Are you getting excited for our fourth annual All-Church Retreat yet?! Below you will find various details about the weekend and our retreat site (thefirs.org). We hope this will answer any questions you may have about our time together. Feel free to contact Kim Arthur if you have questions, and look below for what to expect, driving direction, etc.
RETREAT SCHEDULE
Friday, May 24th
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Arrive and Check-In (Enjoy the grounds, take a nap, or explore Bellingham on your own)
6:00 – 7:00 p.m. | Dinner
7:15 p.m. | Session #1 (Kids Ministry Provided)
9:00 p.m. | S’mores
Saturday, May 25th
8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. | Breakfast
10:00 a.m. | Session #2 (Kids Ministry Provided)
11:30 a.m. | Group Picture and Activity
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Lunch
1:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. | Free Time (Childcare Available 3:30 – 5:30 p.m.)
6:00 – 7:00 p.m. | Dinner
7:15 p.m. | Session # 3 (Kids Ministry Provided)
9:00 p.m. | Optional Evening Activities including S’mores, Board Games, Etc.
Sunday, May 26th
8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. | Breakfast
10:30 a.m. | Session #4 (EVERYONE can join us for this worship gathering followed by a BBQ as it will be in lieu of all regularly scheduled Hallows Sunday worship gatherings)
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. | Lunch
2:00 p.m. | Depart (Great time to grab a new and old friend and explore the city of Bellingham)
FOOD
All meals will be provided at no additional charge by the retreat center. We will also have coffee, tea, and snacks available during the sessions. We will make every effort to accommodate any food allergies or preferences. Please let us know as soon as possible about any special requests by emailing maryann@hallowschurch.org.
ACTIVITIES AVAILABLE
So many options this year for our free time! Wander down to the beach area on Lake Whatcom to enjoy waterfront activities (weather dependent) including swimming, water skiing, paddle boats, and sea kayaks.
If you prefer to be on land, start up a game of volleyball, Frisbee golf, soccer or basketball. Bellingham also has many great coffee shops, local hikes and kids activities to offer!
SATURDAY FREE TIME OPTIONS
Waterfront activities! Lake activities are included with no additional charge! Enjoy swimming, tubing, paddle boats, sea kayaks, playing in the sand, and more. The waterfront will be open from 1:30 pm – 6:00 pm on Saturday; lifeguards will be available during that time. Life jackets will be provided and are required while swimming or boating. No swimming or using the equipment except for scheduled times.
Nerf Game! Adults and kids are invited to play as they want- supplies will be provided.
Optional childcare available from 3:30 – 5:30 pm! Parents: Enjoy time with other adults, your spouse or even just enjoy some solitude with the Lord for a couple hours.
Pick-up Basketball, Volleyball and Lawn Games!
“The Getaway” Game Room! The Getaway will be open throughout free time. This space boasts of activities like pool, foosball and is a great place to play board games or just relax indoors.
A Moderate Pine and Cedar Lakes Hike (Moderate Hike= 5 miles hike, with 1400 ft elevation gain (majority of gain in first 1.5 miles)).
Explore all that Bellingham has to offer! Bellingham has so many great options to explore both on Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons like coffee shops, Perch and Play indoor kids playground, Whatcom Falls Park, and more!
DRIVING DIRECTIONS
The Firs Retreat Center is located at 4605 Cable Street, Bellingham, WA, 98229 (approximately 1.5 hours from downtown Seattle).
From Seattle, take I-5 N to exit 246 (North Lake Samish)
Turn left onto S. Samish Way; continue 2.3 miles
Turn right onto Yew Street Road; continue 2.1 miles
Continue straight onto Yew Street for 0.7 miles
Turn right onto Lakeway Drive; continue 1.7 miles
Continue straight onto Terrace Ave. N. for 0.2 miles
Continue straight onto Cable street for 0.3 miles; the destination will be on your left
*Please remember to adjust travel time if traveling during Friday rush hour.
**If you are interested in carpooling, please visit our Group Carpool site to sign up. You can either ADD yourself as a driver, JOIN a carpool, or JOIN the wait list (if no carpools are available).
KIDS MINISTRY
We are excited to offer a kids tract during the main session times! Our friends from Brazos Pointe Fellowship will be providing a wonderful, gospel-centered experience for our kids during the retreat. (Fun Fact: This group has been serving our church in this capacity every year! The members are all repeat volunteers from last year!) All volunteers are background checked by The Hallows Church, and all of our standard policies and procedures will be in place. We will also have a time of (optional) childcare on Saturday afternoon during free time. Hopefully this will allow parents to enjoy some kid-free time with other adults! If your child has allergies and other health concerns, please email mark@hallowschurch.org to ensure that we best prepare the volunteers to care for your child and to help us plan snacks accordingly.
WHAT TO BRING
Toiletries, clothing and personal items
Flash light
Board games and field games (spike ball, Frisbee, etc.)
Bible, pen, personal snacks and water bottle
Pack n plays for those who need them
Clothing for free time activities (swimsuits and beach towel, clothing for water activities, hiking boots, etc.)
What helps you sleep better away from home (e.g. your own pillow if you are particularly attached to it, ear plugs, personal-sized fan, etc.)
PARENTS: You may want to consider bringing things like: a baby monitor, pack-n-play if your child still sleeps in a crib, sound machine, etc.).
SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS
The entire retreat center is reserved for The Hallows Church and the living spaces are close together and great for all life stages! All sheets, linens and towels will be provided. Married couples and singles will be in a lodge. Families with children will have a small cabin with a private bath near the lodge (we will make sure there are enough beds for each person in your family!).
COST
The cost for the weekend is $125 for adults and $50 for children over the age of 3, with a family max of $300. The cost includes food and housing for the weekend. You can register here or by following the event link on our homepage of hallowschurch.org. If you need financial assistance, please don’t let it hinder you from enjoying this weekend of teaching, rest, & community. For more info, or if you are willing to contribute towards a scholarship for someone else, please contact maryann@hallowschurch.org for details.
