"A SPIRITUAL SPA FOR PASTORS"

They will gather the Tuesday after Easter in Goodlettsville, TN, a suburb of Nashville. They will come from different states, and different church settings. Some will be tired from the rigorous, demanding Holy Week just past, but beyond that many will be just weary and worn out from years of ministry. Some have deep scars and wounds, for others the scars are less visible. Some will be contemplating leaving the ministry. Some will be looking for refreshing, a new focus, a new filling, a spiritual makeover, or just more of God. One couple who attended a previous retreat wrote: "We came here hoping to get refreshed and get our "spiritual batteries" recharged.”

They were looking for a spiritual spa.

This will be the 9th Minister and Spouse Retreat held at the Aldersgate Renewal Center, operated by Aldersgate Renewal Ministries [ARM], a program ministry that is an affiliate of the General Board of Discipleship. The Tuesday through Friday experience will be led by ARM staff and others with years of ministry experience who will share with, teach and challenge the group. They will love and pray for the participants. There will be times of teaching, dynamic worship, sharing, and prayer ministry. There is a date night where couples are sent out to restaurants alone with a $50 gift certificate to the restaurant provided by ARM. Even their stay at a hotel is paid for by ARM. In fact, for an $99 registration fee (per couple) and their travel expenses, couples get their housing, meals, the date night and 4 days at a "spiritual spa" where they were pampered and prayed for rather than "preyed on." One of the spouses wrote: "We have been in ministry for 25 years. The last year has been very tough. We came here very weary and pretty tired of being battered."

“The vision,” explains ARM Executive Director Gary Moore (a permanent deacon), “is to provide a safe place for clergy and their spouses to have a fresh experience with God that will result in their continued pursuit of effective pastoral ministry. Ministry can be grueling and often, the rigors and unhealed wounds of ministry result in robbing the minister of: a vital relationship with God through Christ Jesus; a healthy relationship with their spouse; and a fruitful relationship to the ‘sheep entrusted to their care.’ The four days and three nights of ministry is intentionally designed to provide renewal, healing and refreshing in each of those three areas.”

“And the cost to the participants is too good a deal to pass up!”, continues Moore. A pastor recently called the ARM office to be sure he was reading the brochure right—“Just a $99 registration fee, that’s it?” It seemed too good to be true, but it is.

What have been the results?

The evaluations speak for themselves. One pastor wrote: "Pastoral ministry has been equated with being nibbled to death by ducks and in our case the ducks were winning-big time. It was great-maybe even lifesaving-to get out of the barnyard for a few days." Another wrote: "through the pastor/spouse retreat I was given the opportunity to be loved and give forgiveness to all those persons who have hurt me though their actions and words. I have been set free to walk deeper in the Spirit's power and love." One of the spouses wrote: "God has healed my inmost being of some of the deepest hurts imaginable. I was sexually abused as a child, and my healing came this week at the Pastor/Spouse retreat. I feel clean and whole and new again." Commenting on their return to their parish one of the spouses wrote: “We will go back to our church renewed and refreshed, ready to serve again."

“Only pastors who are experiencing the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in their lives can be used as God’s agents for transformation in the lives of their congregations, “ exclaimed Moore. “ARM offers these retreats as a gift to the church because of their deep love and compassion for pastors.”

The dates for the next Minister & Spouse retreats are: April 18-21, 2006 and April 10-13, 2007. Space is limited to the first 30 couples who register. Elders, local pastors, deacons, ministers of music, youth pastors, any couples who are involved in some kind of pastoral ministry in the church, ordained or not, are welcome to register.

For more information, you can contact ARM at 121 East Avenue, Goodlettsville, TN 37072, call toll free 1-877-857-9372 or check out the website at www.AldersgateRenewal.org. A District Superintendent who attended and has since participated on the leadership team with his wife commented: " I will be telling pastors and spouses in my district about this joyful experience."