The vocation of Christian ministry is one of the most complex and demanding of all leadership tasks. Ministry requires not just personal, spiritual, and theological foundations, but a wide range of individual and communal people skills. It brings wonderful encouragements but can also generate deep spiritual and emotional exhaustion. Ministry can stress family relationships and place pressure on friendships. These ordinary forms of support, often more easily available to others, are complicated in ministry by the places and times in which we are called to serve. And ministry also engages us in conflict. Our desire is to see the grace of God transform ourselves, our church communities and society around us. That challenge and change is not always welcome and there are real personal costs in leading others to become faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. We are painfully aware that not all find pathways through these pressures and stresses.
Members of the John Mark Ministries network have worked over the last 30 years with pastors and their spouses around resilience and sustainability in Christian ministry. The need for intentional processes of ongoing personal, spiritual and leadership renewal has been crystal clear. Of the many processes John Mark Ministries has been involved in, one of the most beneficial of these has been Ministry Renewal Retreats.
Established and shaped by Les Scarborough of John Mark Ministries since their founding in the 1980s, this retreat process has been recognised now by hundreds of Australian pastors as one of the reasons they survived difficult seasons of ministry and were able last the distance. From our evaluation of retreats over the years we believe that for every group over its three year life cycle, between one and two pastors stay in ministry who would otherwise have left.
So what are these retreat groups and how do they work?
Ministry Renewal Retreats are groups of around eight pastors who covenant together to meet for a cycle of annual retreats over three years which are focussed on personal, spiritual and ministry renewal. The retreats take place over 4 days at the same time each year usually somewhere well outside the ministry context. Groups often meet two or three times between annual retreats for catch-ups. While groups offer time for spiritual formation, inter-personal support and leadership development, the focus is on renewal. Movement toward renewal is mutually fostered within a context of shared community. Members of the group open up their lives and their challenges to each other in a confidential and supportive environment. The group works together to explore common personal and ministry issues and to seek the path to renewal with each other. While there are common elements to retreat groups, like sharing life stories, affirming each other in spiritual growth and formation, and encouraging accountability for commitments made, retreats do not have standardised content or run to a set agenda. The issues each group works through are determined by the group itself based on the experiences and challenges of its members. Each group has a life cycle of three years before dividing or reforming with the addition of a new group of pastors. This keeps the dynamic of the group alive and shares the process with others. Groups are supported by trained facilitators who ensure the process is safe, confidential and constructive; and above all that it keeps its focus on renewal.
The transformational potential of Renewal Retreats has been seen time and time again in pastor’s lives. For some ministers, the opportunity to share and reflect on their journey deeply with others in community brings renewed perspective and calling. For others, it is looking honestly at areas of life and ministry and being accountable for actioning some long intended changes. Still others find the opportunity for spiritual refreshment with a group of ministers who share the same calling and challenges gives them a renewed vision and passion for ministry.
Because of the intimate sharing that occurs, our experience has been that retreats have worked best for men in ministry and separately for women in ministry. There are also groups for specifically for wives of clergy which allow an environment for the unique experiences and challenges of clergy spouses to be explored and similarly for renewal in this context to be pursued.
If you would like to explore joining a Renewal Retreat Group, we invite you to contact your denominational co-ordinator and speak to someone who has been part of a group. While they can’t break confidences about what others have shared in their group, they would be happy to discuss the way the group works and what it has meant for them.
