Spiritual Direction Retreats

For Covenant Groups or those desiring a Covenant Group

Faculty: Dan Robinson ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ), Lucy Wray ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ), Jim Cook ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) and Trudy Corry Rankin ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

You may choose from the following available dates. We will offer the retreats on the first 4 dates that are chosen. So, we ask that your group, or as an individual, you decide on a date as soon as possible, since we will close the offering for 2010 once we reach four retreat dates. Depending on demand and availability of the spiritual directors, this number of retreats may be adjusted each year.

Dates: January 17-18, 2010
February 7-8, 2010 FULL
May 9-10, 2010
August 8-9, 2010  1 Covenant group signed up
September 12-13, 2010  1 Covenant group signed up
October 3-4, 2010 FULL

DATES FOR 2011

January 16,17,18   (for those aspiring to be in a covenant group)
March 27, 28, 29 
September 18, 19, 20
October 16, 17, 18 

Locations: retreat centers in Florida, as determined by the faculty

Fees: to be determined, based on location

Scholarships: limited, but available

Contact the faculty above at the noted emails for more information

Mission: To offer retreats for the purpose of strengthening existing covenant groups in the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church, or to offer assistance to those desiring assistance in developing a covenant group

Purpose: To deepen clergy spiritual friendships within an optimum covenant group experience

Agenda:
1.) What is a covenant group?
2.) Why have a covenant group?
3.) Experiencing a short-term covenant group
4.) Having an opportunity for one session of spiritual direction as desired

Testimonies from a recent retreat:

Blessings of the Weekend:

• Time to slow down and connect with God, Self, and each other.
• Very blessed to be ministered to by four people for 24 hours.  I felt like I gained some insights and heard God speak in relationship to my life and I feel more hopeful about it now.  Our group was pushed to a new level.
• I am not a clay person, but the group discussion was great – revealing more of each of us.  The Sacred Walk Covenant Gathering was a great discussion!  Loved hearing everyone’s experience.  I loved the Soul Companioning with the spiritual director; I feel that it took us to deeper levels.  The Syllables was fun.  I was amazed at the unique abilities and gifting of each of our spiritual guides to easily slip into our group and become conduits of God’s grace in different ways – thank you!
• Thank you for being open to changing the experience to meet our special needs.  I came not sure that this was the time for a retreat.  I leave knowing that this is exactly where and when we needed to be.
• Opened my Spirit.  Healed my heart.  Freed my Spirit.  The lead team – gifted, compassionate, attentive, healing, loving, models of Christ.  Thank you for the treasured gifts you gave us – personally and as a group.

Would you recommend this experience to your colleagues?  If yes or no, please explain why:

• Yes.  It was awesome to have godly men and women to direct us as we come together for the 24 hours.
• Absolutely!  I see the real advantages of a group experiencing together thee spiritual disciplines to bring us to a deeper level.  As clergy in particular, we need to develop more safe places and I’ve come to realize that it must be intentional.
• Yes!  Absolutely!!  To allow yourself the luxury of basking in God’s love – all too often as pastors, we don’t do this.  I can’t imagine how much more this may be 10 years down the road in ministry.
• Yes.  This was perfect for us.  
• Yes!!