The Importance of a Back-Up Plan

Things happen that can’t be anticipated.  Unexpected events, family issues, illnesses, transportation … all sorts of things can intrude on your retreat and affect those people who are key to carrying out the retreat.  Your worship leader wakes up with laryngitis, your guest speaker has travel delays, unalterable conflicts arise (such as a wedding or a funeral), childcare issues, illnes or job issues … the list of legitimate causes for absence are endless.  Then take into account that we have an enemy who would like nothing better than to use confusion, inconvenience, interruption or obstacle to derail the smooth running of your retreat.  We have ample cause to make the creation of a back-up plan a priority in the retreat planning process.

We have already mentioned the importance of having a simple organizational chart.  Designated leaders must make sure that each area under their responsibility is covered with a back-up plan.  Not only that, each leader needs to make sure that someone knows exactly what she does in case she is the one out of commission.  For instance, the person in charge of decorations has a plan of what she wants to do to decorate, and has those working with her who have helped gather the decorations.  However, she must also make sure that the entire decorating design is known by others who could carry on in her absence.  Another obvious example would be in the production of a skit.  Each performer must have an understudy; those working “backstage” must have those who could carry on in their absence.   The same goes for anyone with specific responsibilities at the retreat (manning the hospitality table, the book table, the registration table, etc.).

There is no way to foresee what may come up at a retreat.  But there is a peace in knowing that you are prepared, as much as is within your power, to go on in spite of those difficulties.  And then, as in everything, we trust God to provide where we are lacking.