Senior Retreat 2025: Stepping Into Leadership

During the trip, seniors took part in a wide range of outdoor activities from ropes courses and mountain biking to horseback riding and white water rafting. Students were grouped into teams to compete in games and challenges that encouraged teamwork and some good laughs. These competitions offered the opportunity to build relationships across the grade.

Charlotte Oates, a Hartfield senior, shared, “You’re not just with these people for seven hours a day, you’re with them for three straight days. You learn more about them, especially their relationship with God. It’s hard to have intimate conversations during the busyness of school, but on this trip, there were many opportunities for deep conversations.”

Senior Marley Dew echoed this: “We experienced true fellowship with one another. It felt easy to speak with people I don’t normally have classes with. A bit of the social pressure was removed, and we felt an immense amount of freedom.”

While the activities were fun, it was the spiritual depth of the retreat that left an impression. Each day included quiet time for journaling and Scripture reflection, as well as group worship and teaching sessions centered around Matthew 6 and 7. Themes like “Treasures in Heaven” helped students evaluate their hearts and consider what they truly value.

“The verse that stood out to me most was Matthew 6:19-24,” Charlotte said. “It was a good self-assessment. Do I treasure the things of this world, or the things of God?” Marley added, “In my journal I wrote, ‘If we condition ourselves to only desire worldly things, our heart won’t desire God.’”

For many, the absence of cell service became an unexpected blessing. “We couldn’t use our phones the whole time,” Marley said. “It allowed us to be fully present with each other and with the Lord.”

Maybe most powerfully, the retreat served as a start for the Class of 2025 as leaders at school. Through group prayer, many students stepped outside their comfort zones and discovered a new boldness in their faith.

“I ended up praying over multiple people, some I’ve never talked to,” Charlotte shared. “It was so refreshing when I finally started listening to who God was placing on my heart and confidently prayed over them.”

Walker Brewster reflected, “I grew closer to God this trip through praying for others. Prayer is a powerful weapon that God has given us.”

The lessons learned on this trip weren’t meant to stay there. As Marley put it, “The retreat revealed to me that I am a leader. I may not always have the words, but when I step out in obedience, God gives me what I need. I’ve been putting this gift into practice since we got back, and I want to carry that throughout the year.”

Now back at school, the senior class is more unified than ever. As they walk the halls of Hartfield for their final year, they carry with them not only memories of their last retreat but an excitement for what the year will bring.

Charlotte summed it up well: “The senior class has a chance to leave Hartfield better. I hope our grade will do that.”