Retreats

More Than Lipstick (2 sessions)
We’ve all most likely received or given the advice, “Just put on your lipstick and go.” We’ve experienced what it means to look great on the outside and be falling apart on the inside.  How can we really be ready? How can we be quipped to face the difficult circumstances as women of God who honor God? Getting ready for life requires  a focus on More Than Lipstick!

Pearls of Grace:
Grace Receivers are Grace Givers
(2 sessions)

As followers of Christ, we know we have been saved by grace through faith. But the grace that saved us was not just for that day in our past, it is also for this day in our present. Let’s examine what it means to live by grace, extend grace for the glory of God, and live out our faith by giving out grace.

This Is War! (3 sessions)
This teaching covers the Armor of God passage from Ephesians 6:

Session 1: Wake Up! – Acknowledge we have an enemy
Session 2:  Suit Up! – Examine each element of the armor
Session 3:  Look up! – Prayer is our super power

A Cup of Tea: Pouring In …
and Pouring Out (two sessions)

The visual is a beautiful metaphor for our lives as women of God – we can’t pour anything out of an empty teapot! Before we pour out, we must be filled. This teaching will challenge us to worship before we work – to sit at the feet of Jesus before launching out with all the going for Jesus. This teaching combines Biblical truth with practical application. It wraps up with ten “as you go” applications for pouring out in real life.
(Note: This teaching can also be modified to accommodate a one-session event.)

Loving One Another (3 sessions)
This teaching, coming primarily from passages in I John, seeks to challenge women to answer these questions:

• Why should we love one another?
• What keeps us from loving one another?
• What does loving one another look like?

Delighting in Being His Disciple (3 sessions)
Being a disciple of Christ is more than having our “fire insurance.”  A woman of God follows hard after Jesus by:

• Knowing Him – Having a daily quiet time
• Making Him Known – Sharing her faith by telling others
• Mentoring Others – Being a Titus 2 woman

(Any of these three could also be presented as a “stand-alone” teaching.)

What Are You Wearing?
I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Isaiah 61:10

 This two-session retreat challenges us to look in the mirror for some self-evaluation, as we explore what it means to don:

• The Garment of Salvation
• The Robe of Righteousness

Living Sent
Using the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) and Acts 1:8 (Power of the Holy Spirit), these two sessions explore how God uses us to share the gospel in our world.

• Message – What is your story?
• Address – With whom are you to share it?
• Postage—In whose power do you go?
  (This retreat inspired by Jason Dukes’ book, Live Sent, You Are a Letter)
  

Bloom Where You Are Planted
Utilizing a garden theme, this retreat delves into the lives of three women (Eve, Rebekah, and Miriam) who allowed the weeds of pride, manipulation, and grumbling to choke out the joy of living and blooming for Him.  We will be challenged to recognize and uproot these from our lives so that we can live as joyful and effective women of God.

A Ladies Tea Party
If you have a tea party theme planned, these two sessions can be used to build on your plans:

• He Pours Into Me – A daily quiet time with Jesus.
• He Pour Into Others Through Me – A call-to and a how-to for Biblical mentoring.

Walking in Freedom
A two (or three) session teaching based upon Colossians 3:

• Freedom From – Jesus has set us free from sin!
• Freedom To/Freedom For – We are free to live for Him!

Good to the Last Drop
Using a coffee-theme, this retreat includes two sessions:

• Grounded in Christ – A daily quiet time with Jesus.
• Blended to Perfection – A call-to and how-to for Biblical mentoring

Ruth: Road to Redemption (3 sessions)
Exploring the topics of Faith, Hope, and Love, this retreat explores the beautiful love story that unfolds between Ruth and Boaz, but doesn’t miss the greater love story of our redemption by Christ.

Reaping a Spiritual Harvest (2 sessions)
Going back to the basics (the Christian walk equivalent to Vince Lombardi’s “This is a football.”), this retreat covers:

• Knowing Him – Having a quiet time
• Praying to Him

The Games Women Play—Glorify God by Refusing to Play the Game!

• Eve:  The Pride Game
• Martha:  The Martyr Game
• Rebekah:  The Manipulation Game
• Leah & Rachel:  The Insecurity Game
• Miriam:  The Grumble Game

Originally taught as a weekly Bible study, these sessions could be taught independently or combined to create a multi-session retreat.

GPS – Getting Parent Smart (5 sessions)

Using Moses as the tour guide, this teaching explores the principles of unconditional love and godly leadership displayed by Moses as he led God’s people in the wilderness to challenge us in our parenting role.  The unconditional love of Moses (even when caring for whiners!) is an inspiration and a model to us as parents. (Laura can also teach this topic for couples in partnership with her husband, Kevin.)
Highlights of this teaching are the subject of this article published in
Arkansas Christian Parent:  http://issuu.com/arkansasbaptistnews/docs/acp_magazine_winter_2014?e=7664441/10814699

A Season in Psalms
Laura has often referred to the Psalms as “David’s Facebook.”  Whenever his “status” was updated, David crafted a Psalm to describe exactly what he was feeling.  As women of God, we are convicted and challenged, encouraged and inspired by David’s age-old but poignant words that strike a resounding chord in our hearts even today.  Topics can be taught independently or combined for a multi-session retreat:

• Psalm 1:  Wanna Be Blessed?
• Psalm 5:  From Discouragement to Joy
• Psalm 8:  Praise the Lord!
• Psalm 20:  A Prayer for Going Forth
• Psalm 32:  God’s Gift of Forgiveness
• Psalm 33:  Waiting in Hope