About Our Retreats

Why Go on a Retreat?

Throughout the Bible, we are encouraged to be still. Stillness opens us more deeply to God’s presence and purpose for our lives. In stillness we can really experience God’s love for us.

However, we have become a society of doers. Our sense of self-worth is often determined by how much we got done, how much we produce, how much we sense we contribute. Even in the church idleness is often equated with laziness or lack of worth. Even pastors and others in ministry leadership struggle to take time to pray and build their relationship with God.

Stepping out of our daily routines and settings (going on retreat) is an important way to allow stillness to take hold in our lives. Taking time away from our responsibilities and technology frees our bodies, minds and spirits to rest and be with God.

What to Expect on a Seeking Stillness Retreat

Each Seeking Stillness retreat is unique. Some retreats are silent (advertised as such), but most are just quiet. They are organized around a theme and a set of activities and tools are provided to help you structure the time you spend with God. Short talks are given throughout the retreat, but most of the time you will spend in prayer and reflection with God. During retreats you will have a lot of freedom to spend your time in whatever way you and God desire. You will not be expected to share the details of your time with God although staff members will be available to talk and pray with you if that would be helpful.

One-day retreats are scheduled throughout the year to provide short opportunities to learn and try out new stillness tools (deep Scripture engagement, various forms of prayer, journaling, etc.). These retreats are held at various retreat centers and churches in Northeastern Ohio.

Weekend retreats are offered a couple times a year at local retreat centers. We are exploring some new options for 2026 and beyond. The Loyola Retreat House in Clinton, Ohio will be one of our retreat locations. The facilities we stay at will provide you with a private room (sometimes a shared bathroom), all your meals, and indoor and/or outdoor locations to reflect, wander and spend time with God, all of which will be included in the total registration fee. You will have NO RESPONSIBILITY!!!! Weekend retreats may include one or two night's lodging, depending on the location and topic. We will either begin Friday night around 7:30 or Saturday morning around 9 am and end mid-day on Sunday. Participation is limited to around 20 women. Retreat registration generally opens two months before the retreat date. Scholarships are available by way of an application which can be found online.

Massages may also be available during some weekend retreats on a first-come-first-serve basis (indicate your interest on the registration form) at an additional fee. Registration is limited and you are not considered registered until you pay the full registration fee. You can receive a full refund (minus a small processing fee) up until two weeks before the retreat. After that refunds are only available if your spot can be filled by someone from our waiting list. Scholarships are available.

Hear from one of our retreat attendees about her experience:

For more information about events:

Contact Michelle Gregory at mgregory@seekingstillness.org

Upcoming Events

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.”