King’s Council Brings Back Fall Retreat At Camp Tecumseh After Two Years
2021 Fall Retreat Montage | Video courtesy of ESTV
| Photo courtesy of The King’s College
On Thursday, Sept. 16, students and faculty traveled to Camp Tecumseh in Pittstown, N.J., for the return of Fall Retreat.
Due to budget constraints and COVID-19 restrictions, King’s has not held Fall Retreat since 2019. Student Body President (SBP) Brent Buterbaugh and his cabinet were determined to host this year’s retreat and were willing to adhere to the camp’s COVID-19 rules and the King’s administration’s concerns.
“Given how difficult last year was to find community when we were restricted, this year more than ever, it was important to have fall retreat,” Buterbaugh said. “Historically, its function is for people to meet and interact with each other in a setting that is not stressful as King’s academics can be,.”
Thursday night at the opening ceremony, Buterbaugh spoke on the goal of this year’s fall retreat.
“The purpose of this fall retreat is to rest, reflect and remember,” Buterbaugh said.
| Photo courtesy of The King’s College
As the evening continued, the key-note speaker, Dr. Tommy Carrington, a professor at Trinity International University, spoke on the theme of remembrance as connecting the dots of what God has done in your life, looking back and seeing all the good and bad coming together.
Friday morning started with the Refuge team leading the camp in worship.
“I loved having so many people there to worship God and have a weekend of rest! It was great to see the team come together and lead us; I’m so grateful we had this opportunity. I hope that we can continue the conversation on remembrance and continue finding rest in the Lord as we worship together at Refuge this year!” Kaylee Vroon, president of Refuge, said.
The Refuge team led the congregation in the song Remembrance by Hillsong Worship at every worship service, the theme song for the camp.
| Photo courtesy of The King’s College
“My favorite part of the retreat was definitely the worship. It was so heartwarming and encouraging to see all my peers together worshipping Jesus,” Ashley Sa, a freshman in the House of Margaret Thatcher.
Later, King’s faculty held breakout sessions ranging from different topics about the theme of remembrance. After the breakout sessions, students had free time, with the opportunity to play various outdoor games.
“Dr. White’s session on weakness is still sitting with me and was definitely a highlight. Also playing several hours of gaga-ball, of course,” Ben Ashley, president of the House of C.S. Lewis said.
That night, houses competed in a drama competition — the House of C.S. Lewis coming in third, Ten Boom in second and Bonhoeffer in first place.
After a restful weekend surrounded by nature, King’s faculty and students packed up and headed back to the city Saturday morning.
“Considering that this is my freshman year and I was able to experience it along with the sophomores for the first time made it even more special. Fall Retreat was not only a restful break away from the city, but it was also a restful confirmation for my heart that I am exactly where I need to be at King’s,” Sa said.
Many felt the retreat was beneficial for their house since this would create a tighter community throughout the year. With this opportunity, upperclassmen would be able to connect more with first-year students.
“The freshmen in my House have expressed that they enjoyed getting to know upperclassmen whose paths don’t often cross with theirs,” Ashley said. “Similar to how I believe Fall Retreat helped my freshman year, I think we will benefit all year long from the fun that was had and the connections that were made this weekend.”