Culture Definition Retreat

February

The Spiritual Center at Maria Stein
RETREAT IS COMPLETE

Feb. 24, 9am – Feb. 25, 4pm

Future Dates TBD

We are gauging interest in future dates for retreats for Summer 2025. Please contact [email protected] for information.

The goal of the Culture Definition Retreat is to enhance the effectiveness of the Family of Parishes leadership team through prayer, worship, reflections, and resolutions on individual and team discipleship. A strong and highly coherent, effective team is essential for making your Family of Parishes truly vital.

The Culture Retreat is a two-day, overnight event for 3-5 Family Leadership Teams. Grounded in prayer and worship, teams will use discipleship reflections to discuss the current ecclesial culture in their Family of Parishes. Teams will have time to grow together and interact with teams from other Families.

Facilitators will help define core leadership values that support the desired ecclesial culture of discipleship. Family Leadership Teams will consider how to integrate these new values into leadership development, team collaboration, hiring, performance management, and collaboration with lay leadership.

Dates for future Culture Retreats are under consideration. Retreats typically run from 9 AM to 8 PM on Day 1 and from 8 AM to 4 PM on Day 2.

The Center for Parish Vitality will sponsor up to eight leadership team members from each Family of Parishes attending, at no cost to the Family itself.

If your Family Leadership Team is in place and your Phase 2 vision is complete, please contact [email protected] to discern if your Family is ready for this important step in the Beacons of Light transformation to a missionary parish.

Testimonials

Father Brian Phelps, pastor of Our Lady of Light Family of Parishes and Dean of the Emmanuel deanery shared: “The culture retreat helped my Family Leadership Team to have deeper discussions about the culture of our team. Working with the liaisons that weren’t assigned to us was very beneficial. Their presence guided conversations that we may not have gone too deep into, especially on conflict, accountability, and healthy team culture … This retreat helped me to pray more about putting out into the deep and trusting in God’s grace and have a new sense of hope in the darkness. This retreat also helped us hone our core values to a place where our staff can begin to live them out first to roll them out more to the parishioners.”

Cathy Magness, Pathway Lead for Mother of God Family of Parishes shared “To have an intentionally scheduled, focused couple of days as a team, away from distractions and interruptions was priceless. Even though we initially balked at taking 2 full days away, we all agreed it was worthwhile.” Since the retreat, they have revised their leadership meeting timing and agenda and are reaping the benefits of improved communication.