Testimonials

FamiliesAlive® enjoys great feedback from those who have been touched by our ministry.

Here is a sample:

Every year we host a Family Retreat in the mountains of Colorado at the beautiful Horn Creek Conference Center outside Westcliffe, Colorado. Here is the unedited feedback from the last two years. You'll notice the weather was unusually hot last year for the first weekend in June. But it sure made the swimming pools popular!

FamiliesAlive® Retreat 2010 Feedback
June, 2010

Teaching:

"Amazing, inspirational, encouraging, practical and also Biblical."

"Loved the tool ideas. Would like more workshop/discussion time."
"Meaningful -- applicable to event. Method of delivery excellent, held our attention."

"Enjoyed morning sessions to start each day. Informative, loved skits."
"Good. Time management was good, learned a lot."
"Liked all the teaching ... especially Sunday morning! Family motto time was tremendous!"

"Wonderful. Most challenging and poignant so far with broad applications."
"More group discussions! It's cool when other parents talk with us teens."
"Thank you for preparation. Much more group interaction -- small group discussions -- during sessions suggested. Appreciate a theme on which to contemplate."

"Loved the topic -- very applicable. LOVED the skits!!!!!"

"Loved the skits -- fantastic for all ages. Loved the family atmosphere during teaching and worship."

"It was great! I learned a lot, I think you could have spent weeks on Seasons in a Family's Life!"

"Great, as usual."

"Excellent!"

Recreation/Free Time:

"Super fun. Josh, thanks for great, fun, inclusive games and no spitting!"

"Loved the water slides/Rec center and the free time -- allowing an extra day game more freedom to do other things."

"Enjoyed the amount of free time."
"Loved it. Perfect amount of time. Beautiful area, enjoyed water slide."

"Wonderful. Pool was GREAT, appropriate time."

"Loved the water slides! Would like to try the alpine swing. Enjoyed the family free time."

"Water slides and warm water! Ice cream social! Slides and video XOXOX"

"Good amount of time. More family activities!"

"With the 4 day retreat there needed (or could be) more organized group/family activity. Liked open amounts of time."

"Appreciate lots of time open. Maybe a group activity available as option or another all-families activity. Appreciate Brian leading hikes -- FA staff offering and encouraging ideas."

"Loved the water slide! Good balance of time. Would prefer to use an evening for family hike instead of games at the rec center -- maybe make these optional -- not all of us like games and the temperature is perfect for outside stuff."

"Excellent."

"Lots we could do! Loved the slide. Didn't like that prices for things raised."

"Would be fun to do team-building exercise, or other things with the ropes course, if available."

"Excellent!"

Worship:

"Touching, moving, beautiful, worshipful. Thank you."

"Loved the time of singing hymns. Great music."

"Team did excellent job, good audience participation."

"Enjoyed."

"GREAT. Loved having kids do worship!"

"AWESOME!! More! Liked the additional team members."

"Workshops! Love the teenagers included. 2nd guitar and violin, dance, bonfire."

"Good."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"Great worship, especially loved Sunday morning. The bonfire was a really good addition."

"Loved the CMA girls. Loved the campfire."
"Wonderful, I liked having violin being played. Good choice of songs! I love Dwell."

"The violin was a great addition!"

"Excellent!"

Other:

"Skits -- Hilarious! (always knew the Kings were a "perfect family" and the Shultzes will make a very cute old couple). Picture and video: wow, awesome!"

"Whose idea was it to have a 4 day retreat? Great idea: hire that person! More drama! Loved the extra day. Campfire was great. Water slides were great."

"The skits and presenters were outstanding/fantastic. We enjoyed all the people including the guests. Great fellowship! I've never enjoyed a retreat more!"

"Joshua loved rec center and water slide."

"FUN TRIP! Great people. Ice cream social ... great!"

"LOVED the extra day! Would like to do it 1 week later or in early August. Remember to contact Christine about helping with the website. Thanks and God bless!"

"Skits!! Food wonderful! Nursery thank you!"

"Disc golf was fun for the men! Let’s do that again next year."

"The extra day gave more time for rest -- liked it."

"Discussion/prayer groups could be offered in between sessions."

"LOVE the 4-day format!!"

"Thank you for the rich/vibrant community atmosphere, the friendliness, hospitality."

"I really enjoyed the extra day, we should do it next year."

"Love the 4 days! Makes more time for things and more relaxed."

"Please check for screens, especially in the upstairs rooms -- my grandkids apparently figured they could push the bench to a screenless 2nd floor window and lean out! Eek! Thank you more than words can say for the inspiration that each of you are and give! You are a blessed window on the Lord. Thanks for the mighty ways He uses you! This is a huge highlight of our year! Fabulous website, too!!!"

FamiliesAlive® Retreat Feedback
May 29-31, 2009

Teaching:

Great! Best one so far!

Very good, nicely mixed with fun and photos. Excellent incorporation of small group breakouts.

Excellent. Loved the topic -- addressing anger in the Christian community is often taboo -- but crucial! Thank you.

The teaching is at the perfect level to be interactive for all yet inspires us to step things up and is totally from God's Word.

Really enjoyed the groups/sharing this time. Would enjoy even one more session, more teaching. Really enjoy how ages 6+ get taught.

Amazing. Love the safe environment to be vulnerable and open and encouraged ... Love the breakout sessions and family time for application.

We learned a lot. The interaction was great. We felt encouraged and look forward to learning more.

I think the break-out groups were a good improvement over last year as far as making things practical.

As always, I LOVE the teaching. I wouldn't mind more of it!

Recreation/Free Time:

Wonderful as always. Love the pool!

Appropriate amount of time. Would like to take 1st in Disc Golf NOT last. Wally ball was great.

Great family games for all ages.

Recreation is fantastico! I am especially appreciative that the "all-inclusive" games were NOT disgusting! Also thanks for going out of your way to include Paul.

Great -- ample amount! Really enjoyed pool -- would like timing to work to use the pool each year.

Love it. Enjoy the family free time to hike, fish, and play.

Great time! We really enjoyed the activities!

Worship:

Very good. Liked the transition songs during service.

Wonderful! Slide show so cool!

Perfect! Perfect! Perfect! Can't have enough.

Love it. Would love more. Love Tim and Becky! Maybe even more singing as Spirit leads.

Amazing. As always the girls are beautiful. Thank you for sharing your gifts!

We enjoyed the music and really enjoyed the skits -- we were so entertained.

I think it would be fun to do more of a summer camp/campfire type worship instead of it being just like church. Just guitar and voices and maybe even outside.

Other:

Love Russ .. miss Bob.

Skits were good. Overall, best year yet ... GREAT JOB!!!

Please keep the retreat this weekend with pool open. Would enjoy a longer retreat -- 5 days? Thank you Sikkemas for making the workshop possible and productive!

I really can't think of any improvement. May want to consider a time to share prayer requests. Consider 3 night weekend of consider week long attached to a larger weekend group at one end of the week.

We'd love more time, but not enough $ for a whole week. We'd like to see 1 extra day added. If not, keep as-is.

Skits ... keep them coming. We need the laughter! And to continue to know that other families are just like us.

Thanks for making me and family feel so welcomed. Everyone was very warm and kind. We had an amazing time.

A campfire one of the nights would be pretty cool. I'll even volunteer to build the fire. Thanks again for putting this on. We've really enjoyed it both times we've gone.

I loved having the girls there to watch the kids. As far as accommodations go, I am a personal fan of Bear Trap Ranch (http://www.intervarsity.org/beartrap/) just outside of Colorado Springs. It's closer and has hikes that take you to peaks. There's probably not quite as much of a variety of recreation because I don't think they have a gym ... they have rappelling and rock climbing ... but no pool. Pros and cons to both. Not that you guys are looking for a new location, I'm sure, but I just wanted to throw it out there!