How do you retreat?
Maybe a better question to start with is: do you retreat?
I’m in charge of our staff retreat happening tomorrow and am reminded of just how important this time can be… always… but especially as a new academic year is about to begin!
If you’re not in the practice of setting aside time to regularly retreat — really retreat… I’m not talking about a day-long planning session under the guise of retreat, but the kind of retreat where you intentionally spend time to sitting (still) — quiet before God — than let me strongly encourage you to start now!
As ministers on campus, with students who are experiencing some of the most formational years of their lives, what we model to them will leave a much deeper impression that we realize!
Not to mention that our students are much more inclined to ‘do‘ what they see us do as opposed to what we say.
But i digress…
A retreat at the end of a summer, when campus has been quiet, and you have been hopefully experiencing life in a more peaceful way, can be a great way to help you (and your staff) prepare for the upcoming year of ministry.
If your only context for preparation is in regards to programs… than you may need some assistance…
Here’s what I’m thinking for my staff tomorrow…
- We’ll come together early — I find it best to give a full day to something like this.
- Make sure everyone has what they will need — a Bible, journal, water, etc.
- We’ll head of site — campus can be a very distracting place… even when students are not here. Not to mention that it will make it much harder for people to find us! The setting has to be one that promotes “retreat” and not something else… (i.e. a theme park would not be an ideal place for a retreat).
- I will provide my team with a guide — something that can serve to give them some direction… yet leave them space to deviate if they feel so led. A prayer to start the time. Some questions to spark reflection on the past few weeks/months/year — both personal and professional in nature. Some scripture that might enable our team to draw close to the heart of God. A possible “assignment” that gets them writing and reflecting further about something… the key is not to over or under fill the time.
- Identify a time to come back together — you’ll want to think through things like lunch (on your own – in the woods, back at the retreat center, etc.)
- Decide how to end your time and when and where you will meet up — make sure you clearly communicate this with all members of your team.
- Identify a time that you will come back together (preferably within a day or two) to share about your experiences and spend some time praying (and yes, planning) together.
There are enough demands on our time that keep us living near the speed of insanity… therefore it is essential that we take time — REGULARLY — to retreat and listen for the leading of the One who has called us to this important work.
What about you?
- Is “retreating” a regular practice of yours? Or the ministry team you are a part of?
- If you do retreat, what have you found to be some of the biggest benefits from this practice?
- If you don’t retreat, what would you identify as the biggest road blocks for drawbacks to engaging in this practice?
Please take a moment to share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Grace and peace to you as we approach the start of a new academic year!
2 thoughts on “How Do You Retreat?”
super glad i read this…just been thinking about an upcoming retreat this weekend for my student leaders and realized i was trying to pack it with planning, not really figuring out a healthy balance. so often we come away from a retreat in need of a retreat. we do a retreat at the beginning of each school year, somewhere off site. last year was very info-packed. this year i want to be more relational focused with solid time spent on info but in small doses. it’s hard to not throw all the great nuggets of truth at someone when i’m so excited about them. now back to planning…
Michaela!
It really is a balancing act… isn’t it! I’ve been on too many “retreats” that felt like anything but, and at some point along the way I vowed that if I was ever the one shaping those experiences that it would be different. We have started to retreat with our student leaders in mid-September, after they have plunged into the school year and find themselves in need of getting away and reorienting themselves on what they’ve been called to. We utilize the first few days before new students return to do the team building and information sharing.
I hope you have a great retreat this weekend! Hope your students appreciate the balanced experience you are trying to provide for them!
Comments are closed.