FAQ: What is the Annual Leadership Retreat?

At the beginning of every year, we take our leaders on the ultimate community building and vision casting event—The Annual Leadership Retreat. For two days, they are immersed in high-octane worship and leadership development. The staff and leadership team spend months brainstorming theme, content and creative elements for the retreat. This is the most important thing we do every year for our leaders, and we want them to be there so badly that we pick up the entire tab. There are elements that are platform-driven and elements that are more interactive. We share stories, highlight wins from the previous year, and prepare our leaders for the next year.

These are a few reasons we do this:

Perspective
Mark Batterson has taught me a simple formula:

Change of Pace + Change of Place = Change of Perspective.

We want to facilitate a change of perspective for our leaders by taking them out of their ordinary environment. It’s much easier to think about your relationship with God, your leadership, and your group when you have a large chunk of time for focus and prayer.

Leadership Community
Two things I have learned about leadership: it’s caught (more than taught) and it can get lonely. So we place a high priority on creating environments where leaders can interact with one another, learn from one another, and challenge one another. The Annual Leadership Retreat creates a connection point for our leaders. It’s a great time for team-building and an opportunity for community learning.

Leadership Training
We put our leaders on a vision drip for the weekend, pump them full of valuable leadership training, and give them the tools and resources they need to effectively do the ministry they’ve been called to do. We typically do 4 main sessions, covering topics such as leading yourself well, building community, making disciples, multiplying yourself, etc. Then, we offer breakouts specific to ministry leaders and small group leaders. Ministry leaders share best practices and work on plans for the upcoming year. Small group leaders meet as teams and with their zone leaders to plan and choose from several breakouts covering topics like Inductive Bible Study, creating community in your group, leading interest groups, leadership styles, etc.

Vision
We give our leaders the opportunity to hear directly from Pastor Mark the things that God is teaching him and the direction he feels the Spirit leading us as a church.

Logistics
We give our leaders valuable information on the calendar and plans for 2007.