TRC LEADERS RETREAT

Our staff was the last convoy down Snoqualmie Pass this afternoon before it closed. We are winding down 4-straight days of retreat. It is super helpful to get together in this capacity. The greatest and toughest decisions we have made concerning The Rock Church have been made during and after a powerful retreat.

Here are a couple of parameters I set around retreats.

1. It is critical for staff, elders and support team to be in attendance. There are only 2 retreats a year and with the ministry growing it is imperative to get together to breathe in.
2. The retreat is as much about fun as it is about anything else. We leave the afternoons open for whatever the team wants to do.
3. A spiritually refreshing time of prayer and worship daily. Evening sessions are mostly prayer times, with prophetic words, and personal ministry to each other. I love being prayed over by our team; it is totally healthy and inspiring.
4. A time to check in on the objectives of the ministry. Morning discussions are less focused on focused on strategy, evaluation of whats working and what's not.
5. Retreats are about the vision of the church. Every discussion must be about the vision of the church. There is nothing more important than leaders and teammates knowing the vision. See number 1.

Here is a bonus that takes a ton of work, but it is worth it! Bring the kids. Seriously, I ask all our team to bring their kids because I grew up a pastor's kid and I was sent to grandparent's when mom and dad went away. Like it or not, I associated retreats with times away from mom and dad, not always fun. The most important people we will ever disciple is our own children and if we do not put a "heart for the ministry" in our kids, it is my opinion, we can climb the ladder of building a great church and find out it is leaning on the wrong building, children resenting the ministry.

This week the interns came and took care of the 16 children while we met in the morning and evening. They had snow fights, went sledding and spent a great time together. I want our kids to look back on their childhood and reflect on the good times they had on staff retreats.

Finally, look at the above picture. It was featured on King5 News Thursday night at 11. It is Ryan Brien, Video and Media, jumping off the neighbors house. The snow was soft like a pillow top mattress. It snowed from Tuesday through Friday afternoon.

Melinda and I had to tend to a few more items on the Pass, and are now snowed in with noway off the mountain until the AM. We are going to try our hardest to make Enterprise Breakfast with Bob Harrison.