Organizational Chart

Early in the retreat planning process, we create an “organizational” chart.  Key retreat functions are assigned to the oversight of a leader.  For instance, we have a person who oversees decorations at the retreat, a person who oversees worship, a person who oversees registration.  For our upcoming retreat, these tasks are divided between the eight women on our women’s ministry team.  In past years when we were smaller, the tasks may have been divided between only two or three main leaders.  This division of responsibilities serves many purposes.  First, it takes the overwhelming burden off of one person.  It helps the leaders to stay on task, not wasting time on issues being covered by another leader.  Early on in the retreat planning process, I know what my responsibilities are and I can begin to determine what kind of helpers I will need to accomplish the tasks I have been assigned.  Also, if an issue or problem comes up, the women’s ministry leader (our pastor’s wife) knows who to go to for answers.  Some of the responsibilities divided between the women’s leaders are:  preliminary planning (speaker, theme, retreat site), registration, retreat planning meeting, booklet and name tags, worship, sound/recording, rooming list, greeters at retreat, skit, quiet time, book reviews/book table, prayer team, remembrance gift, transportation, retreat site contact, guest speaker contact and communion. We will be talking about the various needs of each of these areas in the coming weeks.