2024 Clergy and Clergy Spouse Ministry Retreat

April 29 (4 p.m.) - May 1 (noon), 2024 | Berry Hill Resort

Ministry can be really hard.

As clergy and clergy spouses we regularly face complex situations, long hours, and sometimes even challenging people. Unless we know how to live in the joy of the Lord and how to return to joy regularly, the demands we face serving the church can easily lead to discouragement and even burnout. This isn’t an abstract concept: it’s actually how our brains work.

OUR MINDS WERE DESIGNED FOR THE JOY OF THE LORD, ACCORDING TO NEUROSCIENCE.

So join us for this year’s Clergy and Spouse Ministry Retreat: Restoring Joy. You’ll learn practical strategies based in scripture and neuroscience about how to live consistently in God’s joy. We’ll also discuss ways to share these practices with your people so that they, too, can live joyfully as Christ’s disciples. Our speaker is Michael Hendricks, coauthor of the book, "The Other Half of Church: Christian Community, Brain Science, and Overcoming Spiritual Stagnation." The Rev. Mike and Ruth Jones of St. Mary's Luton, England will serve as our chaplains. Together, they lead JoySkills, a course helping Christian leaders thrive through creating sustainable ministries.

All DOMA clergy and clergy spouses are invited. This is not a marriage retreat nor a clergy retreat that spouses can sit in on. It’s a retreat for each one of us, regardless of life stage, demographic, or vocation, as church leaders in the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic.

 
 
 

Meet Our Speaker

MICHEL HENDRICKS

Michel Hendricks is a teacher, trainer, inventor and author. Drawing from the cross-section of the Bible and brain science, he helps churches and communities implement a relational discipleship that transforms. He is the director of consulting at Life Model Works and is the co-author with Dr. Jim Wilder of the book The Other Half of Church: Christian Community, Brain Science, and Overcoming Spiritual Stagnation. He is a graduate of The University of Colorado, Boulder and Denver Seminary.

Meet Our CHAPLAINS

MIKE JONES

I have spent 30 years in overseas and local church ministry and am passionate about helping people and organizations thrive emotionally, spiritually and relationally. I offer personalized 1-on-1 coaching for Christian leaders and pastors. My real-world experience equips leaders to avoid burnout, create sustainable communities, and lead with fresh vision.

RUTH JONES

I offer personal coaching and prayer to help Christian women permanently heal emotional wounds and trauma through encountering Jesus, restoring joy and intimacy with God. Along with experience in inter-cultural mission in Europe, I have also been in local church leadership, overseeing Prayer, Healing and Freedom training and ministry in both a local and diocesan capacity.

Learn more about their ministry Joyskills.