donors.

Obviously, the sure way to earn fees for Christian youth retreats is by good old elbow grease.  Teens are able to do many odd jobs.  The typical odd jobs for teens include babysitting, yard work, pet sitting, car washing, and snow shoveling.  But with a little creativity, there is a job for everyone.  It is very rewarding for teens to know that they can earn their own way to any one of many the Christian youth retreats available today.

Looking for an alternative to the typical summer camp?  Looking for a setting that will not only be enjoyable for your kids but also help them grow in their walk with God?  Then check out the various Christian Youth Retreats available in Ohio and other Midwestern states.

Today’s youth are continually hearing messages from those around them about who they should be.  Sadly, in many cases, these messages are not positive but they can still be formative.  But, wouldn’t be great for your youth to get away and retreat to hear what God says about them?  What He thinks about them?

Spending a week away from all the busyness and pressure, and having the opportunity to hear and experience the great news of God’s amazing love for us is good for everybody.  It can be especially powerful in the life of a young person.

Christian youth retreats can be really fun, too.  Swimming, balloon fights, canoeing, hiking, climbing walls and a lot of other great activities are all part of the week.  And many young people treasure the friendships they make with other youth and the camps staff that work with them.  Most camp counselors are college age, and young people look up to them and can be influenced by them in some very special ways.

Every summer young people will say that their Christian youth retreat was one of the best weeks of their life lives.  Others say that their retreat week even changed their life.  Sure, having a week of archery, good food, and summer fun is really great, but when a parent hears that a retreat changed their child’s life and impacted them as a Christian, it doesn’t get much better than that!

The web is a great way to locate Christian youth retreats near you.  Many Christian youth organizations and churches will put on great retreats, so check with your friends, contact local churches, and do a little internet research to find an option that will serve you well.  You’ll be glad you did!