Psalm 62 says, "For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken."
THE NEED
We desire to be women of unshakeable faith, but when we struggle to trust and rest in what the Lord has provided, how do we calm and quiet our souls? Many of us can do this for short bursts of time, but we often fail to protect plans for any extended time with the Lord.
THE MODEL
- Jesus modeled for us the importance of retreating to be alone with the Father.
- Mark 1:35 - And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went. Jesus got up and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.
- The Psalms give us examples of prayers diligently seeking the face of God.
- Psalm 46:10 - "Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"
- Psalm 119:97 - "Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long!"
THE CONCEPT
The purpose of a quiet retreat is to stop, listen, and follow.
A quiet retreat is an extended time to be alone with the Lord, seeking to listen and be transformed by His Word and Spirit. For a specific amount of time, a person retreats (stops) from their everyday routine and relationships, meditates (listens) on God's Holy Word, and then does what His Word says (follows).
On our quiet retreat, the goal for each woman is to stop what they are doing, open the Word of God, and seek Him. A bible and a journal are all that is needed. Good things (music, books, instruments, computers, cell phones, etc.) can distract us or serve as replacements for time with the Lord. Each woman is encouraged to pray and seek God's will, not her own. As the Lord leads, we are confident that He will make Himself known in a way that will have a profound impact. Jeremiah 15:16 says, "Your words were found, and I devoured them, and Your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart!"
THE LOGISTICS & SCHEDULE
We will be traveling to Vineyard Christian Retreat Center in Ariton, AL. Each woman will have her private room and bathroom in the Snead Conference Lodge.
Friday, October 24
3:30 p.m. - Meet and depart from Gateway. The 1-hour 30-minute car ride is intentional to connect and build relationships (carpooling strongly encouraged and will be coordinated).
5:00 p.m. - Arrival, check-in, and gathering to pray together.
6:00 p.m. - Dinner and fellowship.
7:00 p.m. - Quiet hours start... turn off your phone. The main point is to be alone with God. It may take some time to settle into your quiet, and that's okay. Most women admit to feeling awkward at the start, but it's worth your effort to quiet yourself (read your bible, journal, pray, take a shower, go outside, walk a trail, find a spot in one of the meeting areas or nearby prayer gardens, etc.). Bring your physical bible and journal so you're not tempted to use your phone. Resist the urge to text or call anyone before bed! (This will be hard for us all.)
Saturday, October 25
Morning - Quiet hours continue. Bring your breakfast and eat at your own pace, or fast if you prefer. We will have a refrigerator and a full kitchen. You may cross paths with a friend, feel free to smile and say good morning, but we want to respect that the Lord is working in the quiet.
Continue your quiet morning by praising, praying, petitioning, and seeking the Lord. We will have handouts with suggestions for praying or studying scripture, if needed.
11:00 a.m. - Gather in the meeting area to sing and praise the Lord. We will share what God has done and pray for one another.
12:30 p.m. - Lunch and fellowship.
1:30 p.m. - Clean-up and check-out.
3:30 p.m. - Arrive at Gateway.
THE COST & REGISTRATION
The cost for a private room, Friday dinner, and Saturday lunch is $50. If the cost is prohibitive for you, please ask about a possible scholarship.
To participate, you must register in advance. The registration deadline is October 11. Space is limited to 22 women.
***CLICK HERE TO REGISTER***
Log in to your Gateway account first to save time in registration
If you have questions or need more information, please contact Alycia Jeong or Sarah Mendenhall.