Couples in Ministry
October 23-27, 2023
This year Couples in Ministry, Small Church Pastor’s Retreat and the Art of Transitional Ministry will be offered all in the same weekend, known as Bread for the Journey.
“Mo-Ranch continues to be a place of renewal and connection that sustains my ministry life!”
A retreat for couples in ministry! Come together through worship and fun recreational activities!
Embracing the vocation of ministry and living fully into that calling requires all the energy, intelligence, imagination and love that we can muster. The challenges of serving in ministry are compounded when two people who are committed to one another both serve in ministry! Whether the two of you serve in the same context or in separate places of ministry, this retreat is for you! We will spend time talking about the joys, challenges, pitfalls and blessings of serving as a couple in ministry.
Couples in Ministry – October 2022
Conference Theme: In the Same Boat
Whether you and your spouse serve in the same or different ministry contexts, there are particular challenges and gifts in being a couple in ministry. This week will provide space for connection and conversation about both the “couple” and the “ministry” side of things. Expect to have the opportunity to listen well to one another, to play together, to reflect and discern, and, hopefully, laugh and enjoy each other.
Session topics include: Paddling the Canoe, Navigating Rough Waters, Who’s in Your Boat?, Celebrating Smooth Sailing, and Scanning the Horizon.
This is your chance to talk about something besides who’s picking up dinner and how that meeting went. We hope that intentional conversations, worship you don’t have to lead, the beauty of Mo-Ranch, the chance to play together, and less schedule than usual will allow you to reclaim your relationship and clarify your calling. And if nothing so lofty happens, perhaps, at least, you’ll have some fun!
Anticipated Leadership
Amy and Joshua Sutherlun, Keynotes
Amy and Joshua Sutherlun met in the library at Austin College, fell in love leading youth retreats in west Texas, and honeymooned for three years at Princeton Seminary. For eight years, they fostered and pastored a thriving community of youth and young adults in Huntington, West Virginia, while also growing their own family. Their four children, now 14, 12, 10 and nine, got to come along when they moved back to Texas in 2013.
Joshua and Amy co-pastor First Presbyterian Church in San Marcos, Texas. In their ministry, Joshua is passionate about making things work better and authentic discipleship and Amy loves writing, preaching and cultivating intentional faith practices. Daily life is mostly a crazy dance between the church office and the kids’ schools, over piles of laundry and through endless soccer games, fueled by good tortillas and too much Dr. Pepper.
Cost and Housing
Hotel-style lodging accommodations will be available for reservation.
Price per couple: $350
Please call or email programs@moranch.org to inquire about childcare availability in advance
Scholarships are available! Click here to learn more.
Cancellation
Full refund minus administrative fee up to $75 per person will be made if cancellation is received more than 30 days prior to the conference. There are generally no refunds for cancellations received on or after 30 days prior to the start of the event nor any applying of the amount paid toward other charges or future conferences.
What to Bring
Bring a Bible, notebook, flashlight, hair dryer and rain gear. Linens are provided. Bring shoes suitable for Mo-Ranch’s rocky, uneven terrain.
Transportation
Mo-Ranch is 90 miles one-way, or a 2-hour drive from the nearest airport (SAT), allow 3 hours travel/check-in time for departures. We recommend generally scheduling arriving flights before 3 p.m. and departing flights after 3 p.m. to be sure you do not miss any of your event.
If you are in need of shuttle service to Mo-Ranch, call Kars for Hire in Kerrville at (830) 890-8200 at least 15 days in advance to arrange transportation from San Antonio International Airport.
Click here for directions to Mo.
Bookstore
Make sure to stop by the Presbyterian Mo-Ranch Assembly bookstore during your conference to pick out a souvenir!
Questions
We’re happy to help! Contact us at 1.800.460.4401 ext. 246 or registrar@moranch.org.
