CSU Retreat 2026

by Joseph Johnson

 What Happened At Retreat: 

At the CSU Retreat, students & leaders drove down to Massanutten for 3 days, including a stay at one of two very nice AirBNB homes, a trip to King’s Dominion, and multiple sermons and worship sessions throughout the day. With a hot tub, fireplace, grill, games, recreational activities like painting, and more, there was no shortage of things to do at the retreat. The food was nice, the people were inviting, and the view in Massanutten was gorgeous. 

What were the cool parts at Retreat: 

Retreat was really nice because it truly felt like a safe space. The leaders didn’t feel scared to be vulnerable about things they had struggled with, making it easier for students to open up about their struggles in turn. It was nice to get close to friends I hadn’t seen in a year at this retreat as well. I got to catch up with some old friends I hadn’t talked to in a while and got a short recap about what they had been up to recently. We had some really deep conversations that changed the way I looked at things. This retreat was life-changing. 

How I Saw God Work at Retreat: 

In the first session of retreat, we were led in an exercise where we wrote down in a journal the things we weren’t happy with the hand that was dealt to us. Just letting it all out. What was meant to be a short five-minute exercise turned into a 25-minute cathartic release where there were people in tears as they wrote their trauma down on a page. I genuinely think this retreat was the first time I felt I could say anything from my past, and no one would think less of me. The safe space that God made in this retreat was something I would normally only dream of. Friends got to see each other for the first time in a long time, but things that used to define people from the past were also shed. It was a powerful weekend of renewal and reflection over what we let have power in our lives