L iving the Sw eet L ife L iving the Sw eet L ife What do you crave? God s Word is more Ho w sw ee t satisfying than cake, are yo ur w ords ice cream, pie, or to my ta st e, y candy. It s guilt-free ne ho sw ee te r th an! and never-ending! to my mou th God s words of love, Ps alm 119 :10 3 forgiveness, pardon, and acceptance in Jesus bring an unmatched sweetness to our lives and our relationships. The activities, devotions, discussions, and journaling options suggested in Living the Sweet Life will guide you, step by step, as you design a spiritually enriching retreat every woman will enjoy and remember for years to come. #LSW18LG 216611
Living the Sweet Life Julia Martin Kristin Schultz How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 119:103
The vision of CTA is to see Christians highly effective in their ministry so that Christ s Kingdom is strengthened and expanded. Contents Living the Sweet Life Julia Martin Kristin Schultz Welcome... 4 Details for Planning and Leading... 6 Preheat the Oven: Ideas for Meeting and Getting to Know Each Other... 23 Discussion Sessions... 33 Session 1: Sweet Relationships... 34 Session 2: Tying on the Apron... 36 Session 3: Dig In Guilt-Free!... 38 Session 4: Life à la Mode... 40 Session 5: The Perfect Recipe... 42 Thyme with Jesus... 44 Copyright 2018 CTA, Inc. 1625 Larkin Williams Rd. Fenton, MO 63026 www.ctainc.com Permission to make photocopies or reproduce by any other mechanical or electronic means is granted only to the original purchaser and is intended for use within a church or other Christian organization, but not for sale. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NLT are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Devotional and Worship Times... 48 Icing on the Cake... 50 Sample Retreat Schedules... 51 Master Supply List... 53 Budgeting for Your Retreat... 54 Looking Back, Looking Ahead... 55 ISBN 978-1-943216-61-1 PRINTED IN THAILAND 3
Welcome An internet search for cupcake recipe generates more than 9 million webpage results. That s a lot of cupcakes! The ingredients vary butter or coconut oil, milk or cream cheese, eggs, vanilla, chocolate and the topping options are even more numerous. Depending on your preference, you can decorate your cupcakes with buttercream or whipped cream, strawberries or caramel sauce... are you getting hungry? One ingredient those 9 million recipes have in common is sugar. A cupcake simply isn t a cupcake if it s not sweet, right? And with today s throng of health experts lecturing against a sugar-rich diet, for many of us something sweet has become an indulgence, a treat for a special occasion (even if we would love to eat chocolate for breakfast). In God s Word, we have a treat for any time of day, any diet, any occasion: the Gospel. In Psalm 119:103, the psalmist writes, How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Our rescue from sin through Jesus sacrifice on the cross is a luxury we can enjoy every minute of every day. God s unfailing love for us is the sweet extravagance that doesn t have to wait for a special occasion. The Good News of Christ s death and resurrection flavors every aspect of our lives with joy and hope! The re-treat outlined in this planning guide is a celebration of the unparalleled sweetness of the Gospel. We at CTA pray that our Lord will use the event to bring you and your guests closer to him through his Word and make you more certain of his love for you. As you prepare for your retreat, you may have other objectives in mind, too. You may want to... give the women in your faith community a break from the mad rush of their everyday schedules (with a little indulgence thrown in); provide an irresistible opportunity for women in your church to develop closer bonds with one another by growing together spiritually; and add a no-pressure menu item to your organization s activities, one that is welcoming to the women in your broader community who have not been exposed to God s Word. It s important to have a clear idea yes, before you pick the weekend! of what you want your event to accomplish. Knowing exactly how you wish to enrich the lives of your guests will help you make better and quicker decisions as you go along. So as you meet with your planning team, pray together and discuss your goals. (Below is some space to get you started.) Then, every time you get together before the retreat, read through your objectives at the beginning of the meeting. You may need to adjust them as you go along, as your plans materialize. That s okay! What s important is that your purposes are clear and agreed upon by everyone on your team. The Why behind the Retreat As a result of this retreat, participants will... 1. grow closer to Christ and to each other; 2. 3. 4 5
Details for Planning and Leading Have you ever made Baked Alaska? The recipe calls for ice cream, cake, and meringue, which must all be prepared at different temperatures and assembled with utmost care. If done right, the final dish comes out caramelized on the outside and deliciously cold on the inside. Sound daunting? Planning a retreat can be like that! This guide includes tips and checklists to make it easier, but you ll find that the most important ingredients in making your event happen are the people. Use the following pages to help you divide up the responsibilities of preparing the retreat. You may need three to seven members on some teams, but two or three people working together can complete most tasks. Remember to set your goals first. Then, decide which teams you will need and brainstorm names of specific people to recruit; as much as possible, you should match each role with the unique, God-given gifts of the volunteer you recruit. Invite people to help with the retreat by asking in person. Be ready to share details about the tasks you would like them to tackle. Once people are on board, you can give each team the appropriate task list from the following pages. Retreat Leader ship Team This is the one indispensable team you will definitely want to create the crucial ingredient! RECRUIT THREE TO SEVEN LEADERS WHO... ~ have the time and willingness to pull together this important event; ~ are knowledgeable about available, appropriate resources, including human resources; ~ will bring a variety of perspectives and abilities creativity, concern for details and the ability to corral them, knowledge of what s come before in the women s ministry at your church, a fresh viewpoint on what may be possible; and ~ carry a passion for seeing their friends and neighbors grow closer to Jesus. MEMBERS OF THIS TEAM WILL... ~ pray for the retreat, for all who plan, lead, and attend; ~ set goals and choose activities designed to accomplish them; ~ recruit one go-to person as chair to answer questions as they arise from volunteer workers and potential registrants; ~ assign individuals to specific roles (for example, music leaders; discussion leaders; and guest speakers, if needed); ~ enlist one or more vivacious emcees who can lead icebreaker activities, offer prayers before and after meals, and conduct the devotions that punctuate the retreat; ~ oversee the event budget; ~ make decisions about dates and location for the retreat and secure reservations; ~ communicate with church staff about plans and get any necessary permissions or advice from church leadership; ~ form, coordinate, and oversee all other teams, pitching in to help as needed; and ~ arrange for follow-up activities after the retreat ends. 6 7
Don t forget to thank the people who help you lead! A modest themed thank-you gift would make the ladies on your Retreat Leadership Team feel appreciated. Look for appropriate options from the Living the Sweet Life product line at www.ctainc.com. When will you hold your retreat? Think about the schedule first. Do you want to stay overnight? Plan to begin Friday evening and conclude sometime Saturday afternoon. If an overnight stay seems too costly for some potential participants, consider ways to cover their expenses. Or devise a Saturday morning or afternoon schedule. You will find two sample schedules beginning on page 51 of this guide. You can adjust either of these to fit your goals. When? Where? How? How Much? Where will your retreat take place? Retreats can happen almost anywhere! ~ Retreat centers and not-for-profit camps dot the countryside. Prices vary and may include meals. Many of these are booked up far in advance, though, so plan ahead! ~ Someone may be willing to let you use a vacation home on the lake or in the mountains. You will need to provide and prepare your own meals, though. ~ Set aside the rooms you need in a nearby hotel or bedand-breakfast. This may be a more expensive option, but depending on how many rooms you need, the management may let you use a meeting area for free. (You may receive a complimentary breakfast, too!) ~ During the summer months or winter break, a nearby Christian college may rent dorms and classrooms to outside groups. Meal service and linens may or may not be available. Check to discover your options. ~ Use your church s facilities. Have everyone bring a sleeping bag and pillow. If one goal of the retreat is to get away or if some who will attend will find sleeping bags off-putting, this may be the least viable option. Still, given a positive, encouraging attitude on the part of the leaders, it may work for you. Sweet! 8 9