Vacation with a Purpose

TABLE OF CONTENTS 01 INTRODUCTION

15 17 20 22

BEFORE YOU GO

03 05 09 12

WHY “ORDINARY” VACATIONS FAIL

SOME GREAT VACATION SPOTS

THE POWER OF A SPIRITUAL VACATION

DURING YOUR TIME

6 THINGS TO AVOID SABATOGING YOUR VACATION

CONCLUSION

HOW TO GET STARTED

INTRODUCTION

DOES YOUR FAMILY NEED A SPIRITUAL RECHARGE

Maybe it seems like you are always running in opposite directions between sports, music lessons, work and church activities. How long has it been since you’ve done family devotions or prayed together? Do you find it hard to connect with your kids spiritually or even just relationally? Vacation inhabits an almost mythical place in American culture. The day to day grind seems like it has no escape; enter... vacation. For many, it’s one of the only times they allow themselves to splurge and seek out some of the incredible experiences on their bucket list. And for families who struggle with staying connected (in a world where FaceTime is an app rather than an activity around the dinner table), vacation often seems like the secret to reuniting everyone. With such high expectations, it’s no wonder our family vacations often fall short of our lofty visions for them. While at first they seem like sparkling magic dust that can rejuvenate and refresh, in the end they can start to feel like a giant bag of dirt that naturally weighs us down and emphasizes the problems we hoped would somehow magically solve themselves. The stress of daily life gets replaced by the stress of planning, packing, and travel. The experiences we thought would be so inspiring are great but don’t have any lasting impact on our lives once they’ve ended. The weakened areas in our families which we hoped would be reinforced by time together can become even worse as each member of the family goes in their own direction. It seems impossible a group of people can spend several days together and have no significant relational growth at the end. But so many times that is exactly what happens.

BUT AT WORD OF LIFE, WE BELIEVE THAT WITH SOME PLANNING, EFFORT, AND PRAYER, A FAMILY VACATION CAN SERVE AS A LIFE-CHANGING TIME FOR EVERYONE IN YOUR

FAMILY. IT CAN BECOME A TIME THAT LAYS THE

FOUNDATION FOR JOY, HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS, AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE YEAR.

WHY “ORDINARY” VACATIONS FAIL

Why do “ordinary” vacations seem doomed to fail? More importantly, it’s worth reconsidering whether or not they are even right for your family! The Walt Disney company has built a worldwide business out of claiming to manufacture “magic.” They focus on positive experiences and making memories. A Disney theme park offers something for any age group or interest: roller coasters, play areas, fantastic food, and even themed shopping. A cruise might seem like an easy win for a vacation. Activities are everywhere, the food is good, and there are some incredible views. How can this possibly fall short of a magical time together for your family? We could list a dozen other examples... from beach trips and resorts to camping and hiking. In fact, tourism is a 7 trillion dollar industry. There’s nothing wrong with any of these fun activities, but in and of themselves, they are not usually helpful or healthy for families. The heart of the problem is a fundamental belief that vacation will automatically help your family grow closer, help you relax, and will naturally relieve the normal stress of life. Unfortunately vacation just can’t withstand that kind of expectation and pressure. At the end of the day a family vacation is just a location and a program. It might be an amazing location and an astounding program but what you make of it is the real key. The magic doesn’t just happen on its own. Vacation has to be more than just relaxation (i.e. doing nothing) and having fun! But it gets even worse. Not only do we put huge expectations on vacation, but many people don’t even do them! They spend their entire year working hard and building up stress only to never relive it. People work more hours today than at any point in history even though we have more benefits, more paid time off, and more vacation days than ever before!

BUT HERE’S THE GREAT NEWS. YOUR VACATION (ASSUMING YOU TAKE ONE) CAN BE THAT AMAZING TIME OF CONNECTION, RELAXATION, FUN, AND EVEN GROWTH IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THAT YOU’VE ALWAYS DREAMED OF. ALL IT TAKES IS A VACATION WITH A PURPOSE. IT MEANS USING THIS AMAZING RESOURCE OF PAID TIME OFF AND MAXIMIZING IT WITH A POWERFUL GOAL.

THE POWER OF A SPIRITUAL VACATION

Once we’ve abandoned the assumption that vacation is ONLY about fun and relaxation, it’s important to understand all that our family vacations COULD be. And even more importantly than that, we need to know what God wants our vacations to be. It may seem a little strange to turn something as lighthearted and fun as vacation into something with spiritual significance. Many Christians see a relationship with God as something that inhabits a portion of their life. They divide their lives like a pie, and each slice has its place... God, family, work, fun, and so on. But God’s Word paints a different picture. The biblical way to live life is where a relationship with God serves as the substance that fills all the other areas of our lives like the filling of the pie.

But here’s the great news. Your vacation (assuming you take one) can be that amazing time of connection, relaxation, fun, and even growth in your relationship with God that you’ve always dreamed of. All it takes is a vacation with a purpose. It means using this amazing resource of paid time off and maximizing it with a powerful goal. VACATION ON PURPOSE The best way to make sure that something happens on purpose is to have a purpose! We’ll cover this more in detail a little later, but the thing to realize here is that you can’t just stumble into a spiritual vacation. It’s a choice you have to make. Time away from the normal routine of life is a powerful means for lasting change. In fact, many studies have shown that changing surroundings can significantly help the process of change. Our minds and hearts are often much more open to new thoughts or behaviors when everything around us is also new and different. Moreover, Jesus gave us a pattern in Scripture of taking strategic time away for spiritual purposes. He spent hours away from the busyness of life to pray and spend time with His Father. Having your family together for several days is also a valuable opportunity. Today, it’s easy to be in the same room without being together. It’s easy to talk to someone without actually knowing them. Many people have good intentions about specific conversations they want to have with their kids or their spouses, yet often those things go unsaid because the time doesn’t feel right. A family vacation can provide the time, energy, and context needed to solve these kinds of problems.

A “CHURCHY” VACATION DOESN’T SEEM VERY FUN

Now you may be imagining what a “spiritual vacation” might be like. You imagine long quiet (i.e. boring) days filled with prayer, fasting, and Bible study. Surely there won’t be very much laughter and absolutely no sleeping in.

That’s NOT what we’re saying! Again, the key thing to ask is, “What does GOD want this vacation to be?”

• How might God want to draw your family together through fun, conversation, or prayer? • How could you lead your family to a deeper relationship with God over the course of your time together? • Could your vacation serve not only for physical and emotional health but also for spiritual health? A spiritual vacation doesn’t necessarily mean “churchy;” it just means a vacation on purpose. It means being intentional with the money, time, and relationships that a family vacation represents.

CONSIDER DOING A “GROUP” VACATION

A powerful way to take a family vacation to the next level is to draw other families into it with you. One family wanted a meaningful family vacation one year so they decided to go camping. They had so much fun and appreciated the time so much; the couple decided the next year to invite everyone from their Small Group to come with them. They picked a date, made plans and waited to see what would happen. They thought, like most of us, that the other families would be too busy to go because of other commitments during the summer. But, incredibly, that first year five other families decided to join them! camping together every year. This “small group” turned into a “large group” as families joined. Eventually this “vacation group” swelled to over 12 different families. One of the most beneficial elements was the diversity. Single moms came with their kids. Senior couples came in their retirement RVs. Large families came, small families came, and singles came. Even people who would never attend church ended up joining this “vacation group.” As word spread each year about the trip, people set aside work priorities, sports commitments, and other chances for vacation to make this a part of their summer. That prioritizing wasn’t just because of the epic water fight that happened every year or the outstanding potluck dinner that always ended the weekend. It was because the adults benefited from a time of real connection and authentic conversations. The kids benefited from relationships outside the regular “church” context with children from other families. Families benefited from being in a place with organized activities and a fun facility where the pressure was off to try and figure out how to create memories together. One woman we know attended all ten years of these campouts throughout her childhood. She told us, “I used to come with my mom (who was divorced) and three sisters. It was really the only vacations we went on because it was What followed was ten years of families from that Small Group making it a priority on their calendar to go

the only vacation where my mom didn’t have to do it alone. When we arrived, a team of men from the church would help us set up our campsite. When I wanted to go to the pool, I could tag along with one of the other families while my mom stayed back for some adult conversation.” These trips became a time of tangibly caring for one another that was both unexpected and spiritually refreshing. Another woman told us, “Personally, it is one of my favorite childhood memories. I remember recognizing that even my parents were having more fun on this vacation.” Taking a “group” family vacation offers you the chance to deepen your relationships outside your typical environment, to enjoy different experiences, and to borrow someone else’s’ marshmallow sticks when you realize you forgot to pack yours. SUCCESSFUL GROUP VACATIONS So how do you take a successful group vacation? It starts with the facility. The group mentioned above originally started camping together at a state park. But they soon realized the time would be more enjoyable if there were more activities for the kids. So they changed campgrounds and never looked back. Try to pick a place that meets the needs of your group, and don’t be afraid to change if the first time isn’t all you thought it would be. It should be: • Relatively close to where you all live • Financially feasible for the majority • Enjoyable for multiple age groups and family units SOMEONE NEEDS TO BE IN CHARGE Choose a point person from the group to pick the dates, make the calls, and have the plan. Otherwise, there are too many opinions, and stuff falls through the cracks. Everyone will have their preference for activities and location.

CONSIDER DOING A “GROUP” VACATION

But one person needs to have the final say after each person in the group has weighed in. One person should also be responsible for each of the details before the trip. The point person thinks through things like: • What time should everyone arrive? • What meals will be group meals or individual family meals? • What activities are group activities? • What location will be chosen and what date makes the most sense for the entire group? KEEP THE SCHEDULE LOOSE AND LOW-KEY Have one or two planned group activities (like the water-fight and potluck as mentioned earlier) but then leave families free to have their own time together as well. When you have a group of people with something in common, (attending the same church) you will naturally fall in together at the organized activities and run into each other as you make memories around the facility. Letting people bump into each other is the best way for relationships to deepen organically instead of trying to manufacture depth. There will naturally be late night fireside conversations, talks on the beach, and funny interactions at the pool when you leave room for people to relax and not feel forced into it. It’s a beautiful balance of seeing familiar faces while also not having the pressure of being around each other all the time. TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER Be on the lookout for ways to serve each other. Whether it’s letting someone borrow something they forgot, everyone helping everyone else unpack and set up, or letting a couple of extra kids tag along with yours to the playground so the parents can have some alone time, caring for each other is key.

In the group mentioned above, there were some times when rain put a serious damper on the trip. People were sleeping in cars instead of their tents because the downpour was so intense everyone and everything got wet. But instead of calling it quits, everyone woke up the next morning with the will to stick it out and help each other. People hung clotheslines to hang things up to dry, shared dry socks, and laughed about the memories they were making. Sometimes the best bonding happens at the most unexpected times, but only if everyone has the mindset of caring for each other. It’s this very serving and caring that brings a “togetherness” that almost can’t be replicated anywhere else. You’ll not only have the vacation of a lifetime, but you’ll also be developing friendships and relationships that will last forever. When you start to plan your vacation with a purpose, take some time to seriously consider inviting a group of other people with you from your church or small group. It might just change your life. WORD OF LIFE PINES Word of Life owns and operates a family camping facility called The Pines. It’s an amazing place for families to gather for a vacation with a purpose. Each summer we see families meet for the first time and becomes lifetime friends. Summer after summer they meet again choosing to schedule their time at the Word of Life Pines together to get the same kind of togetherness and group vacation we’re talking about here. It’s a great place to meet other families who love God and want to grow closer to Him in a fun and relaxing environment.

6 THINGS TO AVOID SABOTAGING YOUR VACATION

6 THINGS TO AVOID SABATOGING YOUR VACATION

As a result, you can end up trying to build a great spiritual vacation with your family only to drive them away with your nasty attitude. Even if you don’t outrightly say, “It’s all about me,” guaranteed that attitude is going to seep through in your actions and behavior. If you have children, you also need to be on the lookout. Unfortunately, they are little sinners wanting to be selfish too. It’s important to take time to help them put aside their selfishness as well so everyone can come together and have the vacation of a lifetime. FUN WITHOUT A PURPOSE The opposite of selfishness, the idea is that, since we don’t spend a ton of time with our families, we’ll make vacation all about them and what they want to do. This idea quickly falls back into the “American Vacation” that we discussed earlier. Sure, everyone might have a fantastic time, but has anything truly valuable taken place? In a year, how will your family be better off because of the time and money you spent? What about in 10 years? Fun is important, but so is spiritual and relational growth. The hard part about this is that people often don’t have a natural desire for what’s best for them. We’ve all struggled to get our kids to eat their vegetables or brush their teeth. At some point, we have to make the decision to give them what they need and not just what they want. The best part? With a little effort and planning, your vacation can be tons of fun and still have a profound and lasting impact on your family. A FAMILY WITH DIFFERENT GOALS Often the biggest relational issues arise when people have unmet expectations. That’s why it’s important to set expectations about your family vacation. Think through what you’re hoping a vacation might accomplish, and then share that openly with your family. 2 3

A “spiritual” vacation isn’t a magic bullet. Just like gathering as a family and spending a truckload of money won’t make a great vacation, going somewhere where spiritual can’t change your heart! Unfortunately, you take yourself with you wherever you go. Before you leave, decide to avoid these common pitfalls that can absolutely ruin ANY vacation. SELFISHNESS The number one thing that destroys a family vacation is, without a doubt, selfishness. Everyone is busy. We all work hard. Often we want time for ourselves... to do the things that relax or recharge us. It can be particularly easy to be selfish if you’ve spent the whole year working to save money for the vacation you’re about to go on! You might feel entitled or that you have the right to get what you want. The problem is that this attitude is the quickest way to shut down what God intends to do for you and your family during your vacation. James 4:6 says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” There’s probably nothing else in the whole world that is sure to stress you out faster than having God resist you. You know that feeling, when it’s seems like the whole world is conspiring against you? More often than not, that’s God putting little mini-trials in your life to “resist” your selfish plans. Selfishness also pours a giant bucket of cold water on any potential relationship growth that might be about to take place. One guy told us, “I tell my family that I work hard every day and I am the one paying for this vacation, so we do what I say.” There’s a certain amount of logic there, but, unfortunately, that’s a selfish philosophy that puts others last. Selfishness is the opposite of love. Love does not seek its own, and it looks out for the best interests of others. When you are selfish, it kills any relationship building you might do with your family. 1

6 THINGS TO AVOID SABATOGING YOUR VACATION

your plans loosely. Allow time and flexibility for an unscheduled trip or activity. Expect that some things you hope will take place will be excluded for one reason or another. Don’t fall into the trap of scheduling too much during your vacation. Every day doesn’t need to be jam-packed with outings, activities, special meals, and incredible experiences. On paper, this might look like a fantastic time, but, in practice, the whole family comes back from the vacation more burnt out and tired than when they left. And what’s worse, there was no plan for just being together and growing closer to each other. PENNY PINCHING It’s a good idea to plan your vacation financially. That includes planning how much you’ll end up spending on things like food, shopping, or activities. In most households finances are important, but focusing only on money during a vacation isn’t good either. Vacation isn’t just about money; it can also be a particular time of relationship building and experiencing things that normally wouldn’t happen. That means that any money that we spend on this stuff pays dividends that aren’t usually available. We’re not advocating the idea of spending a small fortune just for fun. But it’s important to acknowledge that vacation is a special time with special opportunities. Plan for these and expect to spend some extra money so you and your family can do some unique things along the way. 6

If your spouse or your kids are expecting a complete focus on fun or relaxation, it’s going to be challenging to get them excited about reading a few verses as a family or spending the time to pray together. Of course, just telling someone about something doesn’t mean that they will suddenly think it’s a good idea, but at least they won’t be shocked when it seemingly comes out of nowhere. NO PLAN The only way to do vacation on purpose is to have a clear, determined purpose in the first place! Having a purpose means thinking and planning ahead. Start by asking some questions. What kinds of spiritual things do you want to take place? What kinds of experiences do you want everyone to have? What kinds of conversations do you want to have? Put a plan together in advance and be specific about it. Do you want to see each family share something that they feel God is doing in their life? Plan when to have that conversation... maybe over a meal or just before bed one night. If you don’t put a plan together, it’s easy to forget, let things slide, or have the whole time go by and realize you haven’t done any of the most important activities you hoped would take place. TOO MUCH PLANNING Of course, it’s also possible to be TOO focused on your plan. We all know people who become like drill sergeants... expecting each detail of their plan to be followed down to the letter and with promptness. In this scenario, a time of joy and rejuvenation can quickly deteriorate into a time of frustration and stress when bathroom breaks become “scheduled” downtime. 4 5

Eventually, no one is having fun. So make sure you hold

HOW TO GET STARTED

If you’re sold on the idea of a family vacation with a purpose (what we’re calling a spiritual vacation), the next natural question is, “Where do I start?” It might seem daunting, especially if you’ve never thought of a vacation in this way before. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by this whole idea, one option is to find a location that will handle all the heavy lifting for you. Here at Word of Life, we’ve been designing and hosting spiritual vacation spots for over half a century. We love helping families connect with God and each other in new and powerful ways. From the start, our focus has been the spiritual growth and experience of everyone who visits one of our camps or weekend retreats. No matter where you decide to go, there are several important things to do before you leave. PRAY In some ways, it seems strange to pray about something like a vacation. But if you’re aiming for lasting change and valuable growth for yourself and your family, it would be crazy not to! God is the only One who can change people’s hearts. Not only that but all of our best laid plans are useless if we’re not in line with God’s will (check out Proverbs 19:21). Obviously, it’s important to pray for things like safety and fun, but don’t forget to pray for the spiritual and relational growth that might take place. Pray for each member of your family individually and ask God to grow them in a specific way. What kinds of things would you like to see God do in their lives over the course of the trip? Bring those to God and ask Him to work and do what only He can do.

throughout this whole process. But the next step is to be in full partnership. It’s best for you and your spouse to take an active role in planning and implementing the plan. It’s not a good idea for just one person to “run things” and the other person to be completely detached. Take some time and work through the whole thing together. Come up with ideas, talk about what you both hope will be accomplished, and discuss potential destinations and activities. Pray together over the days and weeks leading up to the vacation so that you are unified with each other and with God’s purposes. DECIDE ON A PURPOSE After praying, thinking and brainstorming with your spouse, make a decision on a particular purpose for the trip. What’s the biggest, most important goal you have for your time together? Plan the trip to center around that one idea. Keep it in mind while you’re traveling. Write it down. Bring it along with you on your trip and review it. Set it as the backdrop of your phone, so you see it every time you glance at it. The more you focus on it and remember it, the more likely you are to stay heading in the right direction. Why would we suggest picking one focus or goal when there might be a whole bunch of things you’re hoping to accomplish with your vacation? Planning something with too many goals can all but assure that none of your goals will happen. At a minimum, make sure you know what the most important thing is during your time away. • Do you want to see your family have a shared spiritual experience through prayer, scripture reading, or visiting a special location? • Are you hoping for time to dig in with everyone on how they are doing in various areas of their lives? • Are there particular habits or relational issues you

PARTNER WITH YOUR SPOUSE

It’s vital to be on the same page with your spouse

HOW TO GET STARTED

Having a single clear goal will also help you to evaluate the trip when you get back. A trip to a beach that gets rained out can seem like a failure until you realize that everyone connected in a deeper way because they were stuck indoors. Something going wrong with travel arrangements can be an opportunity to reinforce the spiritual goals you set for the trip by demonstrating and discussing patience or faith in God’s plan. BE A VACATION PRO • Draw up a rough sketch of what each day will look like. Include things like meals, travel, activities, and shopping. Remember to include enough breathing room so that things don’t get stressful. Lastly, don’t forget to hold onto your plan loosely; it’s just a target. • Estimate how much each day might cost and think through a savings plan to make it all possible. Keep in mind that one of the fastest ways to short circuit a fun time is to run out of money. • Think through each member of the family and what they enjoy. Try to plan in particular things that would interest each person as well as activities that everyone can share together. Variety is a good thing here! • Do some research around the area to see if there are some fun side activities to do while you’re on your trip. Usually, there is something that is the “star attraction” (like a theme park, beach, or hiking trail), but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth spicing things up with a few other options too. When you have some of the more foundational pieces taken care of, it’s time to move on to the lighter side of things.

BEFORE YOU GO

TAKE THE LEAD The key thing to remember in all of this is to take the lead. If you’re planning to be intentional about your time with your family, it’s going to take guidance. Strong leadership might not be the way you regularly interact with your family. But if you want to be a good steward of the time, money, and relational value that a vacation represents, there’s no substitute for real spiritual leadership in your home whether as a father or a mother.

About ready to begin your spiritual vacation? Here are a few things you can do in the days and weeks leading up to your trip to make your time even more productive. EASE INTO IT If you’re planning to follow any of the tips from this book about being intentional during your family’s vacation, there are probably a few things you’d like to do during your trip that aren’t part of your family’s daily routine. It’s a good idea to use the last few weeks before your time away to get everyone’s feet a little wet. For example, if you’re planning to have prayer with the whole family each morning during the trip, try having a family prayer time 2-3 times before you leave. If you’re hoping to have a few times where everyone can just be together, plan a family game night once before you leave (even if that’s not something you normally do). The idea is to prime the pump and make sure that no one is shocked during vacation when you do something similar. PRAY AS A FAMILY It’s important for you and your spouse to pray about your vacation together, but getting the whole family involved is even better. Take the week or even the entire month before your vacation, and get everyone together to pray for your time. Try using a time when everyone is already together for a meal or just before bed. Take a few minutes and have everyone pray that the time would be fun and safe and that God would guide and bless. This kind of preparation helps to set the tone for what is to come. It makes everyone aware that vacation is a gift from God and His to do with whatever He chooses. It cre- ates a mentality of humility and submissiveness that can help fight off the attitude of selfishness which can often form on vacation. Finally, it communicates to everyone that a trip is going to have some spiritual and intentional components to it.

SOME GREAT VACATION SPOTS

If you choose a Christian Camp or Conference that has meetings, the speakers and musicians can be the difference between an okay spiritual vacation and an excellent one. The philosophy and biblical beliefs of the ministry will influence all the other areas, from meetings to children’s programming. Use the list above and decide which of the items on the list are your top priorities. Normally vacation destinations won’t have everything on the list, but if you know what is most important to you, you’ll be able to rank the options to make the best decision. CREATE A LIST OF OPTIONS The most important question to start with is, “How far do I want to travel?” Often the travel time to and from a vacation can be the make or break detail. For example, you might have the time of your life only to have a 12 hour drive back home that ruins the time of relaxation you just had. On the other hand, the place 30 minutes down the road might not have much on the list above and end up being a painful vacation when you lay awake at night listening to mice in the ceiling. So, before you start making your list of options, decide how far you are willing to travel and if you can afford a plane ride there. If not you’ll have to adjust based on driving time. However, if you have friends on the way there, you can plan your vacation time to accommodate an overnight that can make a long drive much more manageable and also catching up with old friends along the way. RESEARCH YOUR DESTINATION OPTIONS

Your selection of a vacation destination is just as important as the actual vacation itself. In many cases if you choose the right location, the rest of what we’ve recommended in this resource will be a breeze. SHOULD YOU START WITH A CHRISTIAN CAMP? The first question to answer is: Should you select a Christian camp or conference center, or choose a secular one? The difference can be night and day. While you can have a great family vacation without going to a Christian camp, the spiritual focus, biblical speakers, and ministry to your family might be just what you need. If you choose a secular location, you’ll have to bring the spiritual focus with you and lead it yourself. If you’re new to spiritual vacations, we recommend you start with a Christian camp. It’s much easier to focus on spiritual things throughout your vacation if you don’t have to plan them. DECIDE WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR Before you start looking at locations “begin with the end in mind.” Here’s a helpful list, of things to consider. If you are choosing a Christian camp, there are other things to consider as well, and we’ve marked them in the list.

• Location and Distance from Your Home • Accommodations • Facilities and Meeting Spaces

• Children’s Programming • Total Cost of the Vacation • Outside Activities and Ease of Access to Them • Meeting Times and Christian Program (Christian Camp)

• Speakers and Musicians (Christian Camp) • Doctrinal Position and Ministry Philosophy (Christian Camp)

It has never been easier to research potential vacation destinations.

Most locations have a website you can browse.

SOME GREAT VACATION SPOTS

Look for property pictures, program schedules, a speaker and musician list and children’s program offerings. Chances are you might know someone who has attended one of the places on your list. Call them and ask about their experience. Firsthand experiences can go a long way in determining what a vacation may actually be like. Another way to get firsthand knowledge is to use social media. Pose the question on your Facebook page, “What’s a great place for a Christian vacation?” Or just in general, “Where have you had a great family vacation?” You might be surprised by who answers and the total amount of use- ful information people provide. You can pose these same questions on Twitter and other social media channels as well. SPIRITUAL VACATIONS AT WORD OF LIFE We believe in the power of spiritual vacations to change people’s lives. For decades we’ve hosted summer family camps, as well as spring and fall weekend retreats with both a spiritual and family focus. While you absolutely can have an amazing spiritual vacation in many places around the country, at the end of the day, we truly believe the best spiritual vacations happen at Word of Life! We provide opportunities for your entire family to encounter God in a dynamic, family-friendly setting, located in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains of New York, or the Sunshine State of Florida. As you consider the list above for your next vacation, we’ll check almost every item on the list. We have beautiful accommodations at all of our locations, and we’re renovating our properties. We have more activities than you’ll be able to do in one vacation, with dynamic speakers and musicians coming in every week. Our prices are competitive and many times cheaper than other places you can find, and we have a biblical philosophy of putting God’s Word in front of people as the vehicle for life change.

Both our New York and Florida locations are driving distance away from great outside activities such as hiking trails, lake activities, or great vacation locations such as Disney. Many of our summer family camps, retreats, and events are allinclusive which means our total price will be significantly cheaper than anywhere else. But, at the end of the day, our desire is that your family grows closer to God and each other... whether that is at one of our facilities or any other location that works for you. Ultimately, we suggest you come to one of our vacation offerings for a simple reason; you can trust our spiritual and family focus. You can trust that a vacation at a Word of Life location will be a vacation with a purpose.

For more information about summer family camps, visit wol.is/familycamps

DURING YOUR TIME

FAMILY GAME NIGHT Sure, you could have family game night at home when you’re not on vacation, but that doesn’t mean it is not a good idea to have one while you’re away. There’s probably going to be at least some dead time in between activities and traveling. Take advantage of this time rather than allowing boredom to set in. Filling in some of the cracks with some fun and light-hearted games can also avoid everyone being distracted with the normal things such as work, email, games, and smartphones. SPEND TIME REFLECTING Time away from day-to-day activities is a magnificent time to look back and reflect on how things are going. That’s valuable in our lives, but it’s also an excellent way to get a deeper, more accurate picture of where our families are. Come up with a few questions to get things going and take turns having each person share. We suggest the adults go first and be transparent. Set the tone right away and be an example for everyone else to get beyond just surface-level answers. Here are some ideas to get you started: • What’s been your biggest accomplishment in the last few months? What are you proud of? • What’s the thing you’re most excited about coming up in the next few months? What are you looking forward to? • What’s the thing you’re the most thankful for right now? What about over the last year? • What is the biggest challenge you’re facing right now? • What’s a funny story you haven’t shared with us yet? • What’s a way that you clearly saw God come through for you recently? • Who are some of your unsaved friends who we can be praying for?

CHRIST-FOCUSED TIME A Christ-focus can be a tough thing to get right, but it can also be a very powerful experience. On the one hand you don’t want it to be cheesy and just spiritual fluff. On the other you want these times of introspection to bring you closer to God. Take some time during your vacation (maybe half a day) and do something that focuses completely on Jesus. Find a local ministry or nonprofit and volunteer as a family. Visit a historical site with spiritual significance and tell your family about it. Take a walk or hike as a family and talk about Christ as the Creator of the world. Do a special family devotional around a specific biblical passage. If you are at a Christian location, take advantage of the spiritual focus for the week or create your own. Bringing your family together consistently around the same spiritual focus can be a powerful thing.

CONCLUSION

AS A MINISTRY IT IS OUR PRAYER FOR YOU THAT YOU WOULD USE YOUR VACATION TIME THIS YEAR AS A VACATION OF A LIFETIME. THANKS FOR READING! There is so much more we could say on this topic but at the end of the day a vacation with a purpose is all about having a purpose. If you start with a specific purpose and think about how to accomplish it, you’ll already be miles ahead of where most family vacations end up. We hope whatever your vacation plans are for this year bring you closer to God and closer together as a family.

CONTRIBUTORS: Editor and Writer: Tyler Collins Lead Writer: Brandon Collins Writer: Roger Peace Writer: Michelle Collins

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