Winter Blast
Winter Retreats to Connect Youth Groups Together
Connect
Challenge
All-Inclusive
Michigan Winter Youth Group Retreats
Bring your group to a life-changing weekend at Grace Adventures. This isn’t your ordinary winter retreat. Grace provides a distinctive experience by removing the responsibility of planning and running a youth retreat, allowing you and your leaders to focus on connecting with and discipling your students. Let us take care of the scheduling, cooking, and speaking so that your youth group can have fun and grow closer to God and one another.
Join us for a winter weekend and experience fun activities like our climbing wall, snowtubing, broomball, horseback trail rides, laser tag, and much more!
2026 Dates, Speakers, Bands
Session 1
January 9-11
Middle & High School
Speaker: Joey Anderson
Worship Band: Nolan Eszes
Status: Wait List
Session 2
January 16-18
Middle & High School
Speaker: Chuck Connell
Worship Band: Olive Worship
Status: Nearly Full!
Chuck works as a youth pastor for the Evangelical Covenant Church of Whitehall. Prior to his current role, he served seven years in the United States Army and was deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
When Chuck isn't spending time with his wife, Courtney, and their two sons, you can find him actively involved in his community or speaking at a camp near you!
Session 3
January 30- Feb 1
Middle School Only
Speaker: Ben Vander Kodde
Worship Band: All Saints Worship
Status: Wait List
Ben Vander Kodde has worked at Grace Adventures in Silver Lake, MI since 2000. He loves to live an adventurous life for Jesus Christ.
As a speaker, trainer, facilitator, and coach, he ministers to others at the Grace Adventures campus and wherever God leads. He loves to learn from God's Word and share with others. He believes that stories help people engage and understand God's powerful truths and the Holy Spirit enables lives to be transformed!
Session 4
February 6-8
Middle & High School
Speaker: Jason Magnuson
Worship Band: Circle East
Status: Wait List
Jason Magnuson has been in youth ministry for over 15 years in a wide variety of church and non-profit contexts. He is currently the youth pastor at Hopevale Church in Saginaw, MI. Jason has his Masters of Divinity from Cornerstone Theological Seminary, and seeks to apply that training to raise up the next generation of church leaders through discipleship and leadership training from a Biblical worldview.
Session 5
February 13-15
High School Only
Speaker: Apollo McCullough
Worship Band: Olive Worship
Status: Open
Currently serving as the Lead Pastor at Port City Church McGraft, Apollo brings ten years of ministry experience marked by energy, authenticity, and a relentless desire to see people awakened to the reality of Jesus. Before stepping into this role, he spent six formative years in youth ministry, walking with students through real questions, real pressure, and real life. Those years shaped his heartbeat for the next generation and gave him a front-row seat to what God can do in young lives that hunger for truth and purpose.
Now entering his fourth year as Lead Pastor, Apollo still preaches with the same fire that marked his earliest days in ministry: the conviction that the Gospel does not make bad people good, but dead people alive. That truth compels him to challenge people to live out their faith boldly, especially students who often feel counted out, underestimated, or dismissed by the world around them.
His preaching calls young people to see themselves the way God sees them: chosen, equipped, and sent. He loves inviting students into a faith that is courageous and world-changing, grounding them in Scripture and igniting in them a vision of who they can become when they trust Christ fully. His great passion is to see a generation rise up with confidence, clarity, and a commitment to the mission of God that transforms their schools, homes, and future.
Session 6
February 20-22
Middle & High School
Speaker: Tony Shafer
Worship Band: Matt Moore
Status: Wait List
Tony serves as the Youth Pastor at The Springs Church in Cedar Springs Michigan. He has over 15 years of experience leading students and their families into a growing relationship with God. He is passionate about inspiring and equipping the next generation of leaders to follow Jesus.
Tony lives with his wife Stacy, their two children, Ben and Natalie, a dog named Bailey, and two cats named Willow and Potato Chip.
2026 Retreat Rates
Students
Includes:
- All Lodging and Meals
- All Activities
- All Sessions
Leaders
Includes:
- All Lodging and Meals
- All Activities
- All Sessions
Cancellation Policy
Upon registration, a $25.00 Non-Refundable deposit is due per reservation.* Any cancellations will forfeit that deposit.
Canceling spots within 45 days of the retreat, you are obligated to 60% of your retreat fee
Canceling spots within 14 days of the retreat, you are obligated to the full retreat fee.
* If any of your participants has COVID-19 or is quarantining because of COVID-19 exposure and needs to cancel their reservation, we will work with your church for a partial or full refund of that participant’s fees.
Tentative Schedule
Friday
7:00 Registration / Move-In / Welcome Event
8:15 Session 1
9:30 Small Group Time
10:00 Evening Activities
11:30 Cabin Time
12:00 Lights Out
Saturday
8:00 Breakfast
9:15 Session 2
10:30 Small Group Time
11:00 Large Group Game
12:00 Lunch
1:15 Free Time Activities
4:00 Free Time Activities
5:30 Dinner
6:45 Session 3
8:00 Small Group Time
9:00 Lip Sync
10:00 Evening Activities
11:30 Cabin Time
12:00 Lights Out
Sunday
8:00 Breakfast / Pack
9:30 Session 4
10:45 Small Group Time
11:15 Pack and Depart
“Having a weekend dedicated to God is something unique and I would dare to say foundational in today’s world. Days move fast, technology makes them move faster. Having time that has been prayed for, planned, and executed in the name of God is a vital reset.
Grace Adventures has been an incredible partner with my youth group for the last several years. We are a high-energy group that loves lots of flexibility and options. Grace Adventures has come alongside us to curate amazing weekends that work specifically to our group’s needs. I am so thankful for this facility and their great staff and will always love working with them.”
– Leader, Grace Community Church