Planning a Springs Retreat

Download and print copies of Checklist for Springs Team Leader and Springs Responsibilities list - These two documents will help you see what will need to be done and help you select people to invite onto the team. We suggest that you have at least 2 strong administrators (registrar to manage the financial aspects and someone who can put together the free handouts and folders) and a worship leader. Many of the linked documents below are in the NEWIM Springs Resources folder on DropBox (they are linked here to make them easy for you to find). Bold text shows areas of training the Mentor will provide.

AT LEAST A YEAR PRIOR

1. Develop a Proposal for NEWIM Board approval that includes the possible timeframe (eg. Jan. 2025), how long the retreat will be (1 night, 2 nights), possible locations, and women you are considering for the team. (See Policy 301.)

2. Once the proposal is approved, you will have a person assigned (Training Mentor) to walk you through the development process. You should communicate monthly with your Mentor so that both of you stay in sync as the planning progresses.

3. Invite 4-5 women to join the team – you will need a worship leader, someone strong in managing administrative details, and women who have personally benefited from contemplative retreats. Team members should develop with the Team Leader a Volunteer position description with a Statement of Faith that they sign and submit to the NEWIM secretary. (See example of a position description for the Registrar.)

4. Meet with team to have the Mentor orient them to NEWIM and begin praying. (Orientation Guide). Review the Springs Responsibilities list with the team and begin selecting tasks.

5. Have the team meet the Board (via zoom) at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting.

6. Have team submit to NEWIM Secretary their Vehicle Usage forms. (See NEWIM Policy #109 for more information - Use of Personal Vehicle.)

7. Plan for each member of the team to attend a Springs Retreat if they haven’t already.

8. Look for possible retreat centers and dates that work for your team (consider the weather as women enjoy being outside, and make sure women can have a private room and private bath, that the food is okay, have 1-2 additional meeting rooms (one for a chapel, and one for gathering). Take photos of the retreat centers as you visit them.

9. Once you settle on a retreat center, work with your Mentor to develop how much to charge using the Retreat Budget Worksheet. Make sure that the cost isn’t prohibitive for the women you are targeting. Decide if your team will be helping to pay for their own rooms during the retreat or if the registration cost will need to cover their expenses, too. Plan for the retreat to break-even at around 30 participants (it may take 2-3 years to have 30 participants coming). Once the budget and registration cost is determined, submit Budget Request Form to the NEWIM Treasurer.

10. Only NEWIM’s Treasurer can sign contracts. With the Treasurer’s approval, reserve the retreat center bedrooms and meeting rooms and meals, and send the contract and request for deposit to the Treasurer and cc: your Mentor. The Treasurer will also secure insurance for the retreat.

6-12 MONTHS PRIOR

1. Once the contract is signed, create an event in Planning Center. Mentor will make sure you are connected to the right people to provide training and grant you appropriate access. You will need to write the confirmation letter women will automatically receive after they register. Be sure to run a test registration to make sure everything is working as you want. Begin taking registrations.

2. The Board will determine how much money you have for scholarships. Add this amount into Planning Center. Decide who on the team will be responsible for approving scholarship requests. Add Scholarship Amount into Planning Center. (We recommend having all women pay the deposit, and offer full and partial requests. If you don’t know the person, be sure to verify with their church.)

3. Send the dates, location, cost, photos to the Social Media, Newsletter Editor, and Webmaster, who will help you begin to advertise the event.

AT LEAST SIX MONTHS PRIOR

1. If possible, at least one person should schedule to spend the night at the retreat center for the purpose of thinking through the logistics, understanding how the food/dining room works, snacks provided, refrigerator availability, taking photos and video. Check with retreat center on the plan for lunch on Thursday – ideally they’ll prepare a “sack lunch.” Also review the sound system and potential need for additional microphones or Bluetooth speaker.

2. Begin meeting with the team regularly.

3. Review the Springs Responsibilities list with the team and decide who is going to be responsible for each task. Your Mentor will help your team members connect with Springs team members at other locations who can be a resource for you. Review the overall budget for the retreat, and talk specifically about how much money has been approved for team members to spend on various items.

4. Using the Detailed Agenda template, develop your Detailed Agenda (see sample). You may need to adjust the times for your particular location (starting and ending times, meals, chapels). Decide who is going to lead each chapel, and the various other parts. (Be sure to date the draft as you will probably have subsequent revisions.) Send to the team.

5. Send to the team the overall theme for the chapel, the main idea and verse for each chapel, and the Tips for preparing your chapel messages. Mentor will provide training for leading chapels and the Quilt to the team. (See samples of Chapel Outlines.)

6. Everyone should begin preparing to lead their part (chapel devotionals, announcements, orientation, Quilt, Prayer time, music.

7. Each team member should be personally inviting people to attend and posting invitations on their social media feeds.

8. Determine if you plan to use a rose or other flowers. If the flowers will need to be purchased find the cheapest option with the freshest flowers. Determine how many flowers you’ll need for individual rooms, dining room, prayer room, gathering area, chapel. Get whatever you might need to prepare the flowers (sheers) to go into vases. Get the vases, marbles, carrying and storing containers you’ll need.

9. Order blank books (journals) from PaperBlanks to sell. (Mentor will give you login information if you want to place an order.) Once they arrive, check to be sure you received everything your ordered and submit bill to Bookkeeper. Mark down the price of each journal.

10. Create/order any products you plan to sell (NEWIM pens, books, photo notecards, bookmarks). Download the NEWIM logo (see “Logo” folder) to use on products and marketing materials.

11. Create or decide to use one of the prepared “Booklets” if you want. Soft copies are available should you want to revise one. You might also be interested in providing a Retreat Guide or Guided Silent Retreat handout for women to optionally use during some of their silence and solitude.

12. Print handouts for the Free Resources table (choose the ones you like or develop your own - see “Free Resources-Handouts” folder) – order plastic display for them.

13. Order folders and if you plan to emboss image on cover, purchase stamp and supplies.

14. Gather/Purchase plastic signage for table signs and product table (also for free resources).

15. Gather/Purchase money box or whatever you’ll need to take money/donations at the retreat.

16. Gather/Purchase what you will use to decorate the chapel (dripless and scentless candles).

17. Gather/Purchase table cloths, book ends, for the Meeting Room.

THREE MONTHS PRIOR

1. Worship Leader – Work with each chapel leader to plan worship songs you will use –

2. Review template “hymnal” (see “Springs Hymnal 2023” folder) and add any additional songs. Print enough “hymnals” for maximum number of attendees and put the pages into binders. Store in a bin.

3. Emboss folders

4. Prepare handouts (see “Folder Contents Sample” folder) you’ll want to include in each person’s folder. (Print handouts when you are ready to stuff the folders.) Suggestions include:

   1. Schedule/Agenda

   2. Map of retreat center grounds

   3. Instructions for packing up their room

   4. Orientation FAQ

   5. Your Springs Team bio

   6. Welcome Letter

   7. Evaluation form

   8. Booklet/retreat guide for reflection (suggested booklets that are on our website: Solitude, Silence and Prayer; Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” Mt. 11:28;  Contemplative Prayer-Hidden with Christ in God, Col 3”; The Lord is My Shepherd, I have Everything I need, Ps. 23)

   9. Copy of Bible passage (so everyone will have the same version)

   10. How to get connected with NEWIM

       
       

5. Order any communion supplies you’ll need (individually wrapped gluten free crackers). Gather the plate, cup, individual cups, grape juice, squirt bottle, linens you’ll want for communion.

6. Be sure the person leading communion is trained in how to appropriately lead communion and the words of institution they’ll use as they lead.

7. Print “Silent Retreat in Progress” signs to put in key locations at the retreat center

8. Verify arrangements with the Retreat Center, specifically the times you’ll be using the chapel and dining room.

9. Order NEWIM branded merchandise for team or to sell. (This isn’t in place quite yet.)

10. Remind participants when their final registration payment is due via Planning Center.

11. Mentor train leaders in hospitality and how to facilitate their small table group. (See Small Group Training information on the NEWIM website.)

ONE MONTH PRIOR

1. Gather books for the library check out (It’s nice to have a list so you get all of your books back.)

2. Make Small group assignments. Assign women to small groups by their role in ministry (pastors’ wives, women on church staff, and try to separate friends and people from the same church/location) in Planning Center. Invite small group leaders to talk about the principles for how to facilitate diverse small groups found in this document.

3. Create name tags, master list of who is in what room

4. Create binder for people to use to buy items

5. Create table signs for each small group with suggestions questions for conversation on the back

6. Have check prepared to make final payment – talk with Bookkeeper

7. Send final room list, meeting room set up, and special dietary requestions to the retreat center. Be sure registration is closed in Planning Center.

8. Make sign-up sheet for Individual Prayer and signs for the door of the prayer room(s)

9. Prepare to lead the Quilt (document includes examples of how to introduce the exercise and various stories that have been used.) Gather the supplies you’ll need: large cloth, long pins, square drawing paper, color crayons, markers, color pencils)

10. Order what you’ll provide for people for their lunch on Thursday. (Lunch with Jesus stickers, white paper sacks, napkins and silverware, note)

11. Purchase water and add Springs stickers to the water bottles (optional)

12. Prepare playlist to use for prelude music in the chapel

13. Send an email (see Darlene’s example) from Planning Center to all participants letting them know emergency contact info, driving directions, weather, packing, how to prepare themselves. (See Tips for link to our webpage for how to prepare.)

ONE WEEK PRIOR

1. Send final email via Planning Center to participants with any last-minute updates about packing.

2. Purchase snacks and drinks and plan how you will display the snacks. Gather the bowls/plates, serving spoons, napkins you’ll want.

3. Purchase any chocolates you’ll want to put in the individual rooms

4. Organize what will be going into the rooms for easy distribution at the retreat center (keys, water bottles, folders, name tags, booklets, flowers, chocolate)

AT THE RETREAT

1. Set up the individual and meeting rooms

2. Assign person to be the single point of contact during the retreat

3. Verify arrangements with the Chef for special diet meals requested and Thursday lunch.

4. Put up signage

5. Be sure to capture video testimonies and photos for social media and advertising.

6. Be sure to tip the staff

7. Reserve the dates for the next retreat or two 

AFTER THE RETREAT

1. Meet with the Team and Mentor. Review the Evaluations. Make a plan for improvements for the next retreat.

2. Finalize money with Bookkeeper. (See Financial Forms)

3. Everyone prepare reimbursement requests (see Financial Forms) and have approved by Springs Team leader and sent for reimbursement to Bookkeeper.

4. Decide who will be creating the Chapel Plan for the next retreat.

5. Send report, including the number of participants, evaluation comments, photos, videos to the Board for celebration, and to the webmaster, social media, and newsletter editor for posting.

6. Decide if you need to order more paper for the Quilt, PaperBlack journals to sell, candles, etc. before you put everything away.

7. Archive event in Planning Center (you may want to duplicate it first for the following year.)