OUR PURPOSE 

Walking Wisely Weekend (W3) is the Piedmont's largest weekend sleepover for middle and high school students.

W3 is a joint effort between local student ministries that desire to unite for greater local impact.

Finally, W3 is about Jesus and relationships, pure and simple.

W3 is an “in-town” retreat where students from all over the area gather for two days of mind-blowing sessions, stay the night in local host homes with their friends for small group fun and meaningful service projects. The goal for this weekend is to encourage and equip students to take their next step with Jesus.

What to expect:

  • Excellent speakers and artists.

  • Ear-thumping music you love

  • Saturday afternoon fun & service projects in our community

  • Meeting new friends from other local churches

  • Overnight fun with friends and small group leaders in local host homes

LARGE GROUP SESSIONS

Our Large Group Sessions [LGS] consist of a W3 Speaker who will present the gospel and biblical truth in a relevant and applicable way that prompts students to take their next step towards Jesus.

Worship is also included during LGS, and is something our students always look forward to! Its a beautiful thing to see hundreds of students from various churches worshiping Jesus together! Our worship leaders will encourage engagement, but we also know that not every church expresses their worship in the same way, and we are sensitive to that. So, if you have any questions please contact a W3 partner church. We will be happy to discuss that with you! 

We love to have FUN! God has a wonderful plan for each of our students that will be bring them great joy, even through life’s greatest difficulties. We believe that Christians should be the the most joyous, the most optimistic, and the most fun people on the planet. We do our best to demonstrate that in our LGS. In past years we have had Trampoline Dunk Teams, America’s Got Talent Contestants, Motocross Stunt Teams, DJ’s, and Glow Dance Parties. 

SMALL GROUP SESSIONS

The heart of W3 is relational. Everything we do at W3 is centered around our small group experience. That is why every large group expereince is immediately followed by, or preceded by, a Small Group Session. During SGS, leaders are encouraged to facilitate discussion within their groups. Each group is provided with discussion questions that coincide with the message. There are four small group sessions spread throughout the weekend, which will take place in the small group's Host Home.

HOST HOMES

Host Homes are where the small groups of each church will spend the night during W3. Each small group will have their own Host Home that will provide them a place to stay along with snacks and meals. Each church is responsible for identifying these Host Homes for their small groups, and communicating the responsibilities and expectations to each Host Home. We’ve found that real ministry happens right here, every year. It’s important to provide groups with an adequate meeting space that will accommodate the size of the group. Each year we are blown away by the response that we get from the families who have volunteered their homes for the weekend. Some people aren’t called to volunteer with students on a consistent basis, but would love a chance at serving them during a weekend event.

FREE TIME

Free time is provided for small groups mid-day Saturday and of course at their Host Homes after sessions have finished. This time can be utilized in a variety of ways. In years past, leaders have organized community service projects for their group during Saturday free time, and others have planned a fun activity that is specific to their small group during the Saturday free time. Free time after group is often a great opportunity for meaningful conversations to take place between students and their leaders.