Alabama WMU’s WorldSong Missions Place offers year-round retreat in natural setting

WorldSong’s year-round staff are (left to right) property manager Cliff Parker, administrator Charles Taylor and operations manager Kyle Winningham.
TAB Media photo

Alabama WMU’s WorldSong Missions Place offers year-round retreat in natural setting

EDITOR’S NOTE — This article originally appeared in Fruitful, a special publication produced by TAB Media in partnership with the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions. View a digital copy of Fruitful here. 


 

By Candace McIntosh
Alabama WMU

Close your eyes and breathe in three simple words: Retreat, refocus, reenergize.

Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? And all are possible at WorldSong Missions Place, the retreat center ministry of Alabama Woman’s Missionary Union.

WorldSong recently celebrated 30 years of ministry, and leaders want Alabama Baptists to know the best years are yet to come.

The COVID-19 pandemic closed camps nationwide in 2020. In 2021, WorldSong adjusted by taking camp on the road to churches all across the state.

In summer 2022, a range of camp experiences for girls and boys will be offered once again on campus. In the meantime, church groups are always welcome at WorldSong. The campus offers a great place for your group members to connect with each other and develop relationships as they spend time together enjoying the camp’s natural beauty.

The 800-acre campus is located just off Interstate 20 at the Cook Springs exit, convenient to the Birmingham Metro area and less than two hours from most of Central and North Alabama.

In just one day on campus, groups can hike to the first cross located on beautiful Bald Rock Mountain, kayak on the lake and enjoy outdoor games including volleyball, basketball and gaga ball or other activities on WorldSong’s large recreational fields.

An overnight or weekend stay allows groups to add crafts, archery or team-building exercises to their schedule. The beauty of WorldSong extends beyond the scenery, with economical and accessible options for groups of all sizes and all ages.

What might your retreat look like? It’s really up to you — a WorldSong retreat can be personalized to your group’s goals. For example, a women’s group recently used our newly renovated Adult Retreat Center for a weekend retreat and a large metro church utilized the campus as their hub as they did missions work in Birmingham for the week.

The ARC features sleeping accommodations for 28, plus a full-sized kitchen, large open floor plan and fireplace on the main floor, a deck overlooking the lake and an open area for games or meetings on the bottom level.

Need a more inclusive package with overnight accommodations, meals and staff-directed activities? WorldSong can help with that too.

Dates are open this winter, spring and summer for churches to do their own camps.

Year-round staff

WorldSong’s year-round staff — administrator Charles Taylor, operations manager Kyle Winningham and property manager Cliff Parker — are hard at work preparing for your group’s visit to the campus. Looking for a missions service project? Charles also can suggest projects that might work for your group — just another way WorldSong is building partnerships with Alabama Baptist churches.

Ready to plan your getaway? Go to WorldSongRetreat.org, give us a call at 334-613-2325 or email Charles at worldsongmanager@centurytel.net.

New WMU missions curriculum debuts

This fall, Missions Journey: Kids debuted as a curriculum option for Girls in Action, Royal Ambassadors, Children in Action and any other missions discipleship group for grades 1–6 who would like to use it.

With a balanced blend of missions discipleship and Bible study, it’s a one-stop shop for children’s missions groups, written with every church in mind.

Each weekly session includes tips for teaching, missions activities and Scripture memory and application. A free sample unit is available at wmu.com/missionsjourneykids.