A retreat is an opportunity to get away from the stressors of daily life and take the time to focus on onself.  It is a chance for rest, relaxation, rejuvenation, and refreshment.  Some retreats are personal while others are with a gorup.  Some are directed, while others are self-guided.  You must choose what method would work for you.

 

 

All retreats are directed and group-oriented.  They are specific to the needs of persons recovering from an addiction to alcohol and other drugs, and are supported by Christian beliefs and practices.

 

 

Of course, anyone who is at least one month clean/sober is welcome and encouraged to attend.  This might be a great opportunity for you to learn how the 12 steps of recovery might be beneficial to you in your recovery process.  We will be focusing on the first three steps for the retreats in 2010.

 

 

Again, anyone who is in recovery from addiction is welcome to come.  Perhaps the retreat will help you to gain deeper insight into your spirituality and help you to revelop a deeper relationship with God.  Please know, we will be following Christian based practices, so if you come from another faith based tradition, these retreats might not meet your needs.  Of course you are welcome to come, if you wish to learn more about how we apply these to our recovery.  Feel free to contact me if you have personal questions about these issues.

 

 

First of all, everyone must be past the physical withdrawal symptoms that develop as a result of abstaining fom the use of such drugs as alcohol and benziodiazapenes.  For this reason, I ask that you be at least one month clean.  If you require medical attention in order to detox, I recommend that you contact your local hospital about doing so.  It may mean, too, that you need to complete some form of inpatient teratment after completing detox.  Please contact me if you need some assistance in finding adequate treatment, as needed.

 

 

I anticipate that the retreats will be attended by people who are early in their recovery process, as well as people who ahve many years of sobriety and are just looking for a means to refocus.  The beauty lies in the fact that each can learn from and support each other in the unique positions in the journeys of recovery.  All but one of the retreats will be attended by men and women.  I anticipate that some people will be coming from AA or NA with little or no church involvement, and some will be coming from a chrch background with little or no exposure to AA or NA, while others will have strong ties to both traditions.  Those new to recovery migth not have any support network established.  Again, I expect that everyone will benefit from the experience of interacting with each other in the group activities.

 

 

We will do group workshops, where we will explore how the 12 steps intertwine with Christian faith.  This will be accomplsihed through writings, discussions, and introspection. There will be time for prayer, mediations, and worship.  There also will be time for outdoor activities, games, and some crafts.  Remember that each retreat has been scheduled in a camp setting so that you can enjoy the outdoors and really relax and get in touch with nature, God, and yourself.  Many of the activities will have these goals in mind.

 

 

While I encourage you to take full advantage of everything that is offered, it is your retreat.  So, if you choose to take a hike or a nap instead of attending an activity, it is okay.

 

 

I really want to let go of as many of the outside pulls as you can.  When we have our cells, we tend to check messages and e-mail throughout the day.  I am asking you to make a commitment to keep that to a minimum or not at all.  I understand that, in case of emergency, you want to be available to family.  I will have my cell phone and each camp as an office phone.  See if you can rely on those instead.  I do ask that you not be available to your office or employer while on retreat.  I think you owe that to yourself.

 

 

It would be preferable if it is nice, but should it be inclement weather, some of the outdoor activities will be modified to indoor ones.  We still will need to walk to the dining hall for our meals, so be sure to bring all weather clothes and footwear.

 

 

We will be staying in camps, so the rooms will be simple and unadorned.  You will need to bring your own sleeping bag and pillow or linens, as well as your own towels.  Some rooms have their own bathroom while others will have shared baths.  Check out the websites for the different camps to see what the rooms are like.  All meals will be served in a dining hall and will be home cooking.  Please let me know if you have any dietary restrictions when making your reservation.

 

 

In order to obtain a full refund, one must submit a cancellation request no later than one week prior to the event.