The climax of the first year of an Advance group is time spent in retreat. How you decide to do this is up to you, but here you will find suggestions for how to spend the time together in keeping with the general principles of Advance group meetings and to bring the first year to a focused end.
HOW TO RUN AN ADVANCE GROUP RETREAT
The general idea is to get away from your normal location and set aside a longer period of time than you would normally for your Advance group sessions. If you can only spare a morning, afternoon or evening, then do what you can in this time, but retreating for a whole day is especially beneficial.
Here are some ideas of what to do during your retreat.
KEY SCRIPTURE
The following passage from Colossians will work well as a key scripture for your time together if you are looking for a specific focus during the retreat:
‘Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.’
COLOSSIANS 4:2–6
Within this short passage there are twelve things that Paul presents which can be explored and affirmed for our evangelism:
- Be devoted (devote yourselves to prayer)
- Encourage spiritual fellowship (pray for us too)
- Rely on God (God may open a door)
- Commit to proclamation (we may proclaim the mystery of Christ)
- Desire clarity (that I may proclaim it clearly)
- Accept sacrifice for the Gospel (for which I am in chains)
- Rely on the wisdom of heaven (be wise)
- Seize opportunities (make the most of every opportunity)
- Speak and listen (conversation)
- Be gracious and humble (always full of grace)
- Be distinctive (seasoned with salt)
- Be prepared (that you may know how to answer everyone)
How you study the passage together or alone (see below), how you bring these points out, and how you discuss them together is entirely up to you depending on how you are running your retreat time. But keep this passage and these points in mind as you look at the suggested activities below.
WORD
A key aim of the Advance group is to help each other grow as evangelists who are committed to the Word of God. This retreat time is a great opportunity to go deeper into his Word.
EXTENDED BIBLE READING (SOLO READING)
Extended time spent with the Word of God is never time wasted. Taking the time to read through all of Mark’s gospel or one of the New Testament letters in one sitting is a great way to get a full perspective on the contents of that book. If it is a shorter book, why not re-read it multiple times, praying and reflecting between each reading, making notes, and then going again? You could all choose to read the same thing, or have a few different options that people then share about their time of reading and reflection.
BIBLE STUDY (GROUP READING)
There are a number of ways that you could facilitate Bible study together on the retreat. Perhaps you will want to revisit some of the key passages you have explored over the Advance group sessions. Alternatively, you may feel led to a particular passage or theme that will set the tone for the retreat. As ever, be sure to keep it in line with developing each other as evangelists.
PRAYER
Set aside significant time for prayer during the retreat. Plan for prayer times with a specific focus, as well as time for both praying through scripture and spontaneous prayer. Whatever else you do in prayer during the retreat, the following three focuses are recommended.
PRAYING FOR EACH OTHER
Be sure to pray for one another as a primary element of your time together. Ask people to share one area they are feeling thankful to God for and one area in which they need provision or breakthrough. Encourage people to be specific and honest in their requests, and don’t rush through each person but dedicate real time to one another. Be sure to keep a note of words and encouragements that come from this time.
PRAYING FOR THE LOCAL AND THE GLOBAL
Take time to pray for your local context and also the global spread of the gospel. If there are specific situations you have a heart for in either a local or global context then pray for them. Lift up individuals, churches, ministries, missionaries, situations from the news and so on.
PRAYING FOR THE ADVANCE JOURNEY
Give thanks for the journey that you have been on in this group, reflecting on personal growth and stories of fruitfulness and salvation. Ask the Lord to continue the work in you that he has begun, and that you would be transformed into his image with ever increasing glory (you could pray through 2 Corinthians 3:17–18).
WORSHIP
Time spent in God’s Word, prayer and fellowship are all part of worship. But spend time in additional specific acts of collective devotional worship – whether it’s through singing or other creative expressions.
SUNG WORSHIP
If you have someone who is musically talented, invite them to lead a time of sung worship. Alternatively, there are many great collective worship apps and videos available online, many of which are free. A quick YouTube search for your favourite worship songs will likely bring up a version of the song with lyrics that can be played for the group to sing along to. There is power in the people of God joining together in song to declare his glory.
STORIES AND PRAISE
Spend time sharing stories of how God has been at work in your life this year – stories of growth, breakthrough, evangelistic opportunity and fruit. After each story spend time praising God through prayer, song or any method that works for your group as you seek to give thanks to God for who he is and what he has done/is doing.
COMMISSIONING
Another way in which you could share in a corporate act of worship would be to commission each other before God in the evangelistic task that he has called you to and empowered you for. At the end of this first year of your Advance group it will be encouraging and affirming to recognise this milestone, so give thanks to God for it and pray over each other as you look to go again with the gospel for the salvation of the world and to the glory of God.
ANNUAL REFLECTION
Using the Annual Reflection form, create space to reflect on the questions provided, fill in the form and pray over the answers given. This can be done individually or as a group.
FELLOWSHIP
As we gather together, we grow in friendship with and trust of one another. The fellowship of your Advance group has hopefully been a blessing to each person, and on retreat you can continue in your commitment to hold each other to account and your enjoyment of each other’s company.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Accountability has been a core part of every session so far, and in this final session of the year, once again commit to the same process to ensure you are living holy and humble lives.
FASTING/FEASTING
You may want to commit to a period of fasting as part of the retreat, or base your time together around meals through which you can gather together and make space for discussion. There is no right or wrong way to do this – all that matters is that it helps you achieve the goals of your retreat time.
ACTIVITIES
You may want to plan an activity together – for example, if you are retreating into nature somewhere, go on a walk together and fold some of the devotional activities above into this time. If based in a more urban environment, you could visit an art gallery together and do the same thing, using some of the art as a stimulus for reflection and devotion.
Equally, you might want to do something simply for fun together – a team activity, sport, entertainment option… Whether it’s fellowship to encourage devotion, or fellowship to enjoy each other’s company and grow in relationship with each other, invest in quality time with each other.
NEXT STEPS
The first year of Advance is done. Before you bring the year (and the retreat) to a close, be sure to look at the next steps for this group and the new groups that will launch from this one.
THIS GROUP
Create space for people to share about how the Advance group experience has been for them. Share feedback about how you’ve all grown and developed, and think about what the biggest learning has been from the year. Encourage each other in these things. Pray and give thanks for the first year of Advance and commit what is ahead to the Lord. Take the opportunity to set dates for starting Year Two together.
NEW GROUPS
It will also be worth picking up on the development of new groups that was started in the last session. Check how people are getting on with the possibility of starting their own group, and if there are new groups going to start, pray for them.
However you run your retreat time, keep the core values of Advance in focus, reflect on the journey you have been on as a group, and pray for what lies ahead the future.
