Why do we have a church year?

For many Christians, their lives are ruled by a variety of calendars: the annual calendar that runs from January through December, a school calendar that marks semesters and summer vacations, the agricultural calendar that cycles around seasons of planting and harvesting, and the fiscal calendar that guides the ebb and flow of financial matters. Churches may plan activities and events around all these different calendars, but the most important calendar in the life of the church is the liturgical calendar. The liturgical calendar highlights the seasons in the church year, seasons that revolve around the birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension, and promised return of Jesus Christ. The liturgical calendar shapes our lives as the people of God.

In this three-day retreat, participants will learn about the development of the church year, reflect on what it means to Christians today, and discover how it shapes our life together.

Time travel will be involved! Over the course of the three-day retreat, participants will move through a church year to experience in a deeper way how the seasons lead to and build on one another, resulting in a truly integrated Christian experience.

Retreat Participants

While this retreat design was originally created for intergenerational groups, it would also work well with groups comprised of only adults or only teens.

Studies Used in This Retreat

• Pausing on the Road to Jerusalem: A Lenten Study
• Seasons of the Church Year