Church community can be powerful. People from all walks of life who have otherwise no connection to each other join their lives together because of the faith they share.
But for many, church is just a Sunday morning event, and it’s limited. Your social circle is more restricted, and in a busy service there isn’t much time to really go deep in conversation. Perhaps you’re in a weekly small group, but it’s just a few people. What if you could have time for depth and connect with your whole church community?
The power of retreat
A church retreat, where you go away together for one or several days, offers a rich opportunity. A weekend away gives you more time together, an unhurried environment for facilitating deeper connection. Instead of the post-church rush for biscuits as your only window for conversation, now you get hours more together. Particularly at an overnight residential, you’ll have numerous chances to get to know new faces as well as enjoying time with familiar ones. The extra hours invested yield exponential value.
As well as extended time, you can enjoy an alternative space. You can get away from your home environment and enjoy the beauty of the great outdoors. A fresh locale that gives you space to think properly, relax and enjoy the unfamiliar. Have you ever found that conversations can be particularly rewarding, perhaps especially with strangers, when you set off on a country walk? Many retreats make time for such an activity, giving you the chance to get to know new people whilst enjoying the wonders of nature.
Eating together is a rich tradition in Christianity, but because it takes a bit more effort we sometimes neglect to do it as a church. What if you went for a residential where all the catering was provided for you, giving you multiple meals and refreshments across a weekend, each giving space for a stranger to become a friend. Perhaps you’ll be wrestling with theology over breakfast, swapping stories over dinner, or cracking jokes by the fire as the night draws in. Who knows where that next connection will come from?
Church retreats give your congregation the chance to worship and learn together throughout your stay. Enjoy rich teaching on a specific theme that takes your community deeper, together. break into small groups then feed back to the wider group so you get the chance to hear from the whole church, and not just one speaker like often happens on a Sunday. Bond through fun activities and sports where young and old are in it together. You can’t prescribe what exactly will happen at these events, part of the joy comes from the unpredictability that just enjoying being together facilitates.
How do you make it happen?
Perhaps this sounds appealing, but you’re daunted by the logistical challenge of organising such an event. Particularly post-covid, it can feel hard to motivate people to be present on a Sunday let alone commit to a whole weekend. However, you may find that with the right pitch your church retreat could be incredibly appealing especially to those on the fringes: here’s a chance to get away for a special holiday and be part of something bigger. Church services can be isolating for some; a weekend done properly should mean everyone is seen and thoroughly welcomed.
Perhaps you’ve been blessed by these kinds of retreat, or you read this wishing your church could experience one. Groups like Christian Conference Trust specialise in facilitating such experiences. We’re seasoned experts in hosting church retreats that are excellent, restful, and accessible – we offer all-inclusive packages for unbeatable value. And where finances are an obstacle, we have a bursary fund to make sure no one is left behind. If you’re looking for a retreat to bless your church community, we’d love to help you make it happen.
