Need a resource book on Christian conference or retreat planning? Want something written by an expert with twenty plus years of experience? Here are three books I can recommend.
The Christian Conference Planner by Angela Yee. Practical and very detailed, this book is packed with useful information. It’s got strategies for developing your event’s goals and purpose, ideas on organizing financial planning and sponsorship development, tips on recruiting effective conference staff, ways to develop the support of the community, step-by-step plans for site selection, samples of forms, checklists, maps, and schedules, ways to maximize technology, advice from conference planners around the country, and post-conference wrap-up details. (amazon.com) Whew! Buy it here.
The Retreat Leader’s Manual:A Complete Guide to Organizing Meaningful Christian Retreats by Nancy Ferguson. Sometimes we use the term retreat for any one to two day meeting that takes place off-site. In this book, Nancy Ferguson defines a true retreat, helps leaders see their deep value and instructs on the details of organizing retreat times of quiet, sabbath, personal growth, reflection and community. Nancy has thirty plus years of experience, and it seems like she packs much of it into this helpful resource. You can find it here.
Complete Leader’s Guide to Christian Retreats by Rachel Gilmore Ms. Gilmore sets this retreat planning resource apart by including six sample retreat schedules, one each for men, women, children, youth, families and older adults. Even if you do have more than the twenty years of experience than the author offers, wouldn’t it be nice to see how someone else molds a retreat around a particular topic or theme? The Complete Leader’s Guide also includes a great list of retreat sites, in case you’re looking for a few fresh location ideas. You can read more about it here.
Do you have a favorite resource book? Tell us about it in the comments section so we can all enjoy it!