Paraclete associates come alongside the hurting, the helpless, the defenseless, the lost, the persecuted, the confused, the illiterate, the hungry, and the ignorant. They serve as Holy Spirit assistants. They go where assigned. They do as directed. They live as provided. They stay as long as required.
But humans, even when divinely equipped, need recharging. They tire. They hunger. They thirst. They get confused. They get lonely. They get discouraged.
Solomon warns us in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10,
“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!”
Heeding the wise King’s advice, 95 Paraclete associates stepped back from their work for four days in August. They traveled from all across our planet to gather at Ridgecrest Conference Center in Ridgecrest, North Carolina, about 20 miles east of Asheville (yes, THAT Asheville).
Each day after breakfast and fellowship, the associates chose from one of eight affinity group sessions:
- Debriefing Ministers
- Counseling Ministry
- Serving as a Spiritual Director
- Pastoral Care and Training
- Ministry to Middle Easterners
- Coaching
- Untying the Knots
- Mentoring and Discipling Women
They followed the affinity sessions with a time of worship, then dove into the whole group’s morning keynote presentations. Which, of course, worked up their appetite for lunch.
Several outings to local attractions were arranged after Wednesday’s lunch. Thursday’s lunch was followed by a smorgasbord of six different seminars that covered a range of technical and organizational topics that form the less picturesque but necessary administrative side of ministry. Each was repeated three times.
All those sessions provided valuable tools and training. But the associates report the three best things about this year’s retreat were:
- “The mix of information offerings and the generous time to connect, network, and listen.”
- “Sweet times of worship and great times of encouragement in gathering in small groups.”
- “In-house speakers’ workshops, fellowship, catching up with friends.”
Those who dedicate their life’s ministry to walking alongside others need the same care themselves. This retreat did just that.
