As some of you may know I have phased out taking church camps from my ministry menu for now (read about it here). But I am open to taking some retreats for those in ministry. I have a burden for those on the front lines and if I can encourage them in some way, they may be helped to continue to bless others. As I move on in years and my energy levels change, I have to intentionally decide what I give my bandwidth to. I believe retreats for leaders and ministers at the frontline will be one investment.
Recently I had the privilege of taking retreats for the chaplains for St Luke’s Hospital and the pastoral staff of Redemption Hill Church. Had good feedback from both groups. Here are some things I do at such retreats.
1. Relevant teaching
I usually teach on topics like:
- The emotional challenges of ministry
- (Re)discovering/confirming your calling
- Life management (practical, biblical approach to time management)
- Walking in community
2. Facilitated conversations
After I teach on a topic I will lead the group in facilitated conversations on what they have heard. They will have time for deeper reflection later, but this will be an exercise in instant processing. I will try to ask questions to help tease out what in the teaching they had just heard spoke to them. They are free to agree, disagree, make comments, and/or ask questions. All in the group are involved both in asking questions and responding. Questions are powerful. They help people clarify what they really believe, the struggles they may have, and how a subject impinges on their personal stories.
If this exercise goes well, and usually many are grateful for the opportunity to share and to listen, the members of the group grow in understanding themselves and in knowing their team members better. This, in turn, leads to better ministry as the best ministry grows out of community.
I think it helps that the facilitator is not from the team itself. This helps the discussion to be guided by someone who is ignorant of the history of the team and who is seen as being more objective.
3. One-on-one conversations
I also spend some time in one-on-one conversations with as many of the participants as I can. If the group is big I will not have the opportunity to chat with all, but I chat with as many as I can. Sometimes I approach a participant for a chat. Sometimes they approach me. When we chat, I try to listen with my ears and my heart. Sometimes painful issues are surfaced. Sometimes they are very private issues which cannot be shared with the whole group. I am very privileged to hear their stories and assure them of complete confidentiality. In a day when technology allows us to touch many people simultaneously, we need to fight to protect the need to see people as individuals. I am very glad when someone tells me they feel “seen”.
4. Time for “rest” reflection
Most ministry folks are tired. An immediate need is to catch up on rest. Retreats shouldn’t have packed schedules. Participants should have generous amounts of free time to rest, to reflect on, and to process what they have heard. Meals together provide opportunities for laughter and bonding. They are also times when the team members can get to know each other better. Although they may spend a lot of time together in the office, much of those conversations tend to be transactional rather than personal. In the office, conversations are focused on work, not on building community. Working together can help to bond people but only to a certain extent. We need to set aside times when we listen to each other’s hearts. And to laugh together.
Taking retreats are no less tiring than taking camps! The main difference: at camps I feel like I am ministering. At retreats for ministry staff, I feel I am empowering others to minister.
Ok excuse me. I need to go take a nap.