Stepping Out of Time

As religious retreats become increasingly popular, venues of all shapes and sizes are courting this growing market. Here’s a look at how to pick a venue that works best for your event.

By Kate Burton

In today’s fast-paced world, retreating to a place where one can step back, engage in spiritual reflection, and build community spirit is increasingly appealing. From groups as small as half a dozen to those in the hundreds, there are retreats that cater to all demographics-women, couples, youth, fathers and sons­-and for a variety of purposes, from quiet reflection and prayer to communication and leadership development.

In the past, the logical site for a religious retreat was a center or camp specifically geared to religious retreats. And in many cases, that still makes sense. In addition to the obvious benefit of being budget-friendly, the staff at such sites are knowledgeable about the needs of different kinds of retreats. “We see the guests who come as our partners, not just a source of revenue. We do whatever we can to help them in fulfillment of their program,” says the Reverend Kevin Witt, director of camp and retreat ministries for the General Board of Discipleship for the United Methodist Church.

A former camp retreat center director and now responsible for training others who run retreats, as well as co-author of the book The Retreat Leader’s Manual: A Complete Guide to Organizing Meaningful Christian Retreats (Discipleship Resources; December 2006), Witt advises retreat planners to start the planning process with “a good idea of what kind of experiences you want to offer the group so that the group’s goals can be achieved.” Armed with that knowledge, he says, a center director can “brainstorm with the planner on how to support their specific goals and even discuss options they hadn’t thought of before. It goes a lot further than just providing lodging and meals.”

Beyond the traditional centers and camps, though,
today’s sites for retreats can be as varied as the different kinds of retreats. From small inns to full-service convention centers and resorts, a host of venues are eager to work with religious retreats.

Environmentally Friendly

“First and foremost, we encourage retreat planners to ask the question of how they can use the environment to encourage people to focus on the theme of the retreat and to immerse themselves in the retreat experience,” advises Michael Campbell, co-director with his wife, Jenny Sheetz, of St. Joseph Institute, in the mountains of Port Matilda, Pennsylvania.

At St. Joseph, for example, the mountain setting is the backdrop for log buildings, walking trails that wind through the woods, and gently flowing streams. “One way to use the walking trails and gazebos for retreats is to give participants ideas of things to ponder or journaling activities,” says Campbell. “They can walk and contemplate the issues, find a place to sit and rest and take notes.”

As director for some 200 retreats himself in addition to those that come to the center fully planned, Campbell has years of experience to draw on to help retreats come up with creative alternatives. For example, he suggested to the planner of a couples retreat that the group take advantage of the wellness center. “We came up with the idea of instructors teaching the couples about massage as a different way to present valuable and fun communication skills.”

Dan Bolognani, director of sales and marketing for the Interlaken Inn in Lakeville, Connecticut, notes that amenities like a spa can play a role in drawing participants to a religious retreat even when not officially part of the retreat itinerary. “Retreats aren’t compulsory, so organizers rely on participants’ desire to go to a particular location in addition to their interest in the focus of the retreat,” he says.

A Change of View

Another factor is the accessibility of a location. “We find that retreat planners want a location that is close-but not too close-to where their attendees are coming from,” says Bolognani. “Part of the purpose of a religious retreat is to get people out of their everyday mode of life so that they can think and act differently. They want to feel like they’re ‘away,’ but not so far that it’s difficult to get there and back.” In keeping what that, he finds that most religious retreats at Interlaken come from a range of about 60 to 90 minutes away.

That kind of accessibility was important when Margaret Watson chose Interlaken for the December leadership retreat for the Bronx-based Ecclessia Church International, where she is a minister. “Members of this church tend not to want to travel more than two hours from the Bronx,” she says. “This group goes directly from the retreat to services back home on Sunday, so distance is important.”

The physical layout of a site is also important, with needs varying according to the group. For this retreat, for example, Watson says many of the leaders bring family members with them, so individual guest rooms that accommodate families are important. However, in her role as minister and also as owner of the event planning and management company Especially Yours LLC, she has planned religious retreats for youths, for example, where a dormitory setting is more appropriate.

Similarly, the number and location of meeting rooms and other gathering spaces can be a deciding factor for some groups. “The range of activities is amazingly varied among retreats,” says Bolognani, “but a common thread is the need for a variety of meeting spaces, with separate areas for general gatherings and morning or evening services. What also characterizes religious retreats is the need for smaller and quiet breakout areas where groups can break off and discuss the issues of the day-that can be in meeting rooms or more casual lounge areas, minisuites, even in dining rooms during off times.”

But it’s not just a question of knowing ahead of time how many rooms a retreat will need, but also the purpose of those rooms.

“We’ll often have several small retreats here at the same time,” says Julia Falasco, director of sales and marketing for the National Christian Conference Center, based in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. “We recently had a group that let us know they would be in prayer and that they would likely be loud. Knowing that, we were able to place them away from others so they could achieve their goals without disturbing other groups.”

Many retreat venues are chosen based on area attractions. For instance, the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American saint recognized by the Catholic Church, is a big draw for religious retreats in Frederick County, Maryland, an hour’s drive from Washington, D.C. Also in the county is the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lords, the oldest known replica of the French shrine, dating to about 1875.

Package It Up

When it comes to choosing a site, budgetary constraints are almost always a key element for religious retreats. “It varies with the group, but it’s always a factor,” says Watson. This year, in particular, she’s been especially aware of budgets because this is the first year the group has moved to a hotel as opposed to a classic retreat camp setting. “I first looked at Interlaken in 2005,” she says, “but the group wasn’t prepared to make the change budget-wise at that time. We discussed the change at the 2005 retreat so attendees were prepared for it this year.”

Still, many hotels and resorts are willing to work with religious retreat groups to give them the best possible price. At the Bertram Inn and Conference Center, in Aurora, Ohio, for example, sales and catering manager Amy Feller says the hotel features a special package designed for retreats, “but we can customize a package based on a particular group’s needs and budget.”

In addition to working to achieve the lowest room rate possible, the Bertram Inn will work with a group on rates for meals and will offer a free room for every 50 booked, which is usually used for the planner, a speaker, or perhaps even a driver.

“The best way to keep the cost down is to book during the low season,” says Scott Holm, director of sales and marketing at the Stanley Hotel. In Estes Park, Colorado, where the hotel is located, that means November through mid-April can yield the best prices for religious retreats. He also notes that the hotel is very willing to work with groups to “create special menus for them with discounted food and beverage so that we can accommodate them from a financial standpoint.”

Flexibility can be key here, too. “The earlier a group starts and the more flexible they are, the better a rate I can usually offer,” says Bolognani. “Most retreats come during our low season so they’re already getting our very best rates, but even then the retreat package can vary by as much as 20 percent depending on the specific date. If they contact us early and can be flexible within a given time frame-moving to a date that’s more open for example-we can work together to get even better rate than our usual best rate. But they have to be flexible and planning ahead of time for that to work.”

Bolognani advises booking at least six months out, and some others recommend even a year ahead of time.

“We have some groups that rebook for the next year as soon as they leave,” says the National Christian Conference Center’s Falasco. “In any case, communication is always the key. The more a retreat planner can tell us about their goals, plans, numbers, budget, and needs, the better we can prepare for them.”