Your corporate team may be working in a high-rise complex surrounded by technology, screens, computers, and machines. You work each day through the week in this environment, and although you may love your job, you also know you need time away.
Your ministry team in a nonprofit may be dealing every day with the difficult problems faced by those who come to your ministry for help and wish for a weekend away from it all to relax and restore.
With your busy life, you may not be able or cannot afford to schedule a full vacation away from work and home; however, you may be able to plan a short weekend retreat for just a couple of days where you can relax and just enjoy life by yourself or with your loved ones.
These mini trips can often be very reasonably priced so that you can afford to do several over time, and fortunately for you, North Carolina offers many opportunities for weekend retreats, with one such retreat center being Tekoa Retreats in Hendersonville.
North Carolina Weekend Retreat Planning Guide
You see the need for your team to get away for a short weekend retreat, but you do not know where to start. Although you may be tempted to just announce to the group that you are all going away for the weekend, this tactic rarely works and can result in a disastrous trip. It is better to take a little time to preplan the weekend trip to be successful.
Fortunately, if you live in western North Carolina, there are abundant activities that you can plan to do during your weekend trip that are within a short distance of Tekoa Retreat Center, or you can stay the entire weekend and enjoy our facilities.
However, in both circumstances, you still need to plan your weekend retreat, and here are a few simple steps to help.
Planning Guide For Your NC Weekend Retreat
Here are seven steps that you can take to ensure that your weekend retreat is a success. Also, if you are utilizing Tekoa Retreats as your venue, our staff will be glad to assist you ahead of time in any way we can.
1) Plan Ahead For The Weekend Retreat
Set a time for your weekend retreat several months ahead of time so that your team can make the necessary arrangements needed to be able to participate. Although it is important to try to set a convenient weekend for the team, do not be caught in the scheduling trap of trying to make everyone happy with the time.
Locate an appropriate venue for the retreat as soon as you can. Some of the best venues are booked months in advance, so you need to find the spot as soon as you can. Most retreat planners say to set the date at least six months in advance.
2) Work With The Groups Budget
Be sensitive to the individuals in your team and their financial circumstances. Consider discussing ahead of time with the members of your team how much they can put toward a retreat. You can discuss with individual team members their needs and look for ways to assist them.
Set up a payment plan with the group when you first begin planning the retreat so that all the money does not have to be paid at one time. Look for ways the organization can assist with covering the costs for the retreat.
3) Do Not Make It Too Long
Although a weekend trip is short by nature, you still need to consider that a typical weekend only runs from Friday after work to Sunday night. Pick a venue that is close to you so that travel time is at a minimum. Plan to end the retreat early on Sunday to allow plenty of time for the team to return home and be ready for work again on Monday. You want them to be refreshed after the trip, not tired out.
4) Find A Neutral Location
It is best to plan a weekend retreat at a neutral location away from your normal work environment. Tekoa Retreats is the perfect location if you are in western NC. Our staff can assist you with planning everything you need at our facilities to meet your goals.
5) Include Physical Activities
You should allow time for outside physical activities as a team or individually during your retreat. This can include going on an outing to a close attraction or retreat to nature, where you can hike, bike, or raft on a nearby river.
6) Set A Light Agenda
Don’t overload the event with group activities, planning sessions, or work-related activities. Allow plenty of time for the group just to enjoy time together and recreation. Your team will appreciate the extra time away from planned activities, and relationships within the team can be enhanced.
7) Collect Money And Coordinate Meals
Schedule a payment plan in advance for the trip. Either find a venue where meals are provided or take the time to plan the meals yourself so that the team does not have to worry about what they are going to eat.
If your retreat is at a lodge in the mountains, for example, you should buy all the food ahead of time and have it at the location when the team arrives. This is better than having to plan to go out to eat each day.
8) Stay In Touch Before The Weekend Retreat
Keep in touch with the team as needed before the retreat to make sure everyone is in the know about the details of the trip. Prepare an informational flyer when the trip is first announced that has all the dates, costs, etc. If something changes, make sure everyone knows about it.
Hopefully, these eight tips will assist you in planning your weekend retreat. Consider booking your weekend retreat at Tekoa Retreats near Asheville, NC. Our staff can take a lot of the burden of planning your retreat by offering all the accommodations you need.
Tekoa Retreats Is The Destination For A Weekend Retreat
Western North Carolina is the perfect location to go to for your nature retreat because of all of the natural wonders to explore, as well as the many exciting attractions located throughout the region. There are many retreat camps in the region; however, Tekoa Retreats in Hendersonville has all you need for your next retreat event.
There's no better place for a retreat than in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Tekoa Retreats is the place for Touching Hearts, Changing Lives, and Sharing the Light of Christ! Let us host your next group retreat, picnic, school or community function, college or youth retreat.
Tekoa Retreats is located at 211 Thomas Rd. Hendersonville, NC 287139. Our phone number is 828-692-6516. If you are interested in finding out if Tekoa Retreats is the perfect place for your next retreat, contact us or visit our website.