Recently, I had the privilege to go on a spiritual retreat. If you can’t remember the last time you’ve been on a retreat—or haven’t at all—then you need to set one up ASAP. Jesus was one busy dude, but even the Savior of the world made it a point to retreat to secluded places to connect with God.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” -Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)
Put It on the Calendar
Church communicators will always have deadline after deadline. And breathing room… what’s that?
If you’re in a crazy season right now, the best thing you can do for yourself is to set a date on the calendar—even if it’s six months away. There’s something about just knowing you have a retreat on the horizon that gives you a little more hop to your step.
Plan Your Retreat
Because you want to maximize your time away, it’s important to plan your spiritual retreat in advance. This is too important to just wing it. Here are some things to consider as you plan your spiritual retreat:
- Determine the length of time. A spiritual retreat can be anywhere from a couple of hours to several days. Consider pairing it up with a business trip to process an event or clear your mind after it.
- Does your budget allow for an overnight stay? If you’re the outdoorsy type, consider pitching a tent. Maybe crash at a friend’s place. If you can’t travel, get away from the office and your normal routine.
- Think of places you’ve been to before that have resonated “peace” within you.
- Gather resources to read, listen to or watch while on retreat.
- Make your church staff aware of your plans so they can respect your time with God. Chances are, they’ll leave you alone if they want the same to be reciprocated to them when they go on retreat.
- Ask a respected friend or church leader to pray for you while you are on the retreat.
During Your Retreat
Unplug. Seriously. As difficult as it may be, this is the time to forget about all your social media accounts. Don’t catch up on Netflix. Don’t check your email. (If you absolutely must check email, discipline yourself to do it only during your lunch break and only deal with dire emergencies.)
This is your time to get focused on God. Here are some tips for you while on retreat:
- Connect with God. Praise him for all the great things he’s done for you.
- Read the Bible. Open a physical book, not just an app on your tablet. Meditate on God’s Word. Remind yourself of the “big picture” of your job.
- Be silent. Listen for God. This is huge! You may not get some loud, Charlton Heston voice, but you’ll know it when God talks to you.
So stop for a second right now and—at minimum—set a date for a much-needed spiritual retreat. You’ll be glad you did!
More:
- Learn more about how to take care of yourself and avoid church communicator burnout.
- Our Certification Lab isn’t exactly a retreat—it’s a two-day, intensive training session. But it might work well to attend a Certification Lab and then book your own retreat either before or after to help you prepare or process. To help with the budget, you can use code “2015” before Dec. 31 to save $650 on the Advanced lab in Atlanta and save $200 on the labs in San Antonio and Nashville. Register now.
