Retreat-in-a-Bag - Retreat and Event Planning

Organizational Chart

Posted by Debby on June 19, 2010

Early in the retreat planning process, we create an “organizational” chart. Key retreat functions are assigned to the oversight of a leader. For instance, we have a person who oversees decorations at the retreat, a person who oversees worship, a person who oversees registration. For our upcoming retreat, these tasks are divided between the eight women on our women’s ministry team. In past years when we were smaller, the tasks may have been divided between only two or three main leaders. This division of responsibilities serves many purposes. First, it takes the overwhelming burden off of one person. It helps the leaders to stay on task, not wasting time on issues being covered by another leader. Early on in the retreat planning process, I know what my responsibilities are and I can begin to determine what kind of helpers I will need to accomplish the tasks I have been assigned. Also, if an issue or problem comes up, the women’s ministry leader (our pastor’s wife) knows who to go to for answers. Some of the responsibilities divided between the women’s leaders are: preliminary planning (speaker, theme, retreat site), registration, retreat planning meeting, booklet and name tags, worship, sound/recording, rooming list, greeters at retreat, skit, quiet time, book reviews/book table, prayer team, remembrance gift, transportation, retreat site contact, guest speaker contact and communion. We will be talking about the various needs of each of these areas in the coming weeks.

Posted in: Retreat and Event Planning, Starting Points in Retreat Planning

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Scheduling a Quiet Time

Posted by Debby on June 15, 2010

At every retreat, we schedule an hour of “quiet time” for our ladies. We ask that the ladies make this a sacred and quiet time alone with the Lord–no other entertainment or fellowship allowed. Often, we schedule it after lunch. In order to give them some direction, we give the ladies a Bible study that is related to the theme. The Bible study is written with the understanding that perhaps there will be women who have never really done a Bible study on their own, as well as those who are experienced students of the Bible. The point of this time is to guide the women in reading the Word and to ask questions that will cause them to reflect on how God is speaking to them. It would be tragic if a woman attended a retreat and was so busy interacting with others that she spent no time seeking the Lord on her own.