When: Friday, January 22, 6:30 – 8:30 PM and Saturday, January 23 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM All times are EST. (Register by January 12 to get the Early Bird price, and to allow time to ship a special package to you!)

Where: Your home!

Who: All women! In the past we have limited the retreat to those who are actively serving in their churches or organizations, but we recognize the need for women to connect during these unprecedented times, so this coming year we are opening up the retreat to all women.

What: Three general sessions with seminary professor and author Phyllis Bennett, DMin., break-out sessions, giveaways, inspiring worship, and much more!

View the retreat schedule HERE!

Tainted Past ~ Radiant Future

Come join us for a remarkable weekend journey into six stories of women associated with the genealogy of our Savior. In a day when Americans are making some astounding discoveries through tracking their ancestral roots, we’ll peek into some of the surprises in Christ’s family tree as we explore the five women Matthew chose to record in his genealogy –– Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba and Mary. Since he chose only these five, overlooking noteworthy women like Sarah, mother of nations and kings; beautiful Rebekah, mother of Isaac, the promised child; and Leah who birthed Judah, from whom the Lion of Judah would come, we can assume that Matthew had good reasons for each name he showcased.

Yet, by the world’s standards, what a deplorable bunch –– one slept with her father-in-law to birth Christ’s ancestor, one was a prostitute and foreigner, a third was an immigrant and young infertile widow before she married into Christ’s family line, and the fourth committed adultery with the king of Israel. Add to this list Jesus’ own mother, who was scorned for conceiving her son out of wedlock, and Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, who bore the shame of childlessness much of her life, and we have to agree that none of these women were obvious candidates for a woman of the year award in their early seasons! In our venture through the pages of their six biographies, we’ll be encountering women shown contempt for questionable beginnings. And yet, God made something beautiful out of each of their lives.

If you have a few skeletons in your closet that make you wonder whether Christ can truly love you, transform you and powerfully use for His glory, or even if you earned a stellar educational resume, you can rest assured that, whatever your past, tainted or stunning, God can use the stories of these six women ––

TAMAR . . . RAHAB . . . RUTH . . . BATHSHEBA . . . ELIZABETH . . .MARY

–– to help write your own. Even though his own ancestral line meant Jesus started life against all odds, he encourages us to take heart! He is masterful at capturing the broken pieces of our lives and transforming them into a trophy of his grace.

We invite you to join us on this unforgettable journey from . . .

Tainted Past to Radiant Future! 

We are delighted to have Phyllis Bennett, DMin. as our keynote at this year’s reTREAT. Phyllis, as a gifted Bible teacher and conference speaker, is a woman with a passion to inspire and encourage women to use their gifts and talents for the glory of God.

Her captivating, life-transforming messages help put feet to her passion of encouraging women to embrace God’s Word for healing, authenticity, vision, and greater intimacy with God and others. For the past 30 years, she has spoken “from sea to shining sea” to audiences from 25 to 500, bringing her shepherd’s heart to every speaking and consulting opportunity God has given. Her warm-hearted and authentic messages connect with women of all ages and walks of life. Phyllis holds a Master of Divinity from Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon and a Doctor of Ministry from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Hamilton, Massachusetts in “Effective Ministry to Women.” She presently serves as Director of the Women’s Center for Ministry and as the Coordinator of the Women’s Transformational Leadership Concentration at Western Seminary where she also serves as part-time faculty teaching two courses, training women to exposit God’s Word and to write Bible study curricula.

Phyllis is happily married to David Bennett, who serves as Global Associate Director for Collaboration and Content for the Lausanne Movement. Dave and Phyllis have two married sons and eight wonderful grandchildren. They live in Washougal, Washington.

We are thrilled to have Carrie Marshall as our worship leader. An award-winning songwriter and featured artist with the North Carolina Arts Council, Carrie Marshall’s original songs create a unique, signature sound that’s sophisticated yet accessible. Influenced by gospel, jazz, blues, and Southern rock, Carrie “rewards listeners with her heart and voice as she infuses each song with power and poignancy.”

Carrie moved to North Carolina in 2008 and by 2010 she had won singer/songwriter of the year from the NC Songwriter co-op for her original vocal jazz song, “Queen City.” In 2012, she was named North Carolina’s Top Charlotte Vocalist by the Carolina Entertainment Network. Working with exceptionally gifted musicians while in Charlotte she wrote and recorded her jazz inspired album of original songs, Home. Her album features her song, “Thoughts Unspoken;” a top Ten Finalist award with the UK International Songwriting Competition in 2014.

Carrie’s music is available on iTunes or on her website. For a full list of Carrie’s accomplishments, awards, and discography, please visit her website, https://www.carriemarshall.net/

ReTREAT DETAILS & REGISTRATION INFORMATION

• The reTREAT begins Friday at 7:00 PM and concludes Saturday by 12:30. (All times are EST.)
• The Zoom room will open 30 minutes before each session for welcome, worship, prize drawings, and other fun things!
• If you miss a session, they will be available online to retreat registrants for a limited time after the retreat so you won’t miss out.
• You will have a few different options in which to register: as an individual attendee or as a group attendee. The individual registration fee is $45. The group rate for three or more women is $40.
• Millennial Discount! Those who are 35 or younger may register for only $30.00! No code needed – just select that option during the registration process.
• January 12th is the cutoff date for registrations to get the Early Bird price, and to allow time to ship a special package to you. Registrations received after that date will be charged an additional $5 and will need to download their session materials from our website.
• In addition, limited scholarships are available. Contact our office for further information.
• A week before the retreat, you will receive a final confirmation letter with additional information. If you have other concerns, please call our office at (978) 455-1011 or email us.

We’re looking forward to seeing you in January. More importantly, the Lord himself desires to encourage your heart and ministry with his strengthening presence.

“Where can women in leadership be refreshed? We’re always ‘on’ whether we are teaching, planning, leading, or delegating. We need a place to let down and let go-to connect with other women and to be fed so our cup is refilled. The by design reTREAT is it-a place to refresh, share ideas, pray and be in God’s presence so we can hear His direction for our next step.

I attended the reTREAT and met wonderful kindred sisters. We connected over meals and heard from speakers on topics that we encounter. And, we left feeling like family. It is so good to know I am not alone out there. God has an army of women on the front lines and they can become my rear guard as I serve in my local church and community. One favorite moment of the weekend was when we all broke out singing the Doxology in the dining hall. Voices raised. Perfect harmony. Clear and strong. It was such a beautiful picture of God’s daughters working in unity, according to our giftededness, for the Kingdom.”

2016 reTREAT participant