[Called To Be Free] - Bandung Congregation Retreat 2017

At last, the long-awaited day finally came, the day when the whole GKDI Bandung congregation could spend time together, from marrieds, singles, campus, teens, to KKK (Children's Kingdom). This was my first time joining a church retreat. I was so excited and enthusiastic that I invited my mother and my friends to come along.

This retreat was held from September 1 to 3, 2017 with the theme Called to be Free. Long beforehand, the whole congregation had already been eager to raise funds so everyone could go together. This spirit of carrying one another's burdens, helping and supporting one another, is what I love most when the congregation holds an event. No one sat still and waited; everyone worked enthusiastically.

Participants taking photos with the retreat banner

At exactly 06:00, the buses departed for the retreat location at Pangandaran Beach. There were 2 buses and 8 private cars carrying all the participants, and the single ministry was on the same bus. This made the journey fun and warm.

As soon as the bus started moving, the brothers immediately played music on the speaker on the bus. Those sitting in the back seats began singing along to the songs. Besides singing, the participants spent the time by spendtime, sleeping, and eating. These activities made me feel happy. Around 14:00 we arrived in Pangandaran, and the tiredness from the journey seemed to disappear when we were greeted by the crashing waves of Pangandaran Beach. The comfortable hotel atmosphere and the smiles of the committee who had prepared for our arrival made us very excited.

Relaxing by the beach

Praise God, we still had time to relax before the first lesson began. After registration I took the opportunity to invite my mother and several sisters from the WA ministry (Women of God) to enjoy young coconut by the beach.

At 15:00 the vlog competition began. We were asked to upload this video to our Instagram with the tag #Calledtobefreegkdibandung. Every group gave their best for this competition. After the competition we returned to our respective rooms to prepare for the event.

One of the retreat groups taking a photo together

The first lesson, titled “CALLED TO BE FREE” was delivered by Pastor Charles Setiawan. He explained about human beings consisting of (Body, Soul, and Spirit) as written in 1 Thessalonians 5:23. In this lesson I was greatly blessed because I began to understand that these three things (Body, Soul, and Spirit) need to be guarded. Before this, I felt there was no dependence on one another. I must guard these 3 things because our body, soul, and spirit are not ours alone but belong to God, so they must be cared for and maintained in balance.

After the lesson ended, we gathered with our PDG groups to discuss what we had learned and make a list of decisions so we could help one another. We talked about ways to help each other guard these 3 things: body, soul, and spirit.

The next morning I had a special time to pray with my roommates. From that prayer time I learned a lot about their struggles and, likewise, they helped my struggles in prayer. A prayer time by the beach like this is a very rare opportunity for us to have.

Prayer and quiet time by the beach

In the afternoon, the second lesson was held, titled “CALLED TO BUILD”. This lesson was intended for the married ministry. Together with the singles and campus group, I used the free time we were given to go to the white-sand beach area. Seeing the beauty of the sea and the vast blue sky together with my spiritual family made me think about how good God is to give me this opportunity. I really enjoyed this time at the beach with the congregation.

Then it was time for the third lesson especially for singles and campus with the theme “CALLED TO BE GODLY” which was delivered by Pastor Andreas. This lesson taught how people will pay close attention to the way we maintain holiness in the midst of a defiled world. When we compare the world VS God, with so many things the world offers, people choose the world more often than their God. The world offers dependencies: drugs, food, internet, mobile phones, shopping, and so on. This is what makes it hard for us to have the mind of Christ.

Pastor Andreas delivering the lesson

This lesson made me think: after becoming a disciple, do I still find it difficult to pursue holiness and have the mind of Christ, do I still have dependencies on worldly life. This lesson helped me remember and ask myself what character has grown in me and whether I am still like my old self who did not yet know Christ.

After this lesson ended we had time to play the game Amazing Race. This game relied on mental strength, enthusiasm, and teamwork. So many interesting games were played. These games were a lot of fun and brought us closer together as a congregation.

Games in the Amazing Race

At the end of the afternoon the congregation gathered for a special event. A sister, Mona, decided to be baptized. Mona was baptized on the beach, witnessed by the whole congregation, with the beautiful sunset behind her.

Mona's baptism

After the baptism it was time for the fourth lesson titled “CALLED TO SERVE” by Pastor Johnson from Surabaya. He opened with the statement that many people think ministry is a pastor's responsibility. I remember that I used to think that way too. He explained that ministry is the responsibility of the whole congregation.

Pastor Johnson opened with 2 Corinthians 5:21, this verse made my eyes well up. Then continuing to 2 Corinthians 6:1-2, this verse made me shed tears because I felt this verse relate to my life. This verse says “So that you do not receive the grace of God in vain”. How often do we waste God's love in our lives?

Pastor Johnson and his wife

This rather weighty lesson reminded me to have a love connection that comes from God alone. This was strengthened again when we gathered with our PDG groups to discuss what we had learned and what we wanted to grow.

After the PDG gathering, all the retreat participants prepared to begin the talent show. In this event each group would create and present clothing that had already been made in Bandung. These outfits, made primarily from newspaper, would be worn in the drama they had prepared. This event produced joy, togetherness, and of course laughter.

Performance at the talent show

The next morning I woke up feeling a little sad because this was the last day of the church retreat. I had morning prayer with my closest friends by the beach while enjoying the sound of the waves. After that we had time to share our impressions and messages about the retreat activities. Many positive impressions were shared by the participants. The committee also handed out prizes to the winners of the group games.

One of the groups that became champions

Photo of all retreat members

We took a group photo and then took time to relax, have lunch, and finally pack up to return to Bandung. I was very excited to be able to join this retreat, and I hope I can also join next year's retreat.