All-church Retreat
September 19-21, 2025
Montreat, North Carolina
Timeline
The doors open at 5:00 pm on Friday and the first large group session starts at 8:15 pm. The retreat ends by 11:15 am on Sunday.
What is Retreat? (and why we want YOU to come!)
The purpose of the All-church Retreat (ACR) is to provide us with an opportunity to step away from our regular routines so that we may connect more deeply with the Lord and each other. It’s an event like none other! You’ll get to worship, learn, rest, play, and engage with all ages in our church community. If, after reading the information below, you have more questions, we are happy to share all the nitty gritty! Reach out to Amy Carlan or Michelle Collins.
Gordon T. Smith
Guest Speaker
Speaker
Gordon T. Smith is the Executive Director for Christian Higher Education Canada (CHEC). He is also a Teaching Fellow at Regent College, Vancouver BC Canada. He is the author of a number of publications, including most recently Welcome Holy Spirit: a Theological and Experiential Introduction (IVP 2021) and Your Calling Here and Now: Making Sense of Vocation (IVP 2022).
Gordon is married to Joella and together they have two adult sons and six grandchildren.
To learn more about Gordon, visit his website.
Accommodations
Adults and kids birth - fifth grade will stay in Assembly Inn. Middle and high school students will stay in Winsborough Lodge, just across Lake Susan from Assembly Inn. Four meals will be provided for everyone by Assembly Inn’s Dining Hall, and we’ll have a spread of snacks for consumption anytime during the day. For more details on both lodges, visit Montreat Accommodations.
What’s the retreat like for parents and kids?
- Infant through Preschool: One of the unique aspects of the ACR is that parents of little ones get to spend time with their kids, but also get time to learn and grow. We take a crew of childcare workers with us – awesome caretakers that your kids already know from Sundays – and during our four large group sessions, your kids get to hang out with them and learn about Jesus, while you learn in large group. Not only that, these caretakers will be hallway monitors on Friday and Saturday if you want to stay up late to chat with other adults. Trust us – this is amazing, and we are happy to connect you to other parents who will verify this awesomeness.
- Elementary kids adore the retreat! They get to play and learn about Jesus with our elementary leaders while their parents are in small group. We are happy to connect you to elementary kids who will gush about retreat (we are talking about CORE memories!)
- Middle & High School: Middle and high school students will stay in their own lodge together, not far from Assembly Inn where parents stay. They are welcome to come on their own, even if their parents do not come on the retreat. The middle school students will join us for the beginning of the large group sessions for worship and testimonies, but have their own speaker. The high school students will join the adults for large group session the entire time.
Cost
We really believe the retreat is a one-of-a-kind way to connect to the Lord and community and we want everyone to go! This is why we significantly supplement the actual cost of the retreat so that it is affordable for everyone. If you are able to afford paying the actual cost that will help us continue to offer the retreat at a great price for people and offer scholarships. On the other hand, if our base cost is too much for you, we still want you to come! Please contact Amy Carlan for information on scholarships.
Retreat “base” cost (what you pay):
- Adults: $150
- Students: $100
- Elementary/Preschoolers: $100
- Household max: $450 (please note this is not a family max, but household max)
Retreat “actual” cost: $300 per person
Go ahead and mark your calendars and sign up for this amazing time of growing closer to the Lord, and to one another, in a community of faith. We look forward to seeing you there!