What is the Purpose for Going on Retreat?

Hello My Dear Siblings in Christ,

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. God makes me lie down in green pastures; God leads me beside still waters. God restores my soul” (Psalm 23 verses 1 – 3).   

In my past, I have been blessed to attend several different types of retreats and to lead a few myself. Each has given me spiritual grounding and wonderful memories of bonding in Christian fellowship, on a much deeper level than everydaylife can give. This has left a legacy upon my heart that I believe is now time to share with all of you.

What is the purpose for going on retreat? That you develop a deeper connection with God. For your own physical and spiritual restoration (even Jesus took time away with God). To develop better relationships with those who attend with you and to prepare you for service.

In researching places to hold said retreat, it was important to prayerfully consider what we would need, the right space, at the right cost. The Spirit has led me to what I believe is the most appropriate place for a small retreat gathering. The house sleeps up to 15 people, has a good kitchen, dining space, living room, function space for 30, several bathrooms, porch, and a beautiful view with tons of quiet nature all around. The name is Cedar Hill Retreat Center, in Duxbury, MA. No, I had not known of this place before.

Unfortunately, like so many other retreat centers, they are booked for the remainder of 2026. So, I am looking at a date in the spring or fall of 2027. The extra good news is that the Retreat Center has already contacted me about a possible opening this September 11-13, 2026. At the writing this article this date is not confirmed. No matter the date, the structure will be the same.

The basic structure for those staying overnight is to arrive anytime on Friday afternoon. On Friday, you will have time to settle in, go to the beach, and explore. Close by is a Dunkin', a grocery store, ice cream shop, and other miscellaneous shops. You will have a schedule to include: free time, an introductory session, time to make dinner together, eat together. Then an activity and worship to close the night. We officially begin at 5pm.

Anyone coming on Saturday only would need to please arrive by 9am. If you wish to join us for breakfast, please arrive by 8am. Saturday will include worship, session, lunch, session, break, session, and closing worship.

Maybe it has been a long time or maybe you have never been on a church retreat?  So you may likely have some questions. What is a retreat?  How do we do it?  As we move forward the goal will be to answer those questions, so please ask. The focus for our first retreat will be on Prayer.   Carpooling will be recommended.

If you are interested, please let me know. Cost will be determined by how many people attend and what we decide to eat. If we are a full house then overnight will look to be about $50 each and Saturday only people would be about $25 per person. We still need to look at cost of supplies and food, but these should be close to accurate. If you are interested but need financial assistance there are funds available.

Peace,

The Reverend Cheryl Rieder