New Beginnings is a weekend retreat where sixth through ninth graders can learn about relationships, meet peers throughout the Diocese of Central Florida, enjoy skits, listen to talks and participate in small-group activities. The next retreat will be held Oct. 4-6. 

The Rev. Tracy Dugger, the retreat’s spring 2018 spiritual director, said, “I would highly recommend New Beginnings as a place where middle schoolers can hear the message of the church from people they trust and look up to, their peers and older teens.”

Hosted at Camp Wingmann in Avon Park, New Beginnings creates a safe environment for hurting teens to open up. “I had sacred conversations with youth who were grappling with trauma, bullying and identity,” Dugger said. “The real blessing of this weekend was it offered a place … to leave behind a lot of yuck that we brought with us and go home with some new lessons of being loved, known and belonging in a wider body that knows them and prays for them.”

The Rev. Becky Toalster, rector of Holy Trinity in Bartow, also enjoyed her previous spiritual director experience. “I didn’t expect the [students’] prayers to be as open, honest and raw as they were, and it touched me deeply to see the joy on their faces.”

The Rev. Meghan Farr, assistant rector of Holy Trinity in Melbourne, recalled attending New Beginnings as a middle schooler. “I remember being so excited to go because I had seen the older youth from my church (Our Savior in Palm Bay) come back with their T-shirts signed and their name tags and ‘warm fuzzies’ … 30 years later, it may just be snippets … but they are all powerful memories of love and the presence of the Holy Spirit.”

For more information click here, or email The Rev. Phyllis Bartle at phlealess@aol.com or call her at St. Jude’s at (386) 775-6200.