Rest and Truth – Retreat Yourself 2026

Fifty two young(ish) people came together to retreat from a world where we consume and are consumed by busyness and our choice was to unravel our identity from the ways we make money, the titles and tribes we engage with in the world.

We came because Jesus says come to me, all you that are weary. Throughout his ministry, Jesus frequently withdrew to a deserted place to pray. Likewise, our rest in community is not an escape from discipleship or calling; it is actually a pathway into it. Rest was written into creation, where delight was shown on the seventh day, it was woven into the shape of God’s rest for us. God gives us rest in calling us to green pastures and going with us into the dark places.

We intentionally did something that feels subversive in nature by putting rest and truth side by side. Challenging ourselves to see rest not as a passive release, but an intentional act that leads to our bold participation in the world we believe God is creating. This happened in yarning circles led by Paige Owen, Mikenzie Ling, and Nathan Tyson. We practiced what it means to step into truth through deep listening to stories of First Peoples, and by joining a practice of reciprocal listening.

We were grateful to be led in worship by Tonga Parish’s Young Adult Ministry, and the Pulse team enjoyed sharing the leadership of the event with members of many of our communities including Salt Bush.

Truth is found as we accept each other's stories, learn from shared wisdom in community and remember our core truth, that Jesus calls us to love one another.

So, we didn’t participate in a weekend of escape; we retreated intentionally as a community of truth and rest.

This might be something that your congregation, young adults, youth group, or family would like to engage with. If so, please reach out! Nathan’s team and ours love engaging with these conversations and would love to share resources and listen to your stories too.