Round the Fire Young Adult Retreat!
Join us this November at the breathtaking Lake Junaluska in North Carolina for Round the Fire—a weekend designed to inspire, challenge, and renew young adults (18–40) from the South Carolina and North Carolina Annual Conferences of the Global Methodist Church. Whether you're a college student searching for purpose, a young clergy family with little ones, a seminarian preparing for ministry, or a professional living out your faith in the world, this retreat is for you. Together, we’ll dive into what it means to be called—to Christ, to community, and to Kingdom work—through passionate worship, powerful teaching, and authentic fellowship. Gather with friends old and new around the fire as we encounter God, find encouragement, and ignite our hearts for the journey ahead.
Weekend Details
When: November 7-9th, 2025
Where: Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center (Lake Junaluska, NC)
Who: College Students / Young Clergy / Seminarians / Young Professionals
Cost: $200 per person (Regular Rate - Ends August 31st)
$250 per person (Late Registration starts September 1st )
Total Payments are due October 5th!
Click the button below to sign up TODAY to lock in the BEST DEAL! If you have any questions, please contact the Young Adult Collective by emailing Mike Smith or Jon Brooks.
RETREAT SCHEDULE
Friday:
5:00pm: Retreat Check-In/Registration begins - closes at 8pm 7:00pm: Session 1 (Opening Night) 8:00pm: Meet & Greet Reception: Bonfire and S’mores - Lite refreshments, table games, ‘ice breaker’ activities - Late night check-in 10:00pm: Head to Rooms
Saturday:
7:30am - 9:00am: Breakfast & Morning Quiet Time 9:00am: Session 2 10:00am: Breakouts - Time Block 1 11:00am: Breakouts - Time Block 2 12:00pm-1:30pm: Lunch 1:30pm: Afternoon activities (optional) - Possible group game / activity 2:30pm: Downtime / Free Time 5:30pm-7:00pm: Dinner 7:00pm: Session 3 8:30pm: Free Time / Fellowship 10:00pm: Head to Rooms
Sunday:
7:30am - 9:00am: Breakfast & Sabbath Preparation 9:30am: Session 4 (Closing Session) 11:00am: Checkout / Head Home
RETREAT SPEAKER
Sarah Wanck has been serving in church ministry for more than twenty years, passionately leading congregations in ministry to new generations and ever-focused on the church’s call to evangelism. Sarah is a graduate of Asbury Theological Seminary with a Masters in Youth Ministry and a Masters of Divinity. She focused her Doctoral work at United Theological Seminary on church renewal and leadership. Sarah serves as Lead Pastor at Aldersgate Global Methodist Church in Marion, IL. Her husband, Gabe, and son, Hudson, champion her call and always encourage her to use her gifts to lead. Sarah has joined the staff of World Methodist Evangelism, working as a catalyst for evangelism and leadership at home and abroad.
WORSHIP TEAM
We are thrilled to have the members of the Longs Chapel Worship Team leading us throughout the Round the Fire experience! It’s going to be a powerful weekend filled with songs we know and love, along with meaningful moments of prayer and reflection. We can’t wait to lift our voices together in worship with you!
BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Throughout the weekend, you’ll also have the opportunity to take part in a series of four engaging breakout sessions designed to equip, encourage, and deepen your faith journey. These sessions will cover a variety of topics relevant to young adults in every stage of life and ministry. No need to pre-select—simply choose the sessions that resonate with you when you arrive! Full details on each breakout will be shared as we get closer to the retreat.
MEALS & FOOD
Your retreat fee covers all meals except for Friday Night’s dinner and Sunday’s lunch. We encourage you and your groups to coordinate meal plans in advance for those two meal times. We will eat the rest of our meals together at the Lake Junaluska Dining Facility. Please let us know if you have any specific or specialized dietary restrictions or sensitivities.
LODGING
We will be staying at the Terrace Hotel on site within Lake Junaluska. Our rooms are setup to have 2 queen beds in each, allowing for up to 4 people to stay in a single room. If there are any unique needs regarding rooming assignments or other lodging needs, please indicate that within your registration or via an email to our team (youngadults@gmcofsc.org).
QUESTIONS
If you have any further questions or need assistance with registering a, please contact us! We look forward to seeing you all this November for Round the Fire!