From the Archives: Garden City

I wonder if it was the same for everyone? As summer came to a close, you found yourself sitting in school, and you were lost daydreaming and recalling fun memories the season represented. Remembering chasing lightning bugs, family beach trips, hot days at the pool, cookouts, Vacation Bible School, and all the things that characterized carefree summers shaping our youth. 

Our St. Stephen youth and counselors likely share memories of the epic and beloved Garden City beach retreats. The weeks hold endearing memories almost as rites of passage for hundreds of youth and counselors.   

Rather than attempt to recapture the history, I thought it made sense to go straight to the origin. I invited former Youth Pastor Kay Saunders (Rev. Kathleen Kilbourne), the founder of the revered tradition to reflect on Garden City. Here is what Kathleen shared along with photos from 1993 though the last retreat in 2019. Also, I must give special thanks and credit to Tom Henderson for his work to help curate the photos. If you ever joined the Garden City fun, then you are certain to find yourself in this photographic treasure trove.   

Please stop by the Resource Center coffee table to see many candid shots captured during these retreats and to flip through original photos included here. 

Enjoy perusing through the photos below and Kathleen’s reflection here: 

I first attended a transformational retreat at Garden City while I was an undergrad student at Pfeiffer University in the Fall of 1977. I understood the value of retreats from my own youth group experience and became the foundation of my experiences as a youth minister. 

While serving my previous church, First United Methodist Church in Morganton, N.C., I began an annual trip each summer to Garden City Chapel and Retreat. It became a tradition and foundation which helped the group grow closer to God and each other. When I moved to St. Stephen in August 1990, I was very disappointed that the tradition did not continue.  

In July of 1991, a group of 43 middle and high school youth and adults at St. Stephen experienced the first retreat together. At the time, there was a significant disconnect between the two groups that contributed to the decreased participation from middle to migh school. There were a few adult naysayers of this format, but the youth response was amazing.  

The schedule had a lot of free time for beach, ice cream, great food, but it was the small group sharing time that transformed them from two groups into one. Through the small group time, the high school students experienced, first hand, the opportunity to be leaders and mentors to the younger youth in their group. This process over time evolved in that mantle of leadership to be passed along through the years. The small group time each day gave focused time for the youth and adult leadership to engage with each other and grow in their faith and their relationship with each other. Community can be developed faster and at a deeper level on a six-day retreat vs. weekly youth group gatherings. 

The highlight of every year was the “Senior Sharing” on the last night. That was begun by a small Senior Class — Clair Glover Matieve, Meredith Dixon Swartz, and Mandy McFarland-Weidman — and has become the culminating experience of every year since. It was a wonderful witness how a very small group exhibited such strong leadership and began a tradition that’s continued and grown year after year. 

After the retreat in 1997, I transitioned to another place of service. My fondest memories of both churches I served are the Garden City retreats. I am especially grateful that Barbara Mayo and then Brandon Dirks and those that followed them continued this tradition and took it to another level. When I reflect on my 18 years of youth ministry, it is these retreats that I claim as the most significant events. I will always be grateful to St. Stephen for supporting this vital youth ministry experience that has become a legacy for so many youth and adults.”

Gratefully yours,  Rev. Kathleen Kilbourne 

An additional and highly memorable component each year included retreat theme, associated with a song, chosen by the senior class. Here is the song-themes through the years: 

On the day each retreat ended, the entire participant group gathered together to pray and close out the retreat by singing Michael W. Smith’s “Friends.” If you ever participated in this ritual, then you have been impacted by Garden City’s lasting legacy. 

“Here’s to friends (who) are friends forever when the Lord’s the Lord of them.”