Author Archive
“The Puzzling Game of Life“ is another Serial Skit by Retreat-in-a-Bag. This four-act serial skit uses various game shows to provide settings for the main character to progress in her spiritual journey. The skit shows how God uses even those difficult experiences in our lives for our good and the good of others.
Posted in: Latest Downloads
Leave a Comment (0) →“Mail-Order Bride“ is another Serial Skit by Retreat-in-a-Bag. In “Mail-Order Bride,” we follow a mail-order bride on her journey to meet her true love. Like a believer who is waiting to meet her heavenly Groom, she has letters and promises from her beloved, yet she faces the temptation of other suitors as well as the challenges of an enemy and the inevitable trials, doubts and fears.
Posted in: Latest Downloads
Leave a Comment (0) →
One of the final elements of any of our women’s retreats is communion. Besides providing another opportunity for the Lord to speak individually to our ladies, it can be a time of commitment and moving key lessons from the retreat from their mind to their heart. We like to schedule communion at the end of the retreat to give ladies that one last opportunity to be quiet before the Lord and hear from Him. It is a quiet time of reverent worship before the Lord.
One of our women’s leaders is in charge of communion at the retreat. She is responsible for making sure all supplies are purchased and taken to the retreat, as well as finding those ladies who will help fill the communion cups and pass out communion. Normally, one of the leaders will be assigned to do a short communion devotion, reminding women of Paul’s guidelines to partaking in the Lord’s Supper in I Cor. 11:23-30.
Hopefully, all those things that the Lord has been speaking to our ladies during the retreat will be solidified in their hearts as they humble themselves before the Lord at communion–before they head back out into the world and into their busy lives. Don’t neglect providing communion at your retreat!
Serving God in some capacity should be a part of every woman’s walk if they desire to grow spiritually. But we have a lot of women who are not actively serving the Lord within the church setting. Of course, work, family, other commitments and plain old busyness play a big role; but I believe that part of the reason could be that women just don’t know where they fit in and don’t feel confident in their abilities.
Pray that the Lord would allow you to see the gifts and talents in your women. God has blessed many of our women with spiritual gifts, hobbies and/or experience in areas that we may not be aware of because of our limited contact with them. We may have, even within our small women’s ministries, artists, interior decorators, musicians, actresses, seamstresses, cooks, administrators, ministers of mercy and helps, those who enjoy reading and even those who have the gift of making women feel comfortable and welcome. When God brings these gifts to your attention, He can show you areas in your women’s ministry that would be a good fit for them. When given a chance to serve, many women blossom and become more confident in ministry.
Some women will never respond to a church announcement or a sign up sheet, so pray about inviting ladies personally to help out. A personal invitation, particularly one that includes an awareness of their individual gifts, abilities and experience, can make all the difference!
In case you are planning your first retreat, I want you to be forewarned: You can expect that last month or three weeks prior to the retreat to be “crazy” for you and your leadership team.
First, there is the normal flurry of activity as registration comes to an end. If you have a preliminary retreat registration deadline, that activity will start just prior to the retreat price going up. As registration closes, assigning rooms and getting the rooming list to the hotel by the deadline becomes becomes a priority, and you can expect there will be plenty of issues to resolve.
Not only is registration all in a dither, the leaders are all busy with last minute preparations, and Murphy’s Law kicks into effect as the enemy steps up his inevitable attacks on the work and in individual homes and families.
Be encouraged by I Chronicles 28:20: “…Be strong and of good courage, and do it: do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God–my God–will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you ave finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.”
Receive a FREE Skit!
Ladies! Stay tuned to the latest creative ideas and budget-saving tips on planning retreats and other events by joining the Retreat-in-a-Bag newsletter. Best of all, when you join you will immediately receive a free skit that you can use or customize for your own ministry!
