For Host Churches
information for hosting a ua retreat at your church
Thank you for your interest in hosting a United Adoration Retreat at your church! We have found these retreats to be incredibly fruitful, pulling artists out of the shadows and into the heart of the mission of the Church—to reach a dying world with the good news of Jesus.
Every church context and budget are different. UA is committed to working with each church where they are at financially and contextually. Below are expectations that we are flexible with regarding each church’s unique situation.
1. Work with a United Adoration (UA) Retreat Leader and choose a local retreat coordinator
This local retreat coordinator could be a Pastor, Director of Worship Arts, worship leader, artist, or songwriter within your church already serving in that ministry. They should be available to gather a small planning team and to work closely with the Retreat Leader to plan the retreat. Being able to gather artists is a valuable attribute in a local retreat coordinator.
2. Set the date & location
The planning team, led by the Retreat Leader and local retreat coordinator, will pick a date that works for both your community and the Retreat Leader. Since this retreat is part of your ministry to your community, the church is responsible to find a location for the retreat. Preferred is your church building, as it can be valuable to get artists into a sacred space, but other locations can be considered.
3. Cost structure
- Standard registration cost for a two-day retreat per attendee is $70. UA provides the registration administration for each retreat. This cost can be adjusted for differing situations through the Retreat Leader.
- UA gives the Retreat Leader a stipend for their time.
- The host church is responsible for providing the space, printing, and hospitality (meals). We recommend including a hospitality person from the church on the planning team. If providing meal costs is a difficulty, we can adjust the registration price and work with each host church on an individual basis.
- If there are travel costs or lodging needs for the Retreat Leader, we ask that the host church consider providing those as well, although we are willing to work with each church on an individual basis according to need. Lodging could be a host family within your congregation.
- If scholarships are required for artists in need, either the coordinator can work that out with the artist, or the Retreat Leader can set up a scholarship code to use in the registration process. The host church must cover the costs of people with scholarships.
4. Support the Team
- Help your local retreat coordinator recruit a hospitality leader/team, an on-site prayer/intercessor leader, or any other helpers to manage the retreat.
- This is your retreat, so consider sharing the event on social media, website, mail, emails, and newsletters to spread the word.
- We require a minimum of 10 retreat attendees/registrations to conduct a retreat.
- Form a volunteer intercessory or prayer team to take shifts during the hours of the retreat to pray with attendees and prayer walk the space during creative times.
- Consider having your head pastor address the artists during the retreat, to encourage and bless them.
5. Continue the work you started
By hosting a retreat you have begun developing a local artistic community. Encourage your retreat coordinator and other church artists to continue collaborating with each other and those outside your church, having song share meetings, worship nights, an art gallery event, jam sessions, or other creative endeavors or outreaches. Consider having an artistic or pastoral leader, like your retreat coordinator, from your community trained as a UA Retreat Leader and incorporating a rhythm of a UA retreat once or twice a year (or more) depending on the growth and flourishing God provides. Use the songs and art in your church and encourage your artists by providing a place to allow God to use their songs and art.