back to the leaders manual

A Step-by-Step Retreat Planning Checklist

Putting Together a Local or District Men's Retreat

Retreats are a useful way to get men away from the phone, the job, the television, and other distractions and into a concentrated atmosphere for evangelism, encouragement, and spiritual transformation. If your local Wesleyan Men's group is able to sponsor a retreat on its own, why not invite men from a nearby smaller congregation to join you?

WHY PLAN A MEN'S RETREAT?

  • Men in your church are hungry for fellowship and friendship. An organized chance to get away with other Christian men opens doors for deeper sharing.
  • Big events help smaller men's groups generate enthusiasm and recruit new members. Several churches working together can offer a more attractive program than most can put together on their own.
  • Spiritual decisions are sometimes made more easily in larger gatherings away from home. A retreat can be a time to harvest spiritual seeds planted and nurtured much earlier.

WHAT DO MEN DO ON A RETREAT?

  • Make and strengthen friendships.
  • Enjoy recreation... fishing, volleyball, softball, basketball, hiking, skiing, camping, archery, trail rides, motor derbies, ping pong, water sports, rafting, canoeing, target or skeet shooting, golf, muzzleloading, rock-climbing, horseshoes.
  • Share group experiences... meals, discussions, videos, seminars, devotions, special speakers, worship.
  • Focus on high-impact topics... personal finances, leadership, marriage, parenting, making a career count for God, finding a personal ministry, overcoming a painful past, managing conflict and anger, rebuilding and maintaining personal integrity, discovering a spiritually-empowered life, setting ultimate priorities.
  • Examine personal values and make or renew spiritual commitments.

WHAT ARE THE LOGISTICS OF RETREAT PLANNING?

1. Select a planning team or task force.
2. Agree on a theme and purpose.
3. Choose a date and location.
4. Invite special guests and speakers.
5.Work out the schedule (providing for plenty of free time).
6. Prepare a budget.
7. Advertise the event.
8. Register the participants.
9. Appoint coordinators for transportation, meals and special activities.

RETREAT LOCATION POSSIBILITIES

  • District campground facilities
  • State park lodge or campground
  • Hotel conference center
  • Dude ranch
  • College campus
  • Church building/gymnasium
  • Farmer's barn or field
  • Tourist town or resort community (especially in off-season)
  • YMCA/YWCA retreat facility
  • Boy Scout camp
  • Catholic or other denomination retreat center
  • National or state park
  • Parachurch organization conference center

IDEAS FOR RETREAT THEMES AND SPEAKER TOPICS

  • Valuing One Another. . .Building Godly Friendships
  • The Secrets of Highly Effective Fatherhood
  • Man to Man. . .Straight Talk About Christian Masculinity
  • Brothers!. . .Exploring Our Relationships in Christ
  • Break Away!. . .A Wesleyan Men Weekend Adventure in the Wild
  • Play Day. . .Celebrating the Little Boy in Every Man
  • Does Anyone Here Speak "Woman"?. . .8-9-10 Ways to Go Home A Better Husband
  • Finding Your Personal Ministry
  • Renew '02. . .A Spiritual Retreat for Men
  • The Maximum Male. . .A Weekend Full of Great Guys' Stuff
  • Like Father, Like Son. . .A Retreat for Boys and the Men Who Love Them
  • A Few Good Men. . .Discovering the Incredible Power of Integrity

MEN'S RETREAT PLANNING CHECKLIST

NINE MONTHS TO ONE YEAR BEFORE RETREAT

____Appoint retreat coordinator

____Determine retreat theme and purpose

____Select date

____Reserve meeting place

____Contact and confirm speaker(s)

____Establish budget (lodging, transportation, meals, guest speaker's/musician's travel expense and honorarium, recreation, publicity, liability insurance, meeting facilities).

____Appoint task force leaders (publicity, meals, program, recreation, registration/finances, transportation)

SIX MONTHS BEFORE RETREAT

____Retreat planner contact task force leaders to check progress and finalize plans

____Reconfirm meeting place reservation

____Send publicity to local church men's ministry leaders and pastors (posters, brochures or fliers, information letter)

THREE MONTHS BEFORE RETREAT

____Conduct conference call or meeting with all task force leaders to verify completion of assignments

____Send bulletin announcements and newsletter articles to local church men's ministry leaders and pastors (include complete details about theme, date, location, cost, special speaker, special activities, registration deadline and procedures)

____Send registration forms to local churches

____Contact and reconfirm guest speaker

ONE MONTH BEFORE RETREAT

____Contact task force leaders to discuss last minute preparations and needs

____Call local church men's ministry leaders and/or pastors to confirm number of participants from each congregation

____Secure special event liability insurance policy through your church's insurance agent

____Send each local church pastor a letter suggesting men's retreat follow-up ideas (such as a worship service featuring testimonies by participants, questions for interview of participants to print in church newsletter or bulletin, discussion resources for small groups or Sunday school classes related to men's retreat topic, suggested sermon topics related to retreat theme)

ONE WEEK TO ONE MONTH AFTER RETREAT

____Compile evaluations and recommendations from retreat participants and task force leaders

____Pay bills for all retreat expenses and prepare financial report

____Mail "thank you" notes to all task force leaders, special guests, meeting facility personnel, and others

____Begin planning the next men's retreat for your district or church

back to the leaders manual