Sometimes planning a retreat for your group can seem like a daunting task. On our Calpacretreat.org website you can find some great resources to help!
Some key parts of a retreat are: leadership, location, schedule and theme.
On our Resources page you will find a list of potential retreat leaders from the CalPac Conference who are experienced in leading workshops, spiritual practice sessions and whole retreats if that is what you are looking for. Having a great speaker and leader can really make a retreat amazing. These retreat leaders, most of them clergy, are experienced in a variety of topics and spiritual practices that will engage, inspire and educate your retreat participants. If you are planning a retreat you may want to also enjoy the sessions yourself. You will have plenty on your plate coordinating your retreat. Having a retreat leader to lead programs and sessions will be a huge help to you and will offer great content for your retreat participants.
Location is another important part of the legwork that a retreat planner like yourself needs to consider. We have helped you out by listing a number of retreat centers in SoCal and HI that you can look into. On the Retreat Locations page of our website you can type in a zip code or location that you want and it will give you retreat centers in the area. These retreat centers are affiliated with a variety of denominations. Each one is unique and they have small to large capacity options. All you need to do is go to their website and inquire with them about availability for the dates you want to retreat. This step is an important one to take early on in your planning. Many of these retreat centers book months in advance. It is recommended that you go take a tour of your top 2 or 3 selections to get a better idea of the space and meet the staff that will be hosting you.
Schedule is another piece of the puzzle when planning your spiritual retreat. On the bottem of the Resources page you will find a link to a sample one night and sample two night retreat schedule. This is a great starting place when you are working on your retreat schedule. Make sure to check with the retreat location that will be hosting you about their set meal times, many of them have designated times for meals.
As for theme and topics for your retreat, we would encourage you to talk with your retreat leader about what they can do for you. Maybe you already have a general idea of what you want and you can ask them to customize material for you. Or maybe you see one of the retreat leaders listed on our Resources page who specializes in something that you would like to focus on. Our list of retreat leaders is not extensive. We know that there are local clergy, or spiritual directors, or even mental health specialists that might be great leaders for your retreat. We would encourage you to reach out to these people, and ask what they could do for you and how much they might expect as an honorarium for their services.
A spiritual retreat can be an amazing experience. It can offer rest, renewal and inspiration for those who attend. We hope that the website we have designed gives you some helpful tools to plan your next spiritual retreat! If you have questions and want to consult with a retreat coordinator please don’t hesitate to contact Marlene Urban-Funk at murbanfunk@calpacumc.org. She will be glad to assist you in whatever ways she can!