Good News: Southtown Star Article from 3.22.09

FRANKFORT AUTHOR PENS RETREAT GUIDE
By Rena Fulka
The SouthtownStar

Retreats offer much more than devotional time in a quiet and peaceful setting.
"They're little escapes from the real world to get back on track with God," Frankfort author Rachel Gilmore said.

"Retreats provide opportunities for transformation. Sometimes they're little transformations, sometimes they're huge. And they come with a new understanding of who God is to you, and how to use your gifts to serve God and make the world a better place."
Gilmore planned religious and secular retreats for 20 years before channeling her advice to help others do the same.

In her new book, "The Complete Leader's Guide to Christian Retreats," she walks readers through the planning process from start to finish and offers sample retreats on topics for men, women, youth, families and older adults.

"Some themes tie into books, movies and other pieces of culture that serve as discussion points for applying biblical truths," she said.

The book also features reproducible handouts and helpful tips from experts in the field. The state-by-state listing of camp and conference centers includes Camp Manitoqua and Retreat Center in Frankfort, where Gilmore has led local outings. Released in December, the book sold 2,000 copies in two weeks, placing Gilmore among the top 20 Judson authors of 2008.

The honor has its perks.
"Before my first book was out, I had a contract for a second book," Gilmore said.
Scheduled for release later this year, "To All Generations" will present intergenerational church programming featuring events geared for entire congregations.

Gilmore and her husband, Dave, grew up attending First Presbyterian Church of Homewood.
"Retreats were a huge part of my faith formation in high school," the mother of three said.
So stepping in to plan and lead the congregation's spiritual excursions was a natural fit. She also served the church as director of Christian education.

A writer for as long as she can remember, Gilmore pursued English degrees at Illinois Wesleyan University and University of Illinois at Chicago.

She established WriterRae Communications, her own public relations company, and tackled curriculum, devotional, newsletter, magazine and grant writing. She also freelanced for The Star.
At New Life Church in New Lenox, Gilmore started the Write4Him writing ministry and works with the food pantry and student ministries programs. She also leads a small group and sings on the praise team.

Facilitating retreats is among her favorite spiritual activities.
"A retreat is a small group get-away to recharge your spiritual batteries and discuss faith-related issues," Gilmore said.

"For me, friendships got deepened on those experiences, especially my friendship with God."

Rena Fulka can be reached at rfulka@southtownstar.com or (708) 802-8829.

find out more...

"The Complete Leader's Guide to Christian Retreats" by Frankfort author Rachel Gilmore isavailable for $17 atwww.completeretreatguide.com with payment through PayPal.
The book also can be purchased at local Family Christian Stores and online at Judson Press and Amazon.com.

For a limited time, Gilmore is offering one hour of free consulting with a book purchase to Southland small group ministry leaders and retreat planning teams.

She also offers webinars, retreat leadership services and speaking engagements. For more information, call (815) 685-3305 or visit www.writerrae.com.

New Friends -- Emmaus Retreat Center

Today I got an email from Joseph Johnson, a pastor and co-owner of the Emmaus Retreat Center. The Center has been his dream and vision for the past twenty years. Like most of us working for God, he did not travel a straight path to get where he is. I think he'd agree with the words from Proverbs which preface my book... man makes the plans but God directs the steps.

Take a moment to check out the Emmaus Retreat Center web site. Located in central Mississippi north of Jackson and Vicksburg, the Center can accommodate individuals for personal retreats or groups up to 40. The photos of their wooded grounds and charming cottages and program space look so inviting...I wish it were closer so I could visit!

But even more than the photos and the descriptions, I'd encourage you to read Joseph's blog. There are only a handful of entries, but they describe how this vision came into being...how this fellow pilgrim with a heart that wants to serve God in faithful obedience is hoping to watch God at work in others at Emmaus the way God has been at work in him.

I pray that the Lord would bless and keep Joseph and the Emmaus team, that the Lord would be gracious to them and make his face to shine upon them, that the Lord would turn his face to them and give them his peace as they walk this road in his name. Amen. Let it be.

Transformations and Vacations

As I've been thinking about the nature and purpose of conferences and retreats, I've decided that they remind me of how our family vacations. My husband loves big, long camping trips packed with mountains to climb, lakes to canoe, fish to catch, boats to sail, history and geology to explore and new campgrounds to visit. My dream is really to park the camper on the shore of a lake and just sit and enjoy the view for a while. Not that we couldn't take a few hikes here and there, canoe around said lake or learn about a few dead guys and old rocks now and then, but sometimes I need a vacation that truly lets me get some rest and reconnect myself...to my brain, to my family, to my friends, to God.

Take, for instance, our little jaunt two summers ago to Glacier Park, Montana, a 3 week cross country trip where each day was jam-packed with things to do and places to go (lots of mountains, lakes, fish, boats, dead guys and old rocks!). It was an incredible time, no doubt about it! Yet last summer, we went down to the Smoky Mountains and spent three days by the side of a cool, inviting stream that danced over ancient boulders and pebbles. I could have stayed all summer, sitting in my camp chair, reading my books, listening to the creek and my kids playing in it. And when I commented how much I had enjoyed this vacation, my husband said, "It was good, but I would have liked to have done a little more, as long as we were there, you know?"

I do know, and I do understand and admire his quest for adventure and knowledge... and most of the time I'm game to follow his lead. But, boy, sometimes I just need to...well...retreat...to get some quality R&R and renew and refresh my body, mind and soul...without the accompanying busyness that rules my daily life.

So in my head there is a big difference between a conference and a retreat. Seems to me that a conference is more educational in nature while a retreat is more relational. Now, that's not to say that you can't have some great networking and friendship building experiences at a conference or that you can't "learn" anything while on retreat. I think you can and you do. But overall, a conference feels more formal and practical while a retreat is really a break from the constant busyness of the world to give time for God to transform your heart, soul and mind.

I was reminded again this week how much I do enjoy the conference experience, how exciting it can be to get your brain learning new things and be in the company of other individuals that share your passion for the conference content. Yet I love retreats, too. So, just like in other areas of your life, I think it's all about balance...finding it and keeping it...and getting it to all work together for the greater good.

"There is a season for everything and a time for every purpose under Heaven." (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Sojourners Reviews TCLGTCR

The Complete Leader's Guide to Christian Retreats received a nod in the March 2009 Sojourners! Yay God!

Love the One You're With Retreat Highlights

This verse from I Corinthians was in my inbox today when I got home from retreat:

"Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." (I Corinthians 13:7, NLT)

This is exactly what we wanted to communicate to the women this weekend at the Love the One You're With retreat; I think we were successful...

Friday night...in the Psalms study room, women were awed and amazed that Christine's typed copy of a Psalm asked them to insert their own name everywhere it said me, my or I. In that moment the Word became a very personal message of hope and love to those women. Praise God! In the Confession/Assurance of Pardon room, tears rolled down cheeks as women came face to face with the brokenness each and every one of us live with because of sin and wept as they wrote those sins down, burned them in the fire and received the assurance of pardon that God forgives and his love is from everlasting to everlasting. In the Prayer Labyrinth room, women negotiated the labyrinth path, stopping at stations to reflect and pray, at first tentatively, then with a true pilgrim's heart. This station took much longer than anticipated because the women fully engaged in the moment, kneeling in prayer over the pool of water into which their burden stone had been released, heads bent over journals in which they poured out their hearts. "Do not be conformed to this world but transform your mind so that you can discern what is God's will, what is good and pleasing and perfect." (Romans 12:2) Amen!

Saturday morning...Christine removed fear and anxiety from our relationships with God by talking about the Favor Line and how God erased that with His love, His Son. God does not require that we measure up to a certain unattainable standard. He does hope and pray that we will be faithful, that we will seek Him out, that we will live reconciled to Him, but He does not remove His love when we falter and stumble, a message many needed to hear. Saturday morning also brough dyads and a time to get to know one other woman better on a deeper level. New friendships were formed amidst tears and laughter.

Saturday afternoon...Rachel helped ladies figure out where they were on the Jesus Relationship Continuum (and we tied it into Fireproof!). They heard about how crazy faith and crazy love are what are required to live a life worthy of the one to which God has called us. Inspired by the Shamgar Principle (are you curious? Judges 3;31), they brainstormed ways to deepen their love for Jesus during Lent so that on Easter morning they can wake up and say with unconditional passion, "I love you, Lord, and you alone!" Perspectives were forever changed as we went around a prayer circle naming one person and what s/he had done to show us love...then going around a second time replacing the person's name with the Name above all names, Jesus. Barely enough kleenex to go around...

There's so much more to share about crazy faith and crazy love, but that's a story for another day...

God Definitely Has a Sense of Humor

And hopefully I'll be laughing all the way to the bank (at some point, assuming there still are banks)!

The unbelievable saga of my retreat planning book continues... When I started my research last spring, I began calling camp and conference centers around the US to get my data for the "get yourself started" listing of facilities nationwide. I had the hardest time reaching a live person, and often when I did, the person was rather suspicious, like I was trying to sell ad space, not simply obtain basic info about their camp. After working my way through the first 5 states on my list and getting a dismal response rate, I opted to just utilize two online camp/conference databases and only deal with facilities that had detailed web sites. That worked, and my book continued unhindered.

However, after the book came out in December, I asked my Judson Press marketing director if she thought we should send a mailer to all the camp/conference centers in the book to let them know the book was available. I hesitated because I didn't want these places to feel like I was running some kind of bait and switch scam and now I expected them to buy because they'd been included. Oddly enough, though, camps began contacting Judson and asking if they could buy the book in bulk and give it away to all of the groups who use their facilities. That request got the marketing director thinking about a different way to promote the book as both a tool and a blessing for user groups. So, a direct mail piece was done and sent to all the Christian Camp and Conference Association members letting them know about the book and offering a discount for buying in bulk. That's resulted in a small but steady stream of orders every day from the camps, which hopefully will turn into bulk orders down the line. Who knew?

Like I said, I hope I'm ultimately laughing all the way to the bank and that the book continues to be both a blessing and a tool for all who read it! You gotta love God's sense of humor!

Retreat Planning Webinars

Newsflash! Rachel will soon be hosting webinars to make your retreat planning process even easier! Training is being done later this month with the goal of hosting the first webinar in April. During the session, Rachel will walk you through the retreat planning overview and answer all your questions, so you can get your retreat in the works!

Stay tuned for more details/dates.