We receive a lot of questions about Women's Ministry and many of them are about retreats. Women want to know how to plan, how to find a speaker, and how to enjoy the weekend on top of it all.

So, over the next couple of months we will feature a series of articles on Retreat Planning. This week we will look at Expectations and Retreat Teams.

PLANNING AND EXPECTATIONS

Prayer and planning are the keys to helping insure a relatively stress free retreat. Sometimes women find a retreat to be a spiritual high place and other times they wonder why they are there. There is no way that you can meet everyone's expectations of what they will take away from the retreat, but proper planning will help to ensure that the overall experience is positive for everyone who attends. Keeping the event bathed in prayer will allow you to be spiritually in tune with the needs of the women and sensitive to God's direction. If you seek Him, He WILL pour out His guidance and blessing on your efforts!

RETREAT PLANNING TEAM

In my experience I’ve found that it works best to have a planning team (or committee) of five or seven people. (The size of your team will really depend on the size of the event you are planning. If you expect 100-200 women a team of 5-7 is great. If you have more or less, adjust accordingly.)

The team is usually chaired by the Retreat Coordinator, who has been appointed by the WM director or another church staff member or possibly the WM Leadership.

However, if there is not anyone in this position the team can decide together on a chairperson. Ask for God's guidance in the choice. There are probably one or two people who are gifted to lead and most likely there is someone who is ready to take on the leadership role of Retreat Coordinator.

It is important to have someone fill this role simply to keep things organized. A good Retreat Coordinator will work with the team to be sure that the work load is evenly distributed and that everyone is comfortable with where their tasks are at various times during the planning period.

Communication between the team members is very important, and the coordinator should hold regular meetings to have everyone touch bases and share their progress.

If, on the off chance you are the coordinator and have no one on your team yet, here are a few suggestions to help you pull together a team: Try to make your group diverse. The more ideas, the better, but keep discussions on track and work toward group decision-making.

Pay attention to the types of workers and personalities you have in your group. Get a mix of people - extroverts, introverts, creative people and detail people. It will help to know how your team is wired when you begin to delegate responsibilities. Also try to include women who are not involved in other areas of the church.

Tap into your working women. Many women will volunteer for a "short-term" commitment, like a retreat, that would not normally step forward to serve in a long-term position.

And finally, find a prayer warrior or 2 or 3 who will dedicate herself to praying for the planning process and preparing women's hearts before the retreat.

In a nutshell... Pray about everything and pick a diverse group of women for your team. Next time we will look at Purpose and Planning Helps.

If you have a specific question about retreats, email robyne@womensministry.net and we will try to cover it in this series.

In Him... Robyne Beaubien, Editor
 

Based On: James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this... to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Purpose: We raised money for Bethesda Ministries, who ministers to AIDS Orphans in South Africa.

Favors: Beaded Bookmarks (advertising our Summer Monthly Book Club for women).

Description: There are three different ways you can do this auction.

Real auction -- with auctioneer.

Silent Auction -- List to enter your highest bid on a list. Near the end of the auction, the highest bidder wins (ideas: weekend at donated vacation homes; special dinners made at winner's home; 3 free music lessons--these types of nicer donated prizes).

Ticket Auction -- Prizes grouped into 10 groups-- women purchased tickets and put them in colorful baskets numbered with the prize lots #1 through 10, and a winner was drawn from each bucket to win the grouping.

We advertised and collected "clutter" and jewelry and antique/shabby chic furniture for three Sundays after church. We made sure that it was nice merchandise by giving out a list of ideas for what to donate. We held the event on a Saturday afternoon from 1 to 4 with tea sandwiches, fruit salad, desserts and tea. We used china that women brought in and set tables with pretty cloths. Our centerpieces were made using teapots (loaned also). Tea was also served in teapots. All auction items were grouped attractively the day before the tea and presented in "lots/groups" around the room for the live auction.

We asked local restaurants to donate gift certificates to the auction. We were overwhelmed by the responses. The outreach being AIDS orphans was very popular. We probably collected 50 gift certificates or baskets from local stores and restaurants. It was a really great social for women and outreach for AIDS. Next time we may make it a couples event with a dinner.

Submitted by: Liz Carleton
Email: LizCarleton@Verizon.net
Church:Bethel Baptist Church, Cherry Hill, NJ

Congratulations to Allora Leonhardt of Forsyth, Illinois. She was drawn as the winner of the Great Idea Contest for January-March. The following books are on the way to her:

• Women Mentoring Women by Vickie Kraft & Gwynn Johnson
• The Messies Manual by Sandra Felton
• Growing People Through Small Groups by David Stark & Betty Wieland
• Love Letters to God by Lynn D. Morrissey
• The Mom You are Meant to Be by Cheri Fuller
• and... A Women's Ministry Guide to Scrapbooking by Sandra Joseph

Our next drawing will be held the first of July. Keep sending us your great ideas!

We had a great response to our request for favorite devotional books last week. Here are some of the favorites you sent in:

Sparkling Gems: 365 Greek Word Studies for every day of the year by Rick Renner

His Princess, A Love Letter From the King, by Sheri Rose Shepherd

Faith For A Lifetime from Women of Faith

Grace For the Moment by Max Lucado

God's Promises Day by Day from J. Countryman Books

Women in Leadership by One Minute Bible

A Little Pot of Oil - A Life Overflowing by Jill Briscoe

Starting Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer

Ending Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer

Streams in the Desert by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

WomensMinistry.NET Directory of Gifted Communicators Submit your Directory Listing. Find speakers, musicians, and dramatists for you next event. Search by fee, state, or name.

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Here's how it works... send us your great ideas and if we use them in a newsletter you will be automatically entered to win the book bundle for the quarter. The more great ideas you submit, the more chances to win. At the end of the quarter we will announce the winner and the books she has won!

Every now and then we have a special offer from JenniferRothschild.com and WomensMinistry.NET you just must take a look at.

We have a limited quantity of the 2005 Women of Faith National Conference DVD Set available for only $8.95 (The regular price is $40.00.) Jennifer Rothschild is one of several speakers on the DVD.

Many of you know Jennifer Rothschild joined the Women of Faith Tour last year as a featured guest artist and speaker. If you missed Jennifer’s powerful message, you can see and hear 30 minute messages from Jennifer, and some of your favorite speakers including Max Lucado, Patsy Clairmont, Kevin Leman, Sheila Walsh, and many others.

This 2 DVD Set is great for:

• Recharging your spiritual batteries
• Introducing your friends to Jennifer Rothschild, or Women of Faith Conferences
• Using as a “substitute” teacher for a small group bible study, or Sunday School
• Experiencing the wonderful fun, and encouragement you might have enjoyed last year

To see all the speakers on this two DVD Set, or to purchase, just click the link below. Blessings to you from all of us at Jennifer Rothschild Ministries and WomensMinistry.NET

Our popular WomensMinistry.NET Directory of Speaker, Authors, and other Gifted Communicators is now accepting renewals and new listings for 2006. Silver and Gold Listings receive special pricing on eNewsletter Sponsor Ads.