A Good Investment

We got away for a staff retreat this weekend, and this is the first time in I can't remember how many years that ALL of our staff got to go. We've got a number of part-time staff members who have other jobs, but we purposely did a weekend retreat (Friday-Saturday) so that everybody could go. It was a great time together.

We left around 3:30pm on Friday and got to the retreat center around 5pm. We unpacked, rested and then had an overview of the weekend and talked about writing/rewriting our job descriptions. Next was dinner, and after that there was time for worship and then a time of teaching.

Next it was time for my favorite time of our retreats...we take turns praying for and encouraging one another. We pick a person and start praying for them allowing for words from the Holy Spirit as well. This prayer time really helps build team unity. The Lord had a word for me about where he was taking my ministry this year and it was a great encouragement as what was shared just served to confirm what the Lord had already laid on my heart. We laughed together, cried together and generally grew closer as a team.

After that, it was time for my second favorite time at our staff retreats...late night games! This year we played Texas Hold 'Em...and Pastor David won!! Of course, we played just for chips and not for money, but we had a great time.

On Saturday we had a wonderful breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage and gravy. For those, unlike me, who preferred something healthy, they also offered cereal, grapefruit and yogurt. After breakfast we had a meeting and talked about what it means to work together as a team. Our last task for the weekend was our "year in review" in which we looked at what we did well in 2005 and what we didn't do so well in an effort to do better in 2006. We looked at what it was time to let go of and what it was time to start.

I've come back from the retreat with renewed vision for my ministry and job, and I feel a closer bond to the team I work/minister with. This weekend was a good time investment in our church and in each other.