Now that we have shared our experiences of getting to Winter Park, Colorado, the location of our staff retreat this December, we want to share more of the happenings at the retreat.
The purpose of the retreat was to bring staff from the last ten years of Worldview Academy and have a weekend of fellowship and encouragement. We had 45 staff from all over the nation at this retreat, most of which were from the last three years of staff. It was very neat to see staff interact with one another that hadn't necessarily met before because they served during different summers. It was also nice for us personally to see faces that we had not seen in a while.
The first day of the retreat (since we were up until 3:00 driving in) we relaxed for the most part. We had a relaxed morning of fellowship before heading out to the local YMCA to go tubing down a tube hill. It was a blast to be in the snow and be in a different element with the staff than we would have been at camp. People that were reserved and quiet at camp, showed a different more adventureous side as we flew down this hill on sleds and intertubes. After tubing we went and warmed ourselves at a local coffee shop before returning for dinner. After dinner we watched the movie Batman Begins from a worldview perspective. It is amazing the different worldviews that are presented in movies and the "truths" that they are communicating through film. In fact, at Worldview we make the statement that movies are the most powerful teaching tool in the culture. Just before the movie, though, we spent time going through the elements of movie structure and how to identify those in films and identify the theme of life which is being presented.
The second day of our time in Colorado was spent skiing and snowboarding at the Winter Park resort. Due to some conncetions we had in Winter Park we were able to get lift tickets for half off which probably allowed several staff to ski when they would not have been able to, due to finances. After the long day of skiing we spent most of the evening talking and fellowship with one another. We got into great discussions about different movies and also different aspects of the culture as we sharpened each other in conversation.
By the third day, many of us were content to spend time in the snow and to relax in coffee shops around Winter Park. We played games, went to church, and talked about what Worldview Academy is doing now and where this ministry is headed. The fourth day was similar but we also had the opportunity to play some frisbee (yes in the snow). It was such a blast to take a staple of Worldview Academy and put in on a different surface adding new challenges. It was a lot of fun and praise the Lord, no one got hurt!!! Later that night we sat around in circle and shared what the Lord did during the weekend and we also shared stories of our journey to get to Winter Park. It was neat to hear how just being around such solid men and women of God had refreshed many of the staff who do not have those quality of freindships back home.
There is something so unique and special when a group of men and women who have served together in the past come back together to rejoice in friendship and rejoice in the Lord. Worldview Academy has been blessed to have an amazing quality in the staff that we hire. They do a phenomenal job of ministering to and shepherding the students at camp, but they also do a great job of shepherding those around them in their sphere of influence. Discipleship is not a coffee shop mindset but it is a mindset that we are called to disciple and encourage those whom God has placed in our lives. "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations... (Matt28:19). We have a great calling to disciple and our staff are such great examples of what that means!!
Thank you for all of your prayers for safety as we ventured into the Rockies. Thank you for your prayers for us over Christmas. We are so incredibly thankful for you!!! Please continue to pray for us as we serve the Lord here in Midland. Pray that we would not be discouraged or become stressed with regards to raising support. We are again facing the difficult challenge of raising more support and would ask you to please continue to pray for us in this area. We are incredibly excited to be here in this place and to leave a legacy not for ourselves, but for our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ!!!
God Bless You
Mike & Angela Tiland
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