We began hosting Virtual Retreats in 2020 and we've realized that the online format offers participants a neat opportunity to engage with a lot of people in just a few days.
If you’ve got a busy schedule, or have expanded your circle to the global community, consider a Virtual Retreat as a way to meet Unificationists from around the world.
Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect.
Virtual Yearbook
Virtual retreats are pretty packed and a bit of preparation helps you get the most out of the weekend.
During registration, you’ll answer several “getting to know you” questions, which will be shared with other participants before the retreat begins. This allows everyone to get familiar and gives you a sense of who you’ll be meeting. That way when you start a conversation you can dive right in without needing to ask, “So tell me about yourself.”
Food for Thought
Typically, meeting together in person would allow for a more robust exploration of various topics and themes.
Since we created the online option, we’ve put together some “Food for Thought” to read through as you prepare. Expect general information to put you in the right frame of mind and get you thinking about your goals and intentions for the weekend.
“Typical” Virtual Retreat Schedule
Friday: Orientation
You can select between two orientation time slots, 2:00pm-4:00pm or 8:30-10:30pm EDT. We’ll have an intro session where you’ll meet the staff and other participants, get tips on how to make the most of the weekend, and do some icebreakers. You’ll also spend some time practicing using Zoom and meeting the weekend “home room” group you’ll be assigned to for the next few days. These “home rooms” are typically 8-10 same-gender groups led by a staff facilitator whose role is to support, help with any questions/concerns, and offer general guidance.
Saturday: “Go Time”
Saturday is a full day 8:30am-4:30pm EDT. You’ll start the morning with a Couple’s Testimony and Q&A, followed by a Small Group Discussion in 16-20 member mixed-gender groups. These discussions will be followed by One-on-One Conversations around 8-10 minutes each, using breakout rooms.
Small Group Discussions and One-on-One Conversations repeat 3 more times on Saturday. Each time you’ll rotate to a different group with different discussion questions and different participants. Saturday has a number of breaks, a lunchtime, and midday & closing sessions with your same-gender “home room” group just to relax and talk about how things are going.
Sunday: Closing
Sunday is a partial day, you’ll be online from 11:00am-3:00pm EDT. Expect to start with a Couple’s Testimony and Q&A. You’ll go right into a Small Group Discussion followed by a round of One-on-One Conversations. After a lunch break, you’ll do a final round of discussion and conversations. By the end of the retreat, you’ll have had a chance to meet every person of the opposite gender.
We conclude with a Closing Session where you’ll reflect and hear about goal-setting, next steps, and tips on how to follow up with the people you’ve met throughout the weekend.
Follow-Up Conversations
After the weekend, expect to hear from staff with a questionnaire asking whether you’d like to speak with any particular participants for a 15-minute follow-up call on your own time. We know it's hard to squeeze in a lot during an 8-minute breakout chat, and these calls are a great way to get to talk more.
Don’t worry - your responses are private and we only share them with the people you’re interested in if they also marked that they were interested in you.
What you come to get out of a Virtual Retreat is totally up to you. Whether you’re looking to network, practice your communication skills, or hoping to find “The One”, we we see our role as facilitating and encouraging. We know talking to a lot of people might seem daunting, particularly for any introvert, but participants consistently tell us that with the fast pace, they’re glad they made it a priority. After all, great relationships aren’t found - they’re built.