Planning your women's retreat

  1.  PRAY

Begin your planning with prayer and continue to pray through each step of your retreat planning process. Pray for your team, purpose, location, speaker. Pray for the women God desires to be there. Pray for the salvation of any woman who does not yet know the Lord. Pray that the women’s heart’s would be open and they would hunger for more of Him. Pray for safety as women travel to the retreat, as well as at the retreat. Pray for your speaker that her message would be clear, timely and powerful. Pray that God’s purpose will be accomplished.

  1. Recruit a TEAM

Many hands make light work. Try to recruit women with varying gifts, talents and skills. Typically a leadership team of 5-8 women works well for planning and strategizing. You may need to recruit other volunteers to help with decorating, set-up, or registration at the event.

  1. Determine your retreat’s PURPOSE

Prayerfully consider what you want your retreat to accomplish. Consider who your women are, what they need at this time. With your retreat team, write down the purpose and goals of your retreat to help keep you focused Every other element of your retreat (location, activities, speaker, schedule, etc.) should reflect and further your God-directed purpose. Here are some thoughts to get you started. Your retreat’s purpose may incorporate several of these goals:

    • Build relationships
    • Incorporate new women
    • Heal relationships
    • Fun and relaxation
    • Intense Bible study
    • Discipleship
    • Reach the lost/evangelism
    • Worship and prayer
  1. Find a LOCATION

Keeping your purpose in the forefront of your thoughts, begin researching retreat centers, camps, hotels, etc. Many of the best or most popular facilities are regularly reserved as much as a year in advance.

  1. Select a SPEAKER

Again, keep your purpose in mind as you research potential speakers. Most speakers have a list of themes or topics that they offer for retreats. When selecting a speaker, consider their topics, experience, statement of faith, and fees. Many speakers are also booked a year in advance.

  1. Create a THEME

Your theme may be determined by your speaker’s topic or may come from your team’s creative ideas. Use your theme to inspire decorations, centerpieces, games, mixers, give-aways and crafts.

  1. Determine the COST

Figuring out what to charge per person is not a complicated process. As you determine your cost, keep these items in mind: location cost, meals, program, activities, give-away or gift items, promotion, transportation, speaker, unexpected expenses and next year’s deposit. Then you can simply divide the total by the number of women you expect at your retreat. Always include a buffer.

  1. PROMOTE your retreat

There is nothing better to promote your retreat than for your team to get excited about what God is doing and for them to make personal invitations to everyone they know. Friends asking friends is so important. Some other ideas to promote your retreat:

·  Flyers and posters in the church office, ladies’ restrooms, Sunday school rooms, nursery areas; as well as in the

    community at coffee houses, grocery stores, workout facilities and Christian bookstores

·  Church bulletin and newsletter

·  Brochures personally handed to each woman as she leaves church on Sundays

·  Manned table display

·  Announcements in Sunday services, adult Sunday School classes, singles ministry, college group, etc.

·  Web site

·  Postcards mailed to all the women of your church; as well as to women’s ministry leaders at neighboring churches or Bible

   fellowships

 

How to use Janet’s topics for your retreat

Janet customizes each retreat topic to meet the needs of your specific women, season your church is experiencing, as well as your determined purpose, etc. Here are some possible thoughts on which topic might be best for your specified purpose, as well as some decoration, craft and give-away ideas. 

Patchwork of Friendship

Your purpose: build/strengthen friendships, heal relationships, incorporate new women

Decoration ideas: a) quilts hung on walls; b) sewing patterns hung on walls; c) sewing baskets used as centerpieces filled with patterns, needle, thread, etc.; d) quilt squares used as centerpieces.

Craft ideas: a) make fabric coasters using “liquid thread” if sewing machines are not available; b) make “friendship bracelets” – each woman draws the name of another woman and makes a bracelet for her and they become prayer partners for the weekend.

Giveaway ideas: a) small sewing kit (like found in a hotel room); b) quilt square; c) country patchwork plaque with verse “A friend sticks closer than a brother” (there are lots of other friendship Bible verses you could use!) or a saying on it “It takes a long time to grow an old friend” etc. If you have creative ladies in your group would like to make the giveaways, check out the book “A Pocketful of Whimsy” by Kathleen Rindal Brooks for lots of inexpensive and fun gifts, giveaways or even decorations.

Take Time Out Before You Burn Out

Your purpose: Rest, relaxation, rejuvenation

Decoration ideas: a) clocks/watches as centerpieces; b) each centerpiece could also represent a different age/stage in a busy woman’s life – diaper bag filled with wipes, diapers, bottles; briefcase with papers, calendar, pens/pencils, files; bucket filled with housecleaning supplies; scrapbooking bag filled with supplies, papers, scissors, adhesives; soccer mom sports bag filled with water bottle, soccer ball, disposable camera, snacks.

Craft ideas: make candles or scented lotion

Giveaway ideas: a) auction off the bags used as centerpieces; b) candles; c) bath & body lotions; d) bubble bath; e) prayer journal

Faith at the Crossroads

Your purpose: Discipleship, Bible study, growth

Decoration ideas: a) maps; b) suitcases or shipping boxes (designated – “Ship to Nazareth” “Ship to Jerusalem ” etc.); c) street direction signs as centerpieces or on stage; d) passports for each attendee with their picture on it (taken upon arrival)

Craft ideas: a) mini suitcase (wooden box with snap and lid found at craft stores) cover with travel destination stickers or signs; b) create a scrapbook page for an upcoming vacation or past trip – provide the paper, travel stickers and brads, ribbons, adhesive, etc.

Giveaway ideas: mini suitcase (like above but made before retreat to be given as a gift) fill with candy or other small treats.

Octopus Faith

Your purpose: Teaching, discipleship, fun

Decoration ideas: a) anything under the sea – fish, shells, beach chairs, sand toys, snorkel & fins; b) fishbowls (containing real fish OR containing rocks and candles) as centerpieces; c) treasure chests filled with chocolate coins, beads, etc. as centerpieces; d) cover stage floor with blue sheets rumpled to like ocean water; e) stuffed animal octopus; f) blow up octopus (available from OrientalTrading.com) as centerpieces or other decoration around the room

Craft ideas: a) yarn octopus (“yarn octopus craft kit” available at OrientalTrading.com or you can make your own); b) Faith beaded bracelets representing the life of Christ; c) beach flip flops – cover the rubber straps with shells, silk/plastic flowers, beads

Giveaway ideas: a) octopus silver charms (available at www.secharms.com); b) mini stuffed animal octopus; c) beach tote bags