EM Retreat 2026
Please join us! It’s not too late. We begin check-in tonight at 6:30pm outside the Promise Chapel.
Checks should be made payable to “Bethel Church.”
REGULAR REGISTRATION RATES 8/10 - 8/30
Adult - $45
College/Student - $30
Youth (age 12-18) - $30
Child (age 5-12) - $20
Child (age 4 and under) - Free
LATE REGISTRATION FEE 8/31 - 9/11
Late fee: $5 per adult
Session 1 - Friday Evening
“A Letter to the Church Leaders”
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Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began 3 and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior;
4 To Titus, my true child in a common faith:
Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— 6 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 7 For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
10 For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. 11 They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. 12 One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. 15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. 16 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.
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The church must be shaped by those with godly character, biblical conviction, and humble stewardship.
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I. Leaders in the Church
Clan
Character
Commitment
II. Dangers in the Church
Popularism
Exclusivism
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Think of a leader you have respected at church, work, school, sports, or elsewhere. What made that person a good leader?
When you think about Christian leadership, what qualities do you naturally value most? How does Paul’s emphasis on character over competence challenge your assumptions?
Titus 1 examines a leader’s life at home as well as in public. Why do you think our closest relationships reveal so much about our spiritual maturity?
Of the character qualities Paul describes, which one do you most want God to develop in you?
Leadership is ultimately influence, not merely holding an office. Where has God already given you influence, and what would faithful leadership look like there?
Session 2 - Saturday Morning
“A Letter to the Young Men and Women”
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4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. 7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.
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The second quarter of life is the time when young men and young women take responsibility for their relationships, passions, and calling.
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I. The Question of Identity: Who am I?
II. The Question of Others: How do I relate?
III. The Question of Passion: Can I conquer me?
IV. The Question of Significance: Do I matter?
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What is one thing you know now that you wish you had known when you were 18 or 20?
Of the four questions (1: Who am I?, 2: How do I relate? 3: Can I conquer me? 4: Do I matter?) which feels most significant in your present season?
The sermon says adulthood includes taking moral and spiritual responsibility for your own life. Where are you tempted to avoid responsibility or blame circumstances or others?
Where is God asking you to move from simply receiving love to sacrificially giving love to others?
What is one area of your relationships, passions, character, or calling in which you sense God asking you to grow during this season?
Session 3 - Saturday Evening
“A Letter to the Older Men and Women”
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But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. 2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children,
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The second half of a Christian’s life should focus on building a God-honoring culture for the next generation.
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I. Your seasoned character
II. Your spiritual health
III. Your second-half assignment
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Who is an older person you admire at Bethel or admired when you were growing up? What do you appreciate about them?
Regardless of your age, what kind of older Christian do you hope to become?
The sermon asks us to examine our health in faith, love, and perseverance. Which of those three needs the most attention in your life right now?
What causes some people to become more generous, hopeful, and gracious as they age, while others become stagnant or self-focused
What is one practical way you could invest in someone from another generation—or become more open to someone investing in you?
Session 4 - Sunday Morning
“Joshua and the Generations”
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14 “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
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Faith must be intentionally and intimately transmitted across generations, or future generations will drift away from God, becoming agnostic, amoral, and adrift.
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The First Generation: The Han Generation
The Second Generation: The Self-Reliant Generation
The Third Generation: The Disconnected Generation
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What is something distinctive (e.g. funny, meaningful, or frustrating) about the generation you grew up in?
Which of the three descriptions (suffering, self-reliant, or spiritually disconnected) most helps you understand your family, church, or generation?
What experiences from your past have shaped the way you respond to fear, uncertainty, or difficulty?
The second generation became competent but self-reliant: “This generation was good in math, but they were poor in prayer.” Where are you most tempted to depend on your own competence rather than God?
What is one pattern from a previous generation that you want to receive with gratitude, and one pattern you do not want to pass on to the next generation?
