ACTS Retreat information

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Early next month, ACTS will offer a retreat for men in my parish.
I have asked a little about the retreats, but there is not a lot of information forthcoming about what transpires during a retreat.
It there anyone here on the Forum who can tell a little bit about what goes on?
I assume some prayer and meditation, but it goes from Thursday evening until Sunday Mass, do there must be much more. That is a lot of time away from home.
 
If I remember correctly, they try to keep the content under wraps so it’s all a surprise.
 
As one who does not like surprises, it probably would not be for me.
But to each their own.
Perhaps, I will just do my own retreat. Go to a nice quiet venue for a few days of prayer and meditation. 🙏✌️💒😀
 
Every retreat is different and I remember that all of that is surprise. You just need to open your heart and I think you do when you gave your time to God. That is the first step. Congratulations
 
Thanks. I was just wondering about what to expect. I have never been on any sort of Christian retreat before. I have read on some blogs that there is a lot of singing. I do not have a very good voice, so singing is not one of my best things. I think we all fear the unknown. So when not much of a criteria of what may be expected in put forth, I tend to get anxious. Especially when a retreat is held out of town. If I am not enjoying an event, I should have the option to walk away. But it is hard to do that when you have no transportation and you are a ways from home.
 
Just go, surrender your time to God, give Him a few days and He will give you a Foreverlasting Life!
 
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Maximilian75 said:
If I remember correctly, they try to keep the content under wraps so it’s all a surprise.
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This is correct, but the mentality does a disservice, in my opinion. ACTS (or any other retreat) is not some secret society.

OP, there will be a chance to go to adoration, confession, mass, you’ll hear some talks, and get to know fellow brothers in Christ. You’ll eat a lot of good food. There are some other elements that are meant to be a surprise, but you now have the general gist of what happens over the weekend.
 
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The main reason for the lack of information is so that each retreatant goes in without preconcieved ideas. I too have a a distinct lack of appreciation for surprise.

When I married my current wife she asked if I had ever been on an ACTS retreat. I hd never even heard of ACTS. I asked her what it was but other than the general information everyone gets, she told me nothing. She was on the very first womensretreat, the second retreat ever at the parish where it all started. She says that retreat changed her faith life for the better. She was and still is very involved with ACTS; yet she told me nothing, not as much as you got here.

I resisted going for 2 years before I finally went. That was at the prompting of the Holy Spirit. It was well worth it.

You will learn a lot about your faith, you will pray with your brothers in Christ, and you will make associations that will last for a lifetime. You will join a worldwide family. When you see someone with a Fishermans Bracelet, the first question will be, ACTS or Emmaus (the Protestant verson). The next will be When did you go, and you will have a new friend.

Pray about it but do not worry about the secrecy.

Patrick
AMDG
 
I understand what you are saying about going in with no preconceived ideas. But fear of the unknown, i.e., surprise, would seem to me worse than going into something with ideas about what might be going to happen.
I suppose I am making too much of this. But Thursday to Sunday is a lot of time away from my daily routine.
Like going to a movie that I am not familiar with (have not seen any trailors), if I do not like the movie, I would like to option to leave. From what I understand, this is not an option. Is that true?
 
You are making too much of this. It will be a wonderful experience so relax and enjoy.
 
I have not decided if I am going to participate in the upcoming ACTS Retreat.
I am praying on the matter. 🙏
If God wants me to go, he will let me know. May God’s will be done. Amen
 
I am a member of Christ’s worldwide family as a Catholic. I need no fisherman’s bracelet to link me to my brothers and sisters in Christ. Or at least that is the way I feel. 🙏❤️👍
 
First of all, let me be clear, this is not intended to be negative towards ACTs retreat. I do not doubt that many people have greatly benefited from them. I have been invited mulitple times through the years to attend an ACTs retreat. After doing some research, I decided it’s not for me. It’s just not the style of retreat that would help my spirituality. One things too many people seem to not realize about the Catholic faith: the Church provides for many different types of spirituality, and organizations to support the various types. After the Sacraments, one size does not fit all. For example, I have friends/family who I consider wonderful people in such diverse groups as the Neocatecumen Way, the Third Order of Fransciscans, Opus Dei, the Catholic Charismatic movement.
Too often, someone has a wonderful experience in one particular thing and becomes convinced it’s great for all. Not necessarily true.
If I have one criticism of the ACTs retreat, it is the secrecy of what it’s all about and what happens, which makes it difficult to determine if one is a good fit. That is rather unique to ACTS (well it’s shared by the Cursillo retreatd,) in the Catholic faith.
So my thought to the OP is, find out what you can, and then make up your own mind. It may be great for you, or you may find that a more traditional silent retreat is what you need.

God bless.
 
I think I would be more inclined to try an ACTS retreat, but the secrecy that seems to abound in what happens during a retreat scares me.
Yes, I understand that each retreat is probably a little different and that each person needs to experience a retreat in his or her own way.
I have heard rumors about singing, the exchange of personal stories, and other things. I am not much of a singer. And I am not sure that I would want to exchange any personal stories with another person or group.
So I am leaning towards not joining the ACTS retreat.
 
ACTS is actually based on Cursillo. The 3 men who started ACTS intended that with the modification that you did not have to be personally invited on it, and that you could go on multiple retreats wether as a retreatant or team member. The bishop who approved it insisted that non-Catholics be allowed to go also so they couldlearn about Catholosism and not be prosylized.

This is the ACTS Missions web site: http://www.actsmissions.org/
and this is a lik to the history of ACTS: https://files.stablerack.com/webfiles/83082/HistoryofACTS.pdf
It is a short, 3 page .pdf. I actually met Ed Courtney onmy retreat. He was a retreatant, his first retreat as a retreatant even though he was one of the developers.

Check it out. Justremember, it all happens in God’s time.If you need to go, God will let you know. If not, it is not for you.

God bless,

Patrick
AMDG
 
Thread from a few years ago:
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Who has experience with ACTS retreats? Evangelization
I have attended one ACTS retreat as a retreatant and several more as a team member. It has been a wonderful experience allowing me to draw closer to Jesus and His Church. I would not consider the ACTS retreat as a charismatic retreat. I pray that your wife will be blessed by her attendence.
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I’m with you. The charismatic-esque nature of Cursillio and ACTS are not my spiritual cup of tea. Give me a silent Ignatian retreat 🙂
 
But, just as ACTs may not be for you (or me) it is for others. Not that you implied that, but it is the other side of the coin.
 
Google it. There isn’t much detail out there but there is enough to give you some idea. There are some YouTube videos too.
 
I have googled and have seen some youtube videos, but they are pretty generic, non-informational. Not much of specifics. Just a lot of singing.
 
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