Nurturing New Growth

Christine Labrum
Apr 1, 2025
3 min read

Updated: Aug 16, 2025

# New Growth: Reflecting on Retreat - RSVP for Shepherd's Gathering in April

This past weekend, I spent a couple of days on a personal retreat. God met me in that prayerful, gracious space, as He always does. I am so grateful for these moments.

The Purpose of Retreat

For me, retreat is about setting aside time with God for repentance, rest, renewal, and delight. Each retreat unfolds a little differently. Often, I look back at the recent months with a spirit of repentance and gratitude. I attend to God through the Scriptures and prayer in various ways, often including creativity or reflecting on a recent creative work. Sometimes, I look forward to upcoming ministry or creative projects.

Embracing New Growth

As I walked along a path on Saturday evening, every tree I passed displayed new growth: pink, dark red, yellow, and various shades of green. The evidence of spring shouted against the drab, gray, and neutral tones from the end of winter. The emerging splashes of color caught my attention. I began to wonder about new growth and the seasons of spring.

How can we pay attention to the new growth that God is producing in and through our lives? What is God nurturing within you these days? How might He be creating beauty in and through you? What is blooming?

In our life with God, there are seasons. They do not always align with the seasons of the created world. There are winter seasons where I might only tend a small flowerpot on my windowsill. How do I nurture that single plant? Perhaps it’s spring not just in nature but also in my soul, where the entire landscape seems to be blooming. How can I remain responsive to God and nurture what He is producing in my life with wisdom?

A plant needs light, nourishment, and time. What spiritual practices has God invited me to so that I can remain in His light? What practices provide nourishment? And what practices help guard my time with God?

Reflecting on Shepherd's Prayer Retreat

A little over a week ago, I had the privilege of leading a retreat for 12 men and women who shepherd others. They gathered to be nurtured and nourished by God. It felt like being in a greenhouse for a few days. Becky Bowersox provided nourishing, wonderful food for us. It was a joy to witness God move among us.

Click on the picture to get a glimpse of the prayer retreat.

"God gather me to be with you as you are with me. Keep me in touch with myself, with my needs, my anxieties, my angers, my pains, my corruptions, that I may claim them as my own rather than blame them on someone else. O Lord, deepen my wounds into wisdom; shape my weaknesses into compassion; gentle my envy into enjoyment, my fear into trust, my guilt into honesty. O God, gather me to be with you as you are with me."

— Ruth Haley Barton, Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership

Thoughts on Retreat

Here are some reflections shared by the participants during the retreat:

"I felt blessed by the balance between silence and solitude, and the sweet fellowship, sharing, and laughter. To rest and feel cared for without the weight of responsibility was refreshing."
"God truly spoke through both the quiet moments and the community interactions."
"The experience was deepening, emotional, and thought-provoking. It felt special to be among other faithful people and hear their insights."
"It was a joyful time connecting with others in ministry. We relaxed, listened to God's Word, shared our stories, enjoyed nature, had fun, created art, sang, ate delicious food, took communion together, and received God's love."
"I appreciated the safe space to be vulnerable without fear of judgment, especially the personal story practice."
"The setting was lovely, the meals were wonderful. I felt individually cared for, even in a group. I found good rest for both body and soul, and communion was exactly what my spirit needed."
"The location was great, the schedule was relaxed, and the food was excellent. The unscheduled time was very beneficial."
"I particularly enjoyed revisiting a past event with Jesus. The unscheduled moments for connecting with others were fantastic."
"It was an excellent opportunity to step away and spend time with God. The other shepherds provided great support. I felt safe to explore my faith more deeply and loved the chance to paint."
"Awesome. Awesome. Awesome! I loved the Scriptures and time spent with God."