Cedarly Pastors' Retreat

John,

Thanks for letting me post of Locusts & Honey!

My wife and I just returned from a week long retreat/vacation provided to us for free by Pastors' Retreat Network. It was a great week, and I think other pastors would definitely benefit from this ministry designed to renew pastors.

This ministry operates three bed & breakfast style facilies in the United States, where pastors and their spouses can come for five days at a time and just rest in the presence of God, whatever that might mean to any individual pastor. The lodging and food are all free, and the accomodations are excellent. We had a trained chef cooking our lunch dinner each day, and we certainly felt pampered. In order to go, you have to agree to a statement of faith, and participate in one common meal with the other pastors each full day you are there.

My wife and I read, hiked, prayed, and enjoyed fellowship with other pastors. After coming away from it, we felt like we had rested physically, as well as been encouraged in the pastoral ministry. The common meal was guided by someone who had been a pastor for many years. He knew how to relate to our lives and understood the challenge we face in keeping our own spiritual lives on track as pastors while trying to lead a congregation to practice the very disciplines we know we need for ourselves.

If you are interested in going, I recommend getting your request in well ahead of your planned trip, just because each site can only accomodate a very limited number of people at a time. The one where we went, Cedarly, in Wisconsin, could handle only six souples at a time.

-Larry