Student Spiritual Retreats

To start the school year, we plan for our Senior School students to go on a Student Spiritual Retreat. These are incredible opportunities for our students and it’s important to build our school life and community to start the school year. It is also a meaningful experience for many students spiritually, socially and emotionally.

Note: These retreats are for WRCA enrolled students only.

Reflections from 2025 by Ms. Laura Lee (Biblical Foundations Coordinator):

Spiritual Retreat Report: A Journey of Belonging

This fall, our Grade 6–12 students stepped away from their daily routines to encounter something deeper—a time set apart for reflection, connection, and spiritual renewal. Across two locations and three weeks, we journeyed first to Rockridge Canyon Camp in Princeton (September 10–12) and then to Timberline Ranch in Maple Ridge (October 1–3), with nearly 400 students, teachers, and staff collectively taking part in these sacred experiences.

These retreats mark a special rhythm in our school year—an intentional pause to cultivate community, nurture a Christ-centered culture, and affirm that every student belongs. Our returning speaker, Ryan Guerra, helped guide both gatherings under our year’s theme: Belonging. Through his engaging messages, he invited us to consider the layered meaning of I belong. You belong. We belong.
Ryan reminded us that “I belong” begins in our relationship with God; “You belong” is lived out through acts of service and hospitality; and “We belong” comes alive in the shared embrace of community.

At Rockridge Canyon (September 10–12), our Grade 9–12 students gathered amid stunning mountain scenery for a time of deep spiritual reflection and joyful fellowship. The Student Leadership Team (SALT) and our worship team led with passion and confidence, guiding their peers through times of worship, prayer, and creative activities. A palpable sense of spiritual energy filled the air—one that can’t be manufactured but flourishes naturally in a community open to God’s presence. Early morning devotions, small group reflections, and spontaneous moments of encouragement revealed a beautiful tapestry of faith and friendship as older students mentored younger ones and new bonds formed across grades.

Just weeks later, at Timberline Ranch (October 1–3), our Grade 6–8 students continued this journey, where the serene forest setting created space for quiet reflection and joyful discovery. Activities such as horseback riding, archery, team-building games, and creative crafts became more than recreation—they opened doors for deeper conversations and fresh perspectives on faith and belonging. Each evening around the campfire, laughter and thoughtful reflection intertwined as students shared how they had experienced God’s presence and the gift of new friendships. One student shared that the best part was getting to know new people in her cabin, forming connections that might not have happened otherwise.

Across both retreats, Ryan guided students through Romans 12, inviting them to consider what might stand between them and a deeper relationship with God, and to recognize the unique gifts they bring to the Body of Christ. Teachers, staff, and parent volunteers also experienced these moments as sacred—times to pause, share meals, listen, and witness the quiet spiritual growth taking place among our students.

Together, these retreats offered a glimpse of the sacred in the ordinary and a renewed sense of who we are as a community—rooted in love, faith, and shared purpose. As we continue through the school year, we hope each student carries with them the assurance that they truly belong here at WRCA.