Middle School Retreat

“The Holy Spirit was moving this weekend. This was the first MSR for 7th graders and they were praising God, engaged with the speaker, and heard from them how they saw God in their lives.” — Adult survey response

Dates & Schedule

FRIDAY, APRIL 11 - 6 p.m. - Registration

SUNDAY, APRIL 13 - 11 a.m. - Check out & departure

Location

Hidden Acres Christian Center - Dayton, IA

2025 Theme

Hold Fast encourages us to stand firm in our faith, trusting in God's promises. In the ever-changing world we live in, Christ is the one thing we can always cling to. Hold Fast reminds us to hold on to hope, stay strong together, and support one another in love and good deeds. Even in tough times, we gather in community, knowing God is faithful.

Registration

Cost:

Partner Groups - $135 / person
Non-Partner Groups - $160 / person

This includes lodging, meals, a t-shirt and all event programming

Registration Timeline

January 20, 2025: Youth Pastors can create their group for registration. (Click YOUTH LEADER INFO button in top right corner to learn more.)

February 3, 2024: Registration opens for partner-group students and adult leaders.

February 24, 2024: Registration opens for non-partner-group students and adult leaders.

March 5, 2024: Registration closes for all participants.

Replacement students (gender-based) for cancelled students are allowed at this time.
No more online participant payments after this date.

March 10, 2024: Payment invoices are sent out to churches.

No refunds available after this date.

March 17, 2024: All final payment is due. NO CHANGES (replacement students for cancelled students) after this date.

No refunds available after this date.

(Refunds for inability to attend the event because of unforeseen circumstances will be dealt with on a case by case basis.)

NOTE: Any late changes/additions will result in a $15 fee per change. This is to help event coordinators communicate final numbers with venues in a timely manner and to be able to plan with accurate numbers!

Steps to Register

  1. Click the Register Now button. This will take you to Brushfire. Then click “Register” at the top of the page.

  2. VERY IMPORTANT: Click “Register as a Group” and then “Join a Group Instead”.

    • Select your church group.

    • Type in the passcode for your group.

  3. Type in the Access Code for your group (if applicable) and click the check button.

  4. Choose your Registrant Type, Payment Amount, and Quantity.

    • Registrant Type: Student or Adult (there should only be one Lead Contact per group)

    • Payment Amount: If paying by check, choose $1. If you are paying the full partner price, choose $135. If you are paying the full non-partner price, choose $160. If you are paying any other amount, choose $1 (you can make more custom payments once you are fully registered).
      NOTE: There will be a 2.9% processing fee for all card payments.

    • Quantity: Select however many people you are registering.

  5. Fill out the event registration form.

  6. IMPORTANT: You’ll receive a confirmation email to sign the agreement form and upload a copy of your insurance card.
    NOTE: YOU ARE NOT FULLY REGISTERED until you complete these steps.

Leader Resources

Adult to Student Ratio

We require one adult for every seven students (1:7) per gender. If you do not have seven students, we still require one adult per gender.

  • Adult leaders must be finished with their sophomore year of high school and exemplify mature, Christ-like behavior, and have ministry to youth as a primary interest.

  • Adult Leader & Children Notice: Regarding your family, we do not allow children/infants to attend events.  If your child is registered as a participant within the targeted age group, that is totally okay!

Transportation

Each youth group is responsible to plan their own transportation to and from camp.

Promote

Click on the button below for all promotional material available for this event!

Middle School Retreat is a fun weekend for middle school students, 6th-8th grades and their leaders. Cultivate Co-op partners with college students to plan a weekend filled with worship, large group sessions, breakout sessions, recreation and games.