‘MORE THAN’ A RETREAT DAY

“AN AUTHENTIC AND ENGAGING RETREAT FOR CATHOLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS.”

Our society is longing for meaningful connections. Everything belongs. Our Connect & Belong Retreat allows all students to access the messages of connection, faith, belonging, gratitude, scripture, forgiveness, fun and relationship in an authentic way. It will engage, unite and uplift your students.

‘More than’ A Retreat Day outline (for Catholic Secondary Schools):

Session 1- Connect with yourself

• Connect with your Unique Authentic self and show love.

• Finding Purpose in being of Service of others.

• Building Empathy.

• Love your neighbour as yourself.

• The power of Forgiveness.

  “For it is in giving that we receive.” St Francis

Session 2- Connecting to Others

• Going Beyond the comfort zone.

• Building our Relationship Bank Accounts - Learning and applying the 5 Love Languages.

• Meaningfully taking time to slow down to be present.

• Considering ways to increase our connection, peace and love.

  Matthew 25:40
  "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."

  or

  John 13:34-35
  Love one another. As I have loved you

Session 3- Connecting to God & finding belonging

• Spirituality is more then a retreat thing.

• Consider our relationship to the world around us, and how we can connect to something bigger.

• Sharing our gratitude with others and our gratitude for others.

• Reflect on where and who God is and the different expression that our lives personally. Considering different images of God.

  “God beneath you, God in front of you, God behind you, God above you, God within you.” St Patrick

RETREAT DESIGN AND DELIVERY

All retreats have been expertly designed in partnership with Luke McKenna, Founder and Director of Unleashing Personal Potential (UPP). Luke, previously an Assistant Principal at a Catholic school in Brisbane, taught Religious Education for years before starting UPP.

Peter McAuliffe is an edutrainer with over a decade of experience working with schools, communities, and church groups. Passionate about helping individuals develop both their inner character and outer significants, Peter empowers them to lead, influence, and serve with authenticity and purpose. His journey began as a college captain, sparking his commitment to inspiring students and staff to find meaning in faith and spirituality, and to lead through influence rather than power.

Our workshops follow a learning-action-reflection process, ensuring all students are engaged through a variety of methods, including videos, stories, activities, reflection, and partner sharing.our guarantee.

Our Connect and Belong Retreats are authentic and inclusive of students who are at different parts of their faith journey. The aim is that after a Connect and Belong Retreat, each student will be more open to exploring their spirituality, and that the whole cohort will be more connected.

Details and pricing

The investment for this engaging and transformative retreat is $22+GST/student (minimum investment of $1,800+GST/day), plus travel expenses (if applicable). The incursion is run by the Connect and Belong team from UPP at your school with a whole cohort of students. The best venue is your school hall (or similar), as we use a learning, action, reflection process throughout the day. For the greatest impact, we recommend that classroom RE teachers / Home Room teachers / Heads of House are present and involved for the whole day, as this has many benefits to the students and school moving forward.