Have you been to a Pastors Retreat Network location? Are you remembering the week God spoke to you in a unique and powerful way? Do you want to be encouraged by the stories of others?

As you read the stories that follow, you will meet men and women of God who share the call to serve Christ through pastoral ministry. Each has a unique call, a unique story; just like you. Enjoy this journey of remembrance.

From the moment he stepped on the platform, it was obvious he'd had an encounter with God. He was more relaxed, more joy-filled, more focused. Then he told us that his wife had sent him on a five-day retreat to a nearby retreat center [Cedarly]. "It was a wonderful time with God, I wrote, prayed, walked, rested, and read." Many months later we in the pew still recognize the benefits of that retreat - the joy, the focus, the purposeful leadership remains. God took an excellent, educated pastor, refined his focus and reshaped our worship.

Non-Denominational Church , Brookfield, WI

Thank you for the ministry you are providing for our pastors. So much of the time people feed off pastors to the point they are spiritually exhausted. Our pastor seemed to be at this point before attending pastor's retreat at Texas Stagecoach Inn in Vanderpool, TX. When he returned he was spiritually renewed with a new fire for serving the Lord. I have witnessed a new excitement and commitment to spending time in God's word and in prayer. This newfound experience is now reaching out to the laity through newsletters, sermons and personal relationships. He is sharing this experience with growth and spirituality study groups and Sunday school class. Thanks for furnishing fertile soil and new seed. We all wait expectantly for a new harvest.

United Methodist Church , Utopia, TX

His sermons are becoming deeper and more challenging. I can tell he has been with God.

Christian Church  , Martinsville, IN

I attended a retreat week at Cedarly a year ago. Today, in a casual conversation with my 14 year old son, he surprised me by mentioning that he thought the Cedarly experience had been good for me. I was surprised to hear this from him and asked him to elaborate. My son said that he sees me having more time for my family since I returned from the retreat. I am better disciplined in the use of my time and less consumed by the demands of ministry. Even a year later, my 14 year old son is aware of the change in me. I thank God for the lasting blessing PRN has been to me and my family.

Chaplain Pat Newsum - Baptist (Sinai Experience), Germantown Hills, IL

My wife and I have been married for almost 30 years and in the ministry for most of this time. During our stay at A Valley View Inn, the Lord ministered an incredible rest to us like we have never experienced before. No distractions and an opportunity to spend time with each other and the Lord without worrying about the phone, emergencies and other things; led to 5 days of peace and encouragement. We didn't realize how much we needed this until about day 3. On Friday we didn't want to leave. We're grateful for the time we had and have shared it with other pastor friends and encouraged them to retreat. Thanks.

Mike and Donna Carroll - Assembly of God (Sabbath Rest), Deland, Florida

I have been taking retreat time for about 15 years, beginning while I was in seminary. I usually go to a favorite place in KY. But this is the first time I have been gifted with a retreat free of cost, except for travel! I am grateful and humbled to know there are lay folks out there who are so gracious with their resources and their prayers. Please accept my thanks for a great week of rest, a renewed relationship with God, our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer, and fun and uplifting fellowship. May God continue to bless this grace-filled ministry.

Gloria F. Hernandez - Disciples of Christ (Sinai Experience), Carlock, IL

My time at the Pastor's Retreat was an wonderful time of reflection and renewal. It's as if the Lord Himself scooped up the scattered embers from my heart and gently breathed on them by his Holy Spirit. The result was a rekindling of that inner fire that is crucial to those of us in ministry. I came back, not only refreshed, but challenged to make my time with Him a priority. How easy it is to get burned out when we give and minister day after day to those to whom God has called us to serve. The generosity of those that give to the Pastor's Retreat Network provided me an opportunity to get away with God and be truly refreshed. May God richly bless you for your generosity and your faithfulness in serving the Body of Christ through this ministry.

Duane Adams - Non-Denominational (Sinai Experience), Bridgeport, WV

I can not express the difference that this retreat has made in my devotional and prayer life or the impact it made in stressing again the importance of spending quiet time with the Lord. Pastoral ministry often takes place over personal spiritual development and formation and I, like many, had allowed the busyness that I thought was part of being a pastor rob me of my own spiritual refreshment. Returning to the church was a stark reminder of my need for this spring of living water for it has been the only source of strength that keeps me serving. I greatly appreciate those who continue to pray for me after I have left this holy place and could never thank those who donated resources to make this opportunity a reality. You are all loved and appreciated more than this brief letter can state. God bless everyone of you. A very special thank needs to be given to our hosts at AValley View Inn who were Jesus to us during that week and continue to be a part of our lives.

George Stadler - Church of the Nazarene (Bethany Retreat), Richmond Heights, Ohio

Betty and I are so grateful that we were able to stay at A Valley View Inn. The information and the fellowship were wonderful and we will be ever thankful for the opportunity. Learning to listen to the voice of God in new ways was priceless. Thank you for this week of calmnes and peace.

Phil Moon - Church of God (Bethany Retreat), Franklin, Ohio

The blessing of ministering in Jesus name is sometimes overwhelming. But the demands, intensity, and exhaustion of ministry is also overwhelming at times. Jesus wisely called His disciples to get away for rest and renewal. While I counsel others to do the same, I had forgotten to get away myself. The Bethany Retreat at the Texas Stagecoach Inn was one of the best weeks Charmayne and I have ever spent together. It provided us time to rest, to read, to reflect, and to listen to God. I came home with a lighter heart and a clearer focus. David & Karen are gracious and godly hosts. Our thanks to God for all who have seen this need and are providing such a tremendous blessing of spiritual rest and renewal for ministers.

Mike McAlister - Church of Christ (Bethany Retreat), Friendswood, TX

It amazed me our first night to hear the other pastors vocalize how I have felt. "Like we are always running" and "always on the edge." I was a healthcare executive before I was a pastor, yet once I became a pastor I realized the pressures were far different and greater due to the eternal nature. Thank you so much for that week to be with God and just get refreshed and re-focused. Our church has grown since I have come back in quality and numbers.

Chris Phillips - Non-Denominational (Bethany Retreat), Reynoldsburg, Ohio

I am thoroughly appreciative of the opportunity to spend five days in a Sinai Experience. These days have provided the gift of time to dwell in the presence of God in ways which are often unavailable to me in daily life. It's been a feast of grace to have time scheduled only by the nudging of the Spirit. What a wonderful ministry you are supporting with your gifts. The health of pastors is key in a healthy Church and you have a part in providing that health! Thank you!!

Kurt Jacobson - ELCA  (Sinai Experience), Eau Claire, WI

It was so nice to be able to get away with my wife Melissa, and take time out of a busy schedule to be with her and our God. We found a renewed strength for our Youth Ministry while there and came to realize that we need to more often "Be still and know that he is God" Cedarly gave us that time and experience to do just that, to seek the face and glory of the Lord and not only fall in love with him again, but also with each other as husband and wife. Thanks for providing this wonderful, uplifting, and restful ministry.

Randy Lankford - Disciples of Christ (Sabbath Rest), Paris, IL

I felt that I was at the end of my rope. In addition to my ministry, my personal life was becoming more challenging by the day. I needed a break before I broke. Pastors Retreat Network offered a wonderful experience that has set me back on track and has given me direction to keep from getting "burned out". A Valley View Inn was absolutely beautiful! The hosts were great and we had a neat time with the other couples who participated in our retreat. Thank you to those who donate to make this opportunity available to the many ministers who are in need of something like this.

Susan Jenkins - Church of the Nazarene  (Bethany Retreat), Conover, OH

After several years of a stressful ministry (though one with many blessings), I needed a place of rest and renewal. From the first morning of my time spent in the spiritual disciplines, God began to do his work in my heart. And sharing the experience with my wife was an invaluable treasure for both of us. This was no mere vacation or second honeymoon--it was a wonderful spiritual experience that drew us closer together in spirit than any other time we've spent together. Thank you very much for your heart to serve those of us blessed to serve God's people.

Rob McRay - Church of Christ (Bethany Retreat), Houston, TX

I've had a pretty good spiritual journey and it seems The Spirit continues to surprise me. Even so, I get caught up reading my press clippings and thinking it is me that is making these things happen. I took a breath for a week and remembered who animates all things. I believe I'm not much different than you. I've had this vibration in my being that doesn't stop. It is fed by anxiety, stress and my deep need to please. For one week the vibration stopped and I recalled what rest felt like. It feels good, it's important. Try it!

Mark Deaton - United Methodist (Bethany Retreat), San Antonio , Texas

The pastor's retreat was a grace-filled time of spiritually reconnecting with God. The setting, the guided readings, the time with spouse and new friends all lend themselves to a renewal of sabbath rest that is a genuine blessing from God. I am so grateful for the time and opportunity Pastors Retreat Network provides.

Mike Lowry - United Methodist (Bethany Retreat), San Antonio, TX

It was a warm sunlit room on a cold day. A quiet place to kill some time and get some rest. It was so refreshing to have nothing to do but spend time with God. No one to speak to but my loving Father. As hour followed hour and day followed day, my room became a sanctuary, holy ground where the warmth of God's loving Spirit poured through those windows to warm my heart and feed my soul.

Chris Norton - United Methodist (Sinai Experience), Friendswood, TX

When I was first asked about going to on sabbatical get away to hear the voice of God, I questioned why I needed to go. After all, I was preaching four sermons a week informing others of what God was saying to them. Though I knew I needed the retreat for rest and gladly received the gift, I came with reservations. I learned a valuable lesson. There is a big difference between "handling" God's Word and "hearing" God's Word. I was handling the Word of God for others but not hearing it for myself. I was blessed by the Sinai Experience readings of Scripture and authors, meditation in the Word, and learning to pray with greater intent. Now I know why I was to come . . . above all else to hear the voice of my God. That I did! Praise Him for creating and sustaining Pastors Retreat Network.

Bob AuBuchon - Baptist (Sinai Experience), Camdenton, MO

It occurred to me while reading Richard Foster's book, "Celebration of Discipline" this week, that Karen and David are doing on a corporate level what we as men and women of God are to do on an individual level. Just as the farmer cannot cause the crop to grow but rather prepares the soil for God's work, Pastors Retreat Network prepares the soil of pastors' hearts to receive God's revelation of his heart. This revelation is what my wife and I so desperately need and are experiencing here. David and Karen prepare our food and wash the dishes allowing us plenty of time for God to feed us real bread. They guide the conversation at lunch allowing us to synthesize God's conversation to us in our daily journey with him. They provide a quiet place by a river for our souls to intersect God in a way that few things have touched us in our lives. Come to the water and be refreshed.

Timothy J. Wright - Non-Denominational (Bethany Retreat), Arlington, Texas

If your world has been loud, come to the quiet. If your world has been chaotic, come to the calm. If your world has been crowded, come to the solitude. It is in a place such as this that you can "go out to a deserted place" and be with God. The quiet, the calm, and the solitude will put you in the place where you can meet with God. It will put you in the place where He can do His work in you. You won't go home the same.

Rick Brown - Church of Christ (Sinai Experience), Tomball, Texas

I am consuming books by Foster, Yancey, Webber, Peterson, McLaren, Buchannen, and any others with a greater interest in spiritual formation than in church management. The latter weighs me down and stifles creativity and growth. The former gets me pumped and ready to think, pray, write, teach, and preach. Last year at the Inn was a highlight in our spiritual and personal journey together.

Rodney McGlothlin - Baptist (Bethany Retreat), College Station, TX

It seems to me that we Pastors don't know when we really need to take a break from the everyday and get ourselves back to the "Fount of every Blessing". I found that the burden I didn't realize I was carrying was lifted. I was refreshed and renewed at the Texas Stagecoach Inn near Utopia TX. I find that my time in prayer and in study is much more relaxed, that my time in the presence of God, is new and fresh and vibrant. I am very thankful for this 5 days away, to rest and to reacquaint with my Lord and my God.

John C Quigley II - United Methodist (Sinai Experience), Lometa, TX

Thank you for giving my wife and I an uninterrupted week to speak to/hear from God. As a result of my time at Cedarly, I have decided to make my Monday dayoff a "true" sabbath and focus that day on "praying and playing". I have also decided to incorporate a short fast during that time (not all day) as a new beginning into that spiritual discipline. Overall, the time at Cedarly was very important to me because it allowed me to step back and look critically at my life and see if I was pursuing godliness "so as to win the race".

Ladell Thomason - Independent Christian (Bethany Retreat), Kansas City, MO, USA

I greatly needed an emotional and physical rest from ministry. I love my church and my ministry, but through a busy spring of hiring staff, a church remodeling project, and not being mindful of my Monday Sabbaths, I was slowly becoming burned out. The Sabbath retreat in Ohio was one of silence, solitude, and rest. I felt the Lord restored me through the spiritual disciplines of prayer and meditation. I would recommend this brief retreat especially to the pastor who is "too busy" to take time away from ministry... take time away for HIM to speak, it is worth it!

Mark Green - Church of the Nazarene (Sabbath Rest), Portsmouth, Ohio

Thank you for a marvelous gift that keeps on giving. One wants to sing "We Are Standing on Holy Ground" when here at this place. There is an awesome, prayer-bathed environment that God is blessing one servant at a time. The incredible trust you place in pastors to use the time and facilities well is powerfully liberating from the cares and burdens we all carry.

Baptist Pastor  , Leawood, KS

My husband and I had a wonderful time at Cedarly. So much so, that we didn't want to leave. When we left, we were asked what we were going to do in our daily lives to re-connect with God and how we would remember to do so. I was able to get a beautiful picture of the lake with my digital camera. I have it on my computer screen as the background and look at it almost every day. It reminds me of that beautiful place. Even more than that, it reminds me to return to the place in my mind where I remember the beautiful things God is doing in my life. Thank you again, so much, for the gift of a week on a beautiful lake in Wisconsin, and a chance to stop and remember how good God is!

Sylvia Skinner - Baptist Gen Conf (Sabbath Rest), Tucson, Arizona