“If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them strays; will he not
leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go in search of the stray? And
if he finds it, truly I tell you, it gives him more joy than do the ninety-nine
that did not stray at all. Similarly, it is never the will of your Father
in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.” (Matthew 18: 10-14)
Who are the lost sheep of our community? Who suffers the isolation experienced by the sheep that strayed? Which ‘lost sheep’ could benefit the most from a weekend retreat? Can we, the People of God, develop programs that will bring healing and support and truly welcome them home to our communities?
These are the questions that Itinerant Retreat Leaders asked hundreds of pastors, retreat centers and community service providers across the United States in 2008 and 2009. In June 2009 the IRL Board of Directors identified four initial groups who would benefit from retreat programs not commonly available across the country.
•
Combat Veterans and Their Families
•Individuals and Families Who are Struggling to Cope with Dramatic Life Changes
•Clergy Members and Caregivers Who are Struggling Against Isolation and Burn-out
•Men and Women Seeking a Simpler Lifestyle, a Spirituality of ‘Enough’
Itinerant Retreat Leaders is currently recruiting talented, experienced retreat leaders to offer effective programs for these four target audiences. Early in 2010, IRL will convene a four-day planning retreat for the retreat leaders and members of the IRL Board of Directors in order to design the retreat programs and marketing materials.
Starting in 2010 IRL will market these retreat leaders to retreat centers around the United States. In order to make these programs economical for retreat centers, IRL will pay the travel expenses of the leaders. The centers will only need to pay their standard speaker’s fee.
Having recruited a national, ecumenical Board of Directors, Itinerant Retreat Leaders is able to effectively network its retreat program to centers across the country that will enable it to serve a broad cross section of its target audiences year in and year out.
