Are you sensing that the Lord may be asking you or your team to plan a women’s ministry retreat?

How do you figure out if that’s really the direction God is taking your team?

Maybe one of the women in your church has come to you offering up her lake house for a fall retreat.

What do you do?

How do you respond?

The decision of whether or not to plan a women’s ministry retreat should always be a matter of prayer.

You’re not called to go on retreat just because:

1. It’s expected (for whatever reason).
2. Your women take a retreat every year.
3. It would be a good thing for your women.

So how do you know if God is calling your women to retreat?

1. God reveals through prayer that it is His will for your women.
2. You have the support of your Pastor.
3. God has given you (and most, if not all, of your team members) peace to move forward and plan.

If you don’t have all 3, I urge you not to move forward until you do!

As you and your team pray and seek God’s will, be careful to ask the Lord to direct, not just bless, your plans.

There is a huge difference in asking God to bless your plans and asking God if a retreat should even be in your plans.

We’re not asking God WHERE we should go. We’re asking God IF we should go. (We’ll get to the where soon!)

You may be wondering how far in advance should you pray and start planning?

I learned this year not to limit God. He can pull all the details together quickly, if needed.

Would I love a year to fully plan and pray thru every detail? Absolutely!

If decisions were based on a calendar, I wouldn’t just be returning from one of the deepest and sweetest retreats I’ve ever attended.

Ladies, the retreat I just returned from wasn’t supposed to happen. Seriously. God had moved out all but 2 of the team members and our church was going through a God and Pastor-led time of simplifying.

There was not going to be a retreat this year.

God spoke to both of our leaders separately. They each wrestled with God, reminding Him there wasn’t supposed to be a retreat this year. The Holy Spirit dropped the topic and the outline for the weekend into their laps. He even provided a location at the price they needed.

They went from start to retreat in less than 4 months.

All 31 of us benefited from their obedience.

So if God is pricking your heart about a women’s ministry retreat, please pray about it and step forward in faith if He says “yes.”

You may also want to read:
Is your ministry button stuck on repeat?
Prayer: Direct vs. Bless
3 Critical Calendar Questions