Starting the Year in Retreat, Together

On Monday, staff from across all six of our Youth Community Hubs came together in Derry/Londonderry for our annual staff retreat. It was a chance to step away from the busyness of everyday work and create space to pause, reflect, and pray together at the start of a new year.

We discussed the theme “What If?”

A simple question, but one that opened up honest conversation, creativity, and reflection. What if we were a little braver in our work this year? What if we trusted more? What if we believed that small moments could make a big difference for the young people and communities we serve?

Across the day, staff spent time in prayer, small group discussion, and quiet reflection, thinking not only about the year ahead but about one another, too, and our personal relationships with Jesus. Bringing colleagues from all six hubs together in one space was a powerful reminder that while our work looks different in each community, we are all part of the same mission.

There was plenty of laughter mixed in alongside the reflective moments, as well as space to reconnect, share stories, and encourage one another. As snow settled around us, it created the perfect backdrop to slow things down and begin the year with intention, reflection, and prayer.

As we head into the year ahead, the question “What If?” stays with us. Not as pressure, but as possibility. A reminder to remain open, hopeful, and attentive to where God, young people, and our communities might lead us next.