10/11/2026
🍂🤎 🧡IGNITE YOUTH FALL RETREAT 2026 | TOTAL SURRENDER 🧡🤎🍂
WHEW. What. A. Weekend. 🥹🙌🏻
Too many pictures to choose from- I have WAY too many favorites 😆😉
*this is part 1*
Our hearts are FULL, our bodies are TIRED, our laundry is MUDDY, and our God is SO GOOD!
This weekend, Ignite Youth and Cedar Fork Youth came together at Camp Kirkwood for a weekend we won’t soon forget! We laughed. We worshiped. We conquered fears on the zipline and V-Swing. We kayaked and canoed in the rain. We made memories, strengthened friendships, got absolutely COVERED in mud, and probably brought half of Camp Kirkwood home in our shoes. 😆
But somewhere in the middle of all the laughter, adventure, worship, chapel sessions, and small groups, God was working on our hearts.
Our theme was TOTAL SURRENDER, and throughout the weekend, we were reminded that following Jesus isn’t about giving Him the parts of our lives we’re comfortable giving up. It’s about surrendering ALL of ourselves to Him. Our plans. Our fears. Our struggles. Our past. Our future. Our EVERYTHING.
And here’s something I didn’t expect to be reminded of quite so deeply…
This retreat wasn’t just for the students. It was for us adults, too. Because no matter how long we’ve been walking with Jesus, we are never finished learning what it means to surrender.
I’m so thankful for every student who came, every adult who poured into them, and the opportunity to partner with Cedar Fork Youth for such an unforgettable weekend.
My prayer is that what happened at Camp Kirkwood doesn’t stay at Camp Kirkwood.
That the conversations continue. That the lessons take root. That the friendships grow. And that the surrender we talked about becomes something we live out every single day. Because TOTAL SURRENDER isn’t just a retreat theme. It’s a daily decision to follow Jesus.
“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”~Galatians 2:20 NLT
