New Beginnings, a long-standing ministry created in the Diocese of Central Florida, will host a unique retreat for middle school students at Camp Wingmann the weekend of Nov. 18-20, from 7 p.m. Friday through 2 p.m. Sunday. Directed by The Rev. Kevin Bartle, rector of St. Mary of the Angels, Orlando, the New Beginnings Relaunch! Retreat will be led by high school and college students with support from adult leaders. Publicity for the event says it will provide students the opportunity to “connect, dig deeper with their faith, and intentionally seek the next steps in their walk with Christ.”

“Middle school is a crazy time; kids are figuring out who they are, where they belong and what they believe,” Bartle said. “We hope to help them in that pursuit by offering a place where they belong, an identity they can be proud of and something to believe in that is built upon more than just the practices of religion. We want them to find inspiration and truth in the life-changing relationship we can all have with Jesus Christ and his church.”

L-R (rear) Stephen Visavachuapan, The Rev. Kevin Bartle, Justin Butler; (front), Emily Reed Fletcher. The four have been friends since meeting at New Beginnings in middle school. | Photo Credit: The Rev. Kevin Bartle

For Bartle, the New Beginnings Relaunch! Retreat is personal. Not only does he run the experience for youth today, but he also experienced life change through New Beginnings during his own growing-up years. Although this year’s retreat features a brand-new format, Bartle intends to preserve some of the event’s well-loved traditions.

“New Beginnings is super special to me because it is the place, the event, where I was introduced to a loving community and learned that our faith is based on a relationship, not just the collection of stories we were taught in Sunday school,” he said. In fact, he still maintains friendships with some of the people he met during his early New Beginnings experiences.

Research supports the importance of events like this. Youth in the middle school age group face an incredible amount of change. They experience physical, mental and emotional growth at an extreme rate, and it’s often difficult to balance. Opportunities such as New Beginnings help them learn how to navigate these shifts. Given the space and experiences, middle schoolers can build a foundation to stand on as they continue to grow. And having the opportunity to learn from older youth who have gone before them – as well as to create experiences alongside their peers – sets them up for deep, meaningful change.

With high school and college students leading many elements of the New Beginnings Relaunch! weekend, middle schoolers also get to experience an active influence from youth not far removed from where they are. Andy Blanks, co-founder of YM360, explains that “the spiritual community of our peers is actively involved in our growth as Christ-followers.” He continues that, “active influence will occur most effectively when you create space for [the natural rhythm of “doing community”] to happen.” And having a weekend away at Camp Wingmann with other youth allows for the creation of this type of community.

While church youth group experiences are essential to building a foundation of faith, the act of going away to a retreat makes this an experience with the potential for long-lasting impact.

“Young people will learn through experience, what their faith is about, how to express it, and ways to grow in their faith,” Sarah Taylor writes for Youth Ministry Institute. New Beginnings creates that experience, not only for middle schoolers, but also for older youth, who receive the opportunity to spend a weekend serving and ministering to their younger peers.

Interested parents and students can click here for online registration. For more information, contact Bartle at 407-855-1930 or kbartle@stmaryangels.org. Older students looking for an opportunity to gain practical experience serving, mentoring and deepening their own faith through leadership can also contact Bartle to request a team application packet.