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 PrintableVersion Women's retreatsA creative planning guideWomen who get awayWOMEN’S RETREATS Fraulein Maria was quite right to recommend the von Trapp children to ‘begin at the very beginning, a very good place to start’. I made the mistake of opening this book at random, only to find I was being advised to ‘find a 5-foot-in-diameter round cylinder to use as the base of the beehive. Cut openings on either side for the bees to come in and out. Take chicken wire...’. I might have given up there and then if I’d had no review to write! You will have guessed somehow that the authors are American and the book is certainly aimed at American churches providing retreats for large numbers of women with seemingly endless time to design sets, provide take-home gifts, rehearse sketches and make quilts. However, don’t be tempted, as I was, to write it off, because despite the cultural differences, the first half of the book, where I should have begun, makes very helpful reading for those planning some kind of ‘women’s weekend’. Every aspect of the planning is covered, from budgeting to choice of songs. The section on choosing a speaker is particularly wise, stressing that her message should have ‘meaty substance that changes lives, and ... is delivered with winsome words and clarity’. With the reminder that ‘a retreat is about transforming lives through a meaningful experience with God and His community’, the emphasis on the need for prayer both before and during the weekend is welcome and much needed, as in my experience of planning women’s conferences, the busyness of organising can too easily squeeze out this most vital aspect. The reminder that art (in many forms — poetry, film clips, etc.) can communicate across emotional barriers was helpful, as was the assumption that a team of willing volunteers would be sharing the strain with the planners! The second half of the book (where I originally began!) is far less appropriate to British readers, with specimen scripts for elaborate themed weekends. EN readers planning to come to a certain women’s conference in November will be relieved to know they will not be seeing me dressed up as a bee, Noah’s wife or a court jester! Jen Watkins, © Evangelicals Now - July 2005 |
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