Personal Retreats
Solitude or Conversation or Sleep
Some folks come to The Convent to enjoy solitude, prayer and reflection. Others come for “conversations of consequence” and interaction. Others come simply to sleep long and hard, take naps at will, eat good meals, and stare at the wall. And some come for all three. Whatever you need, that’s what we want for you.
Sometimes folks ask how long their retreat can be. That depends on your own availability. Some guests come for one day, some for one night, some for a full weekend, and others come for several days to a week.
You can read about one guest’s experience here. Might give you a taste of what you can look forward to.
Accommodations
You’ll have your own private room with a comfortable queen-size or full-size bed . All your bedding is provided. Each room also has a dresser, closet, nightstand, comfortable rocking chair, and writing table. You also have your own individual controls for heat and air-conditioning. Bathrooms are equipped with plenty of towels, washcloths, soap & shampoo.
The second floor, where most of our guests stay, contains four large bedrooms. At the end of the hallway are two full bathrooms that we monitor through the day for cleanliness. We also have a nice third floor attic space that’s fully renovated. It contains two dormer rooms, a living room, skylight, and a full-sized bathroom with both a walk-in shower and large claw-foot bathtub.
Meals
You’re welcome to help yourself to food supplied in the kitchen for breakfast, lunch and snacks. We typically have plenty of fresh fruit, whole grain bread, oatmeal & cereal, sandwich stuff, organic peanut butter, preserves, etc. We’ll provide a dinner meal and leave it out for you. You can either take it to your room to eat in privacy or join others at the table. We don’t provide meal service from Sunday after breakfast through Monday.
We should confess that we’re coffee snobs. (Yes, it’s true.) We get freshly roasted La Terza coffee weekly, grind it in a professional burr grinder, and brew it at 205 degrees using filtered water. It’s available early in the morning and through the day. For those who prefer tea, we have a nice selection of regular and herbal ones.
Internet
We hope you’ll escape from all media and “electronic leashes” while you’re retreating, but if a Wi-Fi connection is critical to you, we’ve got you covered.
Spiritual Direction
Many guests take time while here to meet with one of our spiritual directors (Dan, Todd, Joy, Jody). A session lasts about an hour and is $60. A spiritual director will sit with you, listening well and asking some questions to ponder. It will likely be a very quiet and peaceful time of noticing God’s presence in your life. If interested in spiritual direction, let us know when you request a reservation and we’ll try to schedule an appointment for you. A session would be $60 for about an hour.
Massage
Many of our guests have met with Sandie for massage and found the time to be life changing. Sandie offers a unique ministry integrating prayer with massage. If interested in this, contact Sandie directly (sandie at equilibrium3 dot com). Her rates are listed on her website.
Coaching
We also offer life coaching, where you can meet with a coach who will ask practical questions, listen to you well, and work with you to discover practical steps in reaching goals and dreams. If interested in this, let us know when you make your reservation.
Donations
We ask for a donation of $60 per night for an individual, $75 per night for a married couple sharing a room. If you want to do a full day retreat, we ask the same ($60 / $75). This includes housing and meals. Your donations make it possible for this ministry to continue, providing a place of peace and rest for others.
Reservations
Some folks ask how long in advance one needs to make a reservation. There’s no pat answer for that, as it just depends on the calendar. Sometimes there’s an immediate availability, and sometimes we’re booked a month or more out. Weekends tend to fill up more quickly than weekdays. We only take personal retreat reservations 2 months out, not longer. So the earlier the better, but go ahead and ask if you’re hoping for something more immediate.
We’re typically closed Sunday noon until Tuesday noon. Go to this link to learn about making a reservation, then email Jody (jody at sustainablefaith dot com) to ask further questions and reserve your place.