Retreats
The Invitation Podcast hosts various types of retreats throughout the year. If your church staff or another group of people need help planning a retreat or need a retreat leader, please fill out this inquiry form at the bottom of this page.
Winter 2019 Church Leaders Contemplative Prayer Retreat
February 11-12 at Camp Geneva's new retreat center north of Holland, MI.
CHURCH LEADERS' TESTIMONIALS:
“I received consolation after a very deep desolation. I experienced silence and rest after much interior and exterior noise and busyness. I found clarity after a time of confusion. I am grateful.”
"The retreat for me is simply an opportunity to intentionally set aside time to be filled up by, and thereby fall deeper in love with, the Lord. He’s so faithful to be found when my heart takes the time to seek His face. Each year has been very different, but equally good for my soul. I always have such a diverse handful of applicable takeaways! Thanks for putting this retreat on, I pray more and more will see the merit in pulling out of the crazy to find His peace!"
“In my current role in the church, I am a person who can make time for quiet, for solitude, for individual prayer & worship. However, I find that I quickly shirk that privilege to manage my responsibilities. I’m thankful for this retreat because it is a time that is intentional in gently driving me into quiet, into stillness, and into solitude. Beyond that, it allows me to stay in that form of worship for a longer period than I am able to “will” myself to do, so I am drawn deeper into my Savior by being lead down a road of joyful suffering, even a suffering that I have chosen to participate in.”
"I want to highly recommend this retreat for church leaders who are also parents of small children. Josh brilliantly structures a rare gift for someone who is called and required to be able to engage the needs of others 24/7 at work and home. I have been deeply blessed both times that I have attended, especially within the balance between times of group spiritual direction sessions, alternating with extended time for silent, contemplative prayer. This structure makes the retreat deeply accessible, while at the same time leaving adequate space for profound movements of the Holy Spirit.
"
"I was deeply encouraged through the space and time to go to the deeper places often less-visited due to life’s pace. I didn’t like some of what I found there, but ultimately had a chance to meet Jesus there, too. He met me with loads of grace and peace, and sent me off with some vision and invitation into deeper communion with him in my everyday work with him. I was reminded again about the centrality of listening prayer in the life of a pastor – the retreat served as a reignition of this."
"The two-day pastor’s retreat provided awareness of just how busy we allow our lives to become, and often times allow our prayer lives to fall by the wayside. This two day solitude retreat gave me the opportunity to reconnect with God in a very deep way. I very much appreciated the balance of individual solitude and group solitude, and the rhythm of alternating between them. I would highly recommend this experience for anyone who is looking to set apart time to be with God."
“As a minister, it felt so good to be led in prayer by another person, and it was even better that that other person was as competent and compassionate as Josh Banner. The retreat was a time of solace in solitude and prayer by myself while being accompanied by the presences of others. Upon leaving the retreat center, I felt as though God had filled my spirit with good things.”
Winter 2017 Church Leaders Contemplative Prayer Retreat
February 7-8 with Sharon Garlough Brown at Camp Geneva's new retreat center north of Holland, MI.
PASTORS' TESTIMONIALS:
"The disciplines I was taught and practiced, allowed God to move in me and provide something He wanted for me. Not something I wanted, or thought I needed, but He wanted. As I allowed Him to weave His Presence in my mind, body, heart and soul He came. He rocked me. He walked with me. He laughed with me."
"Spending two days in silence alone together with God through The Invitation Podcast's contemplative retreat has been life-changing for me. Josh and Sharon created space for me to hear from God and gave me tools to engage the Spirit during those hours of silence in meaningful ways. I am grateful that the Lord met me during those 36 hours and grateful he is using that important investment in soul care to shape my daily being."
"It was simply overwhelming to me how the Lord honored the short amount of time given in silence and solitude. The brief yet impactful group sessions were so helpful and their wisdom—as well as hearing from other leaders—was a gift in itself as well. It was well worth the juggling of all the things to get to the retreat and get away with Jesus. I'd highly recommend it."
"The rhythms of rest, solitude, and silence are vital to intimacy with God – which is the fountain from which faithful ministry flows. This retreat helped me reconnect with this ongoing need in my life and work, which is too easily lost in the midst of other demands. I felt encouraged to make these practices even more integral to my daily and weekly rhythms."
"I was uneasy about the idea of the better part of two days being silent as I headed into the retreat. However, Josh and Sharon gave no pressure for the silence and offered practical tips. It was a great time of letting my soul commune with the Father!"
"This space was such a gift! In the often frantic pace of life and ministry, here God offered me anew the invitation to wholeness, peace, and prayer. And that is far more impactful to daily ministry than any conference or professional ed class I could imagine."
Lilly Endowment HSYTI Inaugural Gathering 2017
January 24-26, worship leadership and lectio divina. Indianapolis, IN.
The Awakening 2016
June 6-10 wrote a prayer guide for daily meditations throughout the day. The Awakening is a week-long gathering to explore faith, worship, your gifts and your relationship with God.