Time to Get Away
Consider taking your small group on a spiritual retreat.
| posted 7/07/2009
| Topics: | Abiding, Community, Rest, Sabbath |
| Filters: | Connect, Director, Group Leader |
| Purpose: | Fellowship |
| References: |  |
| Date Added: | July 07, 2009 |
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The same is true for common interests. Small groups wanting to plan a retreat will most likely have at least one thing in common by virtue of being in that particular small group. However, one of the most rewarding things about a retreat is finding out what you have in common with people you perhaps only knew on a surface level.
I remember one women's retreat I participated in where I learned that lesson well. Throughout the weekend discussions, I discovered that a woman whom I had always found pushy, abrasive, and difficult to like actually had many of the same personality traits as me. What a revelation that was, and it certainly made me rethink my opinions of her! Equally intriguing is seeing different sides to people when they are out of their comfort zones and put in a retreat setting. A well-planned retreat opens up possibilities for personal growth and person-to-person growth as participants move closer to the Lord.
Why Do God's People Need a Retreat?Quite frankly, God's people need to go on retreat because we're over the edge most of the time—overscheduled, overcommitted, overtired, overworked, overworried, overemotional, over budget—over and over and over again. A retreat helps break that pattern of routinely going over the edge. It inserts a time-out, a Sabbath rest, in the middle of our fast-paced, sensory overloaded, modern lives.
I've often thought that pioneer folk, although their work was hard and sometimes unpleasant, had it easy with their well-defined roles and limits. Contemporary society, however, has encouraged us all to multitask with no end in sight. Regardless of gender or age, we are expected to do it all and be it all. Not that multitasking is all that bad. Certainly, it's a way to cope with our twenty-first-century lifestyles.
Yet a retreat is designed to help individuals let go of the expectations and the pressures of everyday life and take a step back. For 48 hours, someone else will cook and clean for you. The only person you have to worry about is yourself. The only schedule you have is the prearranged retreat schedule, and if you don't make it to a session, you won't lose your job or be locked up for child abandonment or be sent to the principal's office (although youth leaders usually do require session attendance for their youth, and with good reason). A retreat is a little blip in the time-space continuum that helps you get right and stay right with God.
Where Can You Have a Retreat?There are several places to find lists of camps and conferences centers close to you—including my book. Recommendations from your own group members are also great places to start. Hotels, spas, and bed and breakfasts are options to explore, too. Finding your perfect location will depend mainly on how far you want to travel, how much you want to pay, and how large or small your group is. A little phone work and a site visit or two will ensure that your group's accommodations meet your needs for the weekend.
When Do You Go on Retreat?Because of work and family schedules, it is generally easiest to plan a retreat for a weekend, leaving on Friday evening and returning Sunday. For groups new to the retreat experience, however, a Saturday-Sunday overnight may work well the first time around. Some retreats are as short as a few hours, while others may take in a weekend or an entire week.
Groups will also need to take into account the seasonal nature of camp and conference centers. Many run a residential camp program, making a summer reservation next to impossible. Fall and spring are also popular times for church and school groups to book retreats, so you might have trouble finding availability. The more flexible your group can be in picking a date and the sooner you start this process, the better off you'll be.
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