Today I’m going to share some actual, real-life retreat schedules with you.
I hope you’ll find them helpful as you plan.
Keep in mind, they aren’t perfect! You’ll want to tweak them to best suit the needs of your women and your location.
Two-Night Retreat Schedules
I’ve pulled out three of the two-night schedules that we’ve used.
Click to open and download each one. Each file is a PDF.
Two Night Retreat Schedule Example 1
Two Night Retreat Schedule Example 2
Two Night Retreat Schedule Example 3
One-night Retreat Schedule
Now while I haven’t led a one-night retreat, I have led an overnight conference. I think you’ll still find it helpful. Be sure to read my notes at the end.
Click to download the schedule we used: One Night Retreat Schedule Example
Our first year of re-launching our women’s ministry we held a one-day retreat. Here’s that schedule for you to take a look at: One Day Retreat Schedule Example
Scheduling Tips for Your Retreat
Here are a few retreat scheduling tips:
- Don’t start too early and don’t end too late.
- Schedule some free time. I share specific free-time ideas here!
- Schedule bathroom breaks if you’re going to meet for a long stretch.
- Speakers should teach/talk for 30-45 min for each session. No more.
- Speakers should speak for at least 3 sessions and no more than 5. For a 2 night retreat, they should speak at least 4 sessions so your women feel like they got enough depth and teaching time.
- Worship can start and/or end your sessions. Worship can even happen in the middle if your speaker requests it.
- Be mindful of those women that struggle with worship – 1 – 3 songs per set is a good number. Vary the number as well.
- Consider building a service project into your schedule. Choose something women can easily do while they talk. Need an idea? Consider having a Sole Hope shoe-cutting party. You could also make Blessing Bags.
Your location, facilities, and dining times will dictate the majority of your schedule. Figure out those first. Be clear on what time meals actually end. At one facility women could still be served breakfast at 8:59. We let them know for our purposes they needed to finish eating by then.
Other scheduling lessons I’ve learned:
- Be flexible and submit to the Holy Spirit’s leading.
- Respect the check-in and check-out times of your retreat location.
- It is often helpful to have your women check out before you start your morning session that last morning. It takes the pressure off of having to get your women back to their rooms and packed.
- Prayer stations can be a powerful experience.
One quick story for you….
I attended a retreat a while back that gave us very vague schedules. Dinner 6 PM, Session 1 – 7-10 PM, Session 2 – 9 – Noon. And so on. I wigged out a lot a bit when I saw almost all of our sessions were going to last 3 hours! That’s a looong time for someone to speak or teach, much less for that first night when everyone is tired from the week and the drive. It turned out fine. There was worship, icebreakers, and small group discussion time.
My point is, while you don’t need to share every nitty gritty detail of your schedule with your women, a certain level of detail is appreciated and will keep your type-A girls from wanting to scream.
You want your women to want to come, not to hide out in their rooms or sneak off campus.
Your turn to share: What other scheduling tips do you have for other leaders?
SHERRI HAYWOOD says
Leading my 1st retreat at the end of March. I was thinking of doing a service project because it fits into our subtopics. “Something Beautiful” ( Outer, Inner, and Outward) After we discuss how to care for our innet and outer beauty the way God intends, I want to show how we can reflect that beauty and light outward onto other women. I had a friend recomend SoleHope and was pleased to see it as one of your suggestions. I was worried that women might find it strange or different to have this activity at a Women’s Retreat. But I figure I can get 10 volunteers out of the 25 women coming and supply the jeans myself. Thank you for these suggestions. Lifesaver.
Cyndee Ownbey says
Sherri, what a wonderful theme and focus for your retreat! I pray it will be a blessing to all who attend. So glad to hear you all will be supporting SoleHope!
nadine tshibangu says
Thanks for all the wonderful information you give me. I usually planned every year retreat for women’s coming around the world but those information help me a lot let God bless you
Cyndee Ownbey says
Nadine, you are so very welcome! Praying God blesses your retreat and all of your planning!
jodi says
Hi, thanks for this GREAT info! I’m from the Tampa, FL area and I’m doing my 2nd 3 -day wellness/ faith based retreat called WaterRockRetreat in January and April of next year. My biggest mistake at the last one 3 years ago, was not planning enough down time! That is one change I’ll be making. This next retreat is all about the mind (and behavior change) and to lead up to it, we’re sending out simple little teasers (like a handprinted bookmark,puzzle, pen, etc..) to get them excited about it all. We’re also making encourage-notes to leave on beds at night and under plates during meals. Participants will take these notes and put them in journals we’ve given them. We’re doing an icebreaker Thursday making bliss boards…like a collage of things important to each person, then sharing. It’s a great way to get to know others. My ladies are all from different walks of life and backgrounds and don’t know each other typically. Thanks for your idea of making it a service project as well. I’m having them make birthday cards to The Heart Gallery Foster kids with words of affirmation and encouragement. I’ll keep tuned in here for more of your wonderful ideas!!!
Summer Stevens says
Jodi thanks for these additional ideas. I’m planning a retreat and looking for things just like this. This whole post with the sample schedules is awesome. Thank you Cyndee!
Cyndee Ownbey says
You’re welcome! 🙂 I’m glad you’ve found them to be helpful!
Keish says
Not getting the links open
Cyndee Ownbey says
Keish, I’m sorry you’re having issues accessing the schedules. I just checked and the links appear to be working. They are PDF files so you’ll need to have a PDF reader installed on your computer or device. You may want to also try opening them in a different broswer. I hope that helps!
Lynn says
Thanks for all the good information on your blog. I planned a retreat last weekend and used some of your tips on here. I gave the speakers a time limit and they were all good about keeping their time limits. However, I had a speaker who started a new topic discussion that was not on the schedule after her speech and started asking the women personal questions and one of the women became upset and started crying. It took us more than an hour to calm her down and that threw our sessions out of schedule. Thanks for all you do.
Cyndee Ownbey says
Oh Lynn!! This grieves my heart! I hate that happened…Unfortunately we can do all the prep work possible and things can still happen beyond our control. Praying God will use it for good.