---
title: Is Your Staff Retreat Actually a Disguised Work Weekend? How to Plan Rest That Restores
description: Are your church staff retreats leaving your team more exhausted than refreshed? Learn how to plan retreats that deliver the rest you promised.
---

[Church Leadership | Chemistry Staffing](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com)

# [Is Your Staff Retreat Actually a Disguised Work Weekend? How to Plan Rest That Restores](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/is-your-staff-retreat-actually-a-disguised-work-weekend-how-to-plan-rest-that-restores)

 Written by [Todd Rhoades](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/author/todd-rhoades) | Oct 21, 2026, 5:00:00 AM

Picture this: An email lands in your inbox announcing a staff retreat. Two days at a beautiful lodge. Time away from the office. A chance to reconnect, refresh, and just breathe for a moment.

🎧 Listen to this episode:

It sounds amazing, doesn't it?

Then the agenda arrives.

You're leading a breakout session Friday morning. Planning meetings fill the afternoon. The worship team is "handling" Friday night (which means someone's still working). Saturday kicks off with breakfast at 7 AM and doesn't end until after another team-building exercise. Somewhere in that packed schedule, you're supposed to feel refreshed.

Oh, and Sunday? You're still responsible for everything you normally do.

The *setting* sounds relaxing. The *schedule* sounds exhausting.

If this scenario feels uncomfortably familiar, you're not alone. Today, let's talk about making sure the retreat we promise is actually the retreat our staff experiences—because good intentions and a nice location don't automatically equal rest.

## The Hidden Problem With Most Staff Retreats

Getting people away from the church building can absolutely be valuable. A change of scenery has real benefits. But here's what we often miss: **a change of location doesn't automatically give someone a break**.

Before you book that lodge or start building the agenda, pause and answer one critical question:

**What is this time actually for?**

Maybe your team genuinely needs to work through next year's priorities without the constant interruptions of being in the office. That's legitimate. A change of pace can facilitate that kind of focused work beautifully.

Maybe you need to rebuild relationships after a particularly difficult season—helping people reconnect as human beings, not just coworkers.

Or maybe everyone's simply tired, and you want to give your staff some room to actually rest.

Here's the thing: **those are different goals, and each one should produce a different schedule**.

> "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." — Matthew 11:28-30

You can combine goals, but you need to make intentional choices. Two days can hold only so much. If rest is one of your stated goals, it needs actual, protected space on the calendar—not just good intentions squeezed into the margins.

## Where Good Intentions Go Wrong

This is where even the most well-meaning leaders run into trouble. Here's what goes through our heads:

- "We just spent significant money on this venue."
- "Everybody's finally going to be together in one place."
- "There are some really important things we need to discuss."
- "We only have so much time to accomplish everything."

Suddenly, that open Friday afternoon starts looking like an opportunity rather than the rest period you originally intended.

"We could squeeze in that conversation about volunteer recruitment," someone suggests.

Then someone else proposes a leadership exercise. Another person wants to share a ministry update. Before you know it, you've filled every hour that was supposed to help people catch their breath with more busyness.

Each individual addition might be worthwhile. But together? They completely change the experience.

## Look Beyond the Session Titles

When you review the agenda, don't just look at the session titles. **Look at who's actually doing the work**.

A night of worship sounds meaningful for the team, right? But someone still has to:

- Choose the songs
- Arrange rehearsal time
- Set up equipment
- Troubleshoot the microphone that inevitably has feedback
- Coordinate with the sound person

A beautiful team dinner sounds wonderful. But if your office manager spends the evening coordinating meals, managing dietary restrictions, and cleaning up afterward, that person isn't experiencing a retreat—they're still working, just in a different location.

**Ask yourself: Who gets to participate, and who has to produce the experience for everyone else?**

> "Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, 'Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.'" — Mark 6:31

Here's how to address this:

- **Spread out responsibilities** so no one person shoulders the burden
- **Simplify your plans** as much as possible—fewer moving parts mean fewer people managing logistics
- **Bring in outside help** where you can—have meals fully catered rather than making someone coordinate everything
- **Include everyone in the rest**—especially the people who usually make everything happen

## Give People Freedom in Their Downtime

I'll never forget a staff retreat I attended years ago at a gorgeous lodge in Oregon. The location was stunning. The accommodations were perfect. But when it came to our "free time," we had exactly two options: whitewater rafting or golf.

Here's the problem: I'm not a strong swimmer, and water intimidates me. I'm also not a golfer. So my choices for "rest and recreation" were either face a legitimate fear or do something I'd never done and wasn't particularly interested in trying.

I ended up golfing (it was my first time—I think I've only golfed twice in my entire life). It was fine, but it was definitely outside my comfort zone. What I really needed was something entirely different.

Here's the principle: **Give people genuine freedom in how they use their downtime**.

One person may want a long, unhurried conversation over coffee with another staff member they never get to really talk to. Another person may want to take a solo walk in nature. Someone else might genuinely love whitewater rafting or golf. And someone may desperately need a nap—and that's absolutely okay during free time at a staff retreat.

Team connection absolutely matters. But so does having some control over your own time. A genuinely open block means people can step away without feeling like they're failing some hidden test of team commitment.

### Discussion Questions for Your Team

1. **(Icebreaker)** What's the most "restful" retreat or getaway you've ever experienced? What made it actually restful versus just a change of location?
2. **(Personal Reflection)** When you hear "staff retreat," what emotions does it trigger? Excitement, anxiety, exhaustion, or something else?
3. **(Team Assessment)** Looking at our last staff retreat: Would we honestly call it restful, or was it primarily work in a different setting?
4. **(Deeper Discussion)** Why do church staff struggle more than others with genuine rest? What makes it hard for us to separate work from retreat time?

## The Critical Context Around the Retreat

Don't forget to look at the days *surrounding* the retreat. This is where the workload pressure often becomes crushing.

If your team leaves Saturday afternoon and they're leading services Sunday morning, when exactly will they prepare? Who's covering the work they would normally have done while they were away? If you're not careful, the "retreat" actually **doubles their workload** instead of providing relief.

That might mean:

- Meeting during the workweek instead of on weekends
- Ending the retreat earlier to allow prep time
- Arranging coverage for Sunday responsibilities
- Reducing other responsibilities during that week

Whatever you choose, **account for the work instead of assuming people will somehow magically squeeze it in**.

> "Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest." — Exodus 34:21

## Your Practical Next Step

Whether you're planning a fall retreat, a spring getaway, or a summer team-building time, try this exercise:

**Take your next retreat agenda and label each block with one of these three categories:**

1. Work (strategic planning, problem-solving, leading sessions)
2. Team Connection (group activities, shared meals, relationship-building)
3. Personal Downtime (free, unscheduled rest)

Be sure to include travel time, preparation time, setup, and cleanup in your categories—those are still work, even if they're not "official" agenda items.

Then compare the schedule with what you originally told people the retreat would provide.

If you promised rest but can barely find any in the agenda, you need to start removing things. Choose the few conversations that matter most and give them adequate time. Let everything else go.

### Action Items: Start Here This Week

- ☐ **Audit your calendar:** Review the past year's "retreats" and honestly label them as either "Work Sessions" or "True Retreats"
- ☐ **Define your terms:** As a team, write specific definitions for "Staff Retreat" vs. "Planning Session" to create clarity
- ☐ **Survey the team:** Send a 3-question anonymous survey asking how rested staff feel, what drains them most, and what would genuinely restore them
- ☐ **Schedule both:** Block out dates for two separate events—one genuine retreat (no agenda) and one strategic work session (clearly labeled as work)
- ☐ **Create retreat guardrails:** Establish 3-5 team-agreed-upon rules for future retreats (like "No laptops during meals" or "One full day with zero agenda")

## The Retreat Your Team Actually Needs

If you're unsure what your team actually needs, here's a radical idea: **ask them before the schedule is finalized**.

You may discover that the most helpful thing you can offer is a quiet afternoon with absolutely nothing expected of them. You might find that people crave unstructured time with each other more than another strategic planning session.

A retreat can be a meaningful investment in your staff. I still remember retreats from 20 years ago—both the good and the not-so-good parts. These experiences stick with people.

But to make them truly valuable, you need to:

- Make the purpose crystal clear from the start
- Build the schedule intentionally around that purpose
- Let people experience exactly what you promised
- Avoid the bait-and-switch of "rest" that's really just "work in a nicer location"

**Sometimes the best thing on the agenda is the space you intentionally leave open.**

Your team is pouring themselves out week after week, leading and serving and caring for others. The retreat you plan might be one of the few times all year they have permission to rest. Don't waste that opportunity by filling it with one more thing to do.

What would it communicate to your staff—and what would it model to your congregation—if your team actually practiced the rest you preach about?

*I'd love to hear from you: What's been your experience with staff retreats? What's worked well, and what would you change? Hit reply and send your thoughts to [podcast@chemistrystaffing.com](mailto:podcast@chemistrystaffing.com). I read every message.*

*This post is based on episode 728 of the **Healthy Church Staff Podcast**. Listen to the full episode for even more insights on creating a healthy staff culture. And if you're wrestling with staffing challenges or looking for your next great team member, visit [ChemistryStaffing.com](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com) to see how we can help.*

[View full post](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/is-your-staff-retreat-actually-a-disguised-work-weekend-how-to-plan-rest-that-restores)

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