(above: one of the participating worship teams jumps for joy at the Tahoe retreat center pier)

Where can you experience all seasons in just a few days?  Lake Tahoe! And that’s just what happened… in more than one way!  Almost 90 people from around the country (from coast to coast, literally), came to Lake Tahoe for the Worship Design Studio Tahoe planning retreat last week. We went from a balmy Spring-like 70 degrees just before they got there to a very respectable and beautiful covering of snow by Tuesday! Add to that the height of the fall colors and we just about had an experience of the full year.

snow at Zephyr Point Conference Center

But the OTHER seasons we experienced were that of the liturgical year. We got all the way from Advent through Ordinary Time in 7 sessions over 3 days. We steeped ourselves in the music, the liturgy, the history and theology of each season.  We sang, we dreamed, we imagined, we brainstormed and we played with posting our series in the new Worship Design Studio App online. We rode on each other’s enthusiasm and were bolstered by each other’s encouragement. We made new friends and reconnected with old ones.

And we ended up with plans for worship series FOR THE YEAR! This retreat has become so popular (yep, 90 is just about bursting out of the room) that we have waiting lists now each year. Soooo… we are going on tour! Stay tuned soon for information about the Worship Design Studio planning retreat coming to a regional location near you.

Monday night’s experiential worship for Holy Week

Here is the point… I want to encourage you to your own Visionary Planning Retreat, whether a guided one with us or on your own. When we spend “set-apart” time to envision the spiritual journey of the congregation for the year ahead, we are investing in intentionality for our worship design and leadership. It means that we understand how very important worship is in the scope of ministerial duties. And planning ahead allows us to include more people in the process of preparation and leadership. And that, my friends, is truly “the work of the people.”

Read more about a Visionary Planning Retreat:  http://worshipdesignstudio.com/flipbook/thevisionaryretreat/index.html

Find many more guides that are educational and inspirational in the Worship Design Studio Online… now expanded and interactive!    http://worshipdesignstudio.com

(Photos in this post courtesy of Sarah Celec, one of this year’s participants – thanks, Sarah!)