Well-Being Retreat - The Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

2019 Well-Being Retreat: Life Is More
August 19-21, 2019
Montreat Conference Center
Montreat, North Carolina

Onsite housing for Well-Being Retreat is limited. If onsite housing is no longer available but registration is still open, you may register and commute to the Retreat. You may request to be put on a waiting list for housing at the Conference Center.

Well-Being Retreat can help you become more deeply rooted in your life and ministry. Join us this summer for a restorative experience.

The theme for the 2019 Well-Being Retreat, Life Is More, draws from Luke 12. As the parables in this chapter make clear, it is spiritual, not material, pursuits that fulfill us.

Jesus teaches us to trust in God’s provision for us: “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you — you of little faith! And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. ... Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.” (Luke 12:29-31)

Well-Being Retreat is an invitation to lean into and rest in the more that God provides. It’s an opportunity to set our minds and hearts on finding our center in the abundance we find in God.

For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.

— Luke 12:23

Workshop topics and speakers

Workshop topics and speakers include the following:

Storytelling and proclamation: Rev. David Norse and Mr. R. Eric Thomas
Caregiving and grief: Rev. Beth Scibienski, author of Who Is God When We Hurt?
Life transitions/leaving well: Rev. Lori Neff LaRue, Director, Wholeness Education, Board of Pensions
Budgeting and debt management: Jacqueline Boersema, Director, Financial Education, Board of Pensions
The pastor as CEO: Karl Mattison, Vice President, Planned Giving Resources, Presbyterian Foundation

Other topics range from keeping Sabbath, to healthy weight, to housing options in the third act of life. Free time and space for silent retreat are part of the agenda, to provide a contemplative experience.

What you’ll learn

At Well-Being Retreat, you will

increase your understanding of the value of living a whole and balanced life;
develop/refine strategies and practices to thrive in your daily life;
gain knowledge on topics you choose; and
renew your relationship with God, God’s creation, and God’s claim on your life.

Who should attend

Active and retired members of the Benefits Plan — including ministers, employees, spouses, and surviving spouses — are welcome.

This annual gathering, sponsored by the Board of Pensions in partnership with the Presbyterian Foundation, is an opportunity to participate in worship, fellowship, learning, and reflection. Each retreat centers on a different theme, always related to wholeness.

For all participants, Well-Being Retreat offers time away from the usual routines to think, breathe, and renew. And it can help ministers recall and renew their CREDO vows and learnings.

Costs

There is no conference fee. Participants are responsible for travel, lodging, and a nominal meal fee. Payment for lodging and meals must be made at the time of registration.

Registration

Questions?

Email us with any questions.

“This event … [is] one of the best I have ever attended. It not only helped me with some of my own stuff, it gave me some great ideas to bring back to the local church. I can’t stress enough the importance of the workshops for self-care and for church care, a good balance of both.”

—Well-Being Retreat participant