Retreat Summary: NEW
More than 70 women packed into cars and vans on April 11th for a weekend at the waterfront site of Osprey Point to retreat, reflect, rejoice, and renew our hearts for God. We sought to acknowledge how God is working in our lives both individually and corporately. "NEW", taken from 2 Corinthians 5:17 was this year's theme and was conceived from women's desires to know and to experience how we have been made wonderfully NEW in Christ.
Our weekend began with greeters gifting each women with info packaged beautifully in pink tote bags and ended Saturday evening with a powerful time of corporate prayer and blessings to each other with embraces and uplifting words. Everything in between the 28 hours of our women's retreat was filled with Sharon Song's sessions packed with stories, praise led by the talented echoes of grace, small group discussions of 3-4 women of varying ages, individual reflection and quiet times, break-out sessions according to life stages, spirit-led prayer time, pajama fellowship stuffing our mouths with marshmallows, and much more. But more so, the time was filled with His goodness, His presence, and His newness that He offers to each one of us. That God would allow sisters to come together in unity but speak to each women powerfully and individually is a testimony to the great God He is. We look forward to how the experiences of this retreat will resound in our lives far past the weekend we shared together.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
~2 Corinthians 5:17
1. Overall, what was your reason for attending this year's retreat?
I signed up for this retreat because my friend asked me to but this retreat turns out to be an amazing opportunity to connect with God for me.
I needed healing.
This year's retreat was something I really needed. It was so refreshing for me to really cry out to God and truly be made new as His creation.
Wanting to meet God one on one…retreat from real world… fellowship with sisters
I wanted to get away and learn what God wanted to teach me thru the speaker-I was very blessed by her messages and convicted.
Needed renewal and rest in Christ, a time to see how God is calling to me
Time to get away and reflect/refocus. This was great…I came tired, but I feel like I had the time to listen to God.
2. What did you think about the retreat theme, "new"? How did the theme relate to or impact you?
"New" makes me think of new opportunities to try. Also to start fresh again. It gave me a new opportunity to look at myself and to find myself spiritually.
It impacted me in a way I needed to change and trust in the Lord.
Great theme! It really addressed issues that are important but not always discussed.
Very relatable and something that all women can relate to at any point in their life.
Good-it helped me understand that with God, there is a new start after failure.
I feel that the retreat has really been renewing for me spiritually. I feel cleansed by His blood, refreshed and made new!
Good theme-IT was good in that I am renewed and want to be a blessing and bear fruit.
3. What was the most important learning experience for you at his year's retreat?
Great dialogue with ladies from different age group...mixed aged small group was a great idea!
During the small group. I had a chance to share my 'burden'. And I learned that you can be healed by sharing.
Repentance
Being able to come together as a group to discuss matters that is heavy on our hearts.
Being able to open up to the other sisters, I realized that they are a wonderful group of girls I would love to serve God with.
Realizing where I was in my walk with Christ. Acknowledging Him and my weaknesses.
I am a new creation. The key to freedom is forgiveness. It's all about love. Christianity is about relationships!
Relevance of theme to what I was struggling with at this time
That after you repent your sins… to dwell on it is also sinning…God forgets and blesses you after you repent.
That God is working in our lives at all times: in times of hardship and during times of blessing.
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