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The Refuge OKC will be hosting the fourth-annual GO Retreat, allowing students to share past missions experiences while creating new ones.
The Refuge is a ministry focused on discipleship culture by mission-geared life in downtown Oklahoma City. They focus on the community aspect of church in urban environments.
Ben Langford, director for the Center of Global Missions and coordinator of the GO Retreat, says the retreat will unite students with varying levels of missions knowledge and background.
“What we typically say is it’s for those who have gone and those who want to go,” Langford said. “The idea is we want to come together. We want to have times of worship. We want to share what God is doing.”
Beginning September 5, students will reflect on mission experiences, participate in times of worship and service, engage in small group discussions and listen to guest speakers. The retreat lasts through September 6 and costs $20.
Students will hear from Tim Ulrich, director of the Refuge OKC and have the opportunity to serve at the Refuge on Saturday morning.
“He’s one of the leaders of the Refuge,” Langford said. “He’s going to be one of our speakers and talk about ‘Shalom,’ peace, God’s well being. We’re actually going to go and work in the Refuge’s urban garden, urban farm, and serve and plant trees and do things and serve alongside people down there.”
The retreat will also host small group discussions and break-out sessions to provide students opportunities to ask questions and analyze the way God moved in their lives this summer, Langford said.
“It’s a time of worship, a time of sharing what God’s doing and, you know, kind of discovering what God’s doing and then answering the questions ‘So, what’s next? Where are we going from here?’” Langford said.
Senior Megan Mitchell has attended the GO Retreat every year she has attended Oklahoma Christian. Mitchell is looking forward to visiting the Refuge for the first time this year while on the retreat.
“It’s going to be a new experience even for something that I’ve already experienced,” Mitchell said. “We’re going to be working with the people down at the Refuge, and we’ll be staying there and serving with them. So I think I’m kind of just interested to see how its going to be now that it’s not in the same place.”
Several Oklahoma Christian students, like juniors Gage Pabst and Bret Arnold, have served at the Refuge through church events and summer programs. Pabst and Arnold have lived at the Refuge as Summer Learners.
“I just lived there and paid rent just like everybody else, but I just went to all the family meals,” Pabst said. “It’s just a Christian community so… trying to be ‘the Church’ and just be neighbors to everyone in the building.”
Arnold found that serving at with this community is unique from the typical missions work students are usually involved in during the summer.
“Life at the Refuge is very different because it’s a very non-traditional approach to helping people,” Arnold said. “The idea of the Refuge is in part to help address that relational poverty of those people, to help build relationships and establish community so they can think more with a Kingdom mindset.”
Arnold sees the Refuge as a good place for students to serve beyond the GO Retreat. However, he says students should find out more information before moving in for a summer.
“I would definitely tell them to go check it out at first,” Arnold said. “It’s kind of important to at least get a taste, so we don’t expect a romanticized ideal when we actually move in.”
Mitchell built strong friendships during her time at the GO Retreat.
“I would just say take that chance because no matter what you’re going to meet people, and you’re going to probably be friends with those people for the rest of your time here,” Mitchell said. “I think that building those relationships is really important for your college career, so just do it.”
More information about The Refuge OKC can be found at www.refugeOKC.wordpress.com.
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