Shepherd’s Sabbath
Retreats for Pastors & Ministers at Corhaven
Sunday – Monday
“I will lead you into solitude and there I will speak to your heart.” Hosea 2:14
In 2024 Barna came out with a study that showed an astonishing 40% of pastors reported being at high risk for burnout. With the current trend of American political partisanship leavening our churches with increased levels of polarization, the shepherding role within our local church communities has for too many become a vocation marked by isolation and exhaustion.
For that reason, Corhaven Retreat Center, located only a 90-minute drive from Dulles Airport in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, offers pastors and ministers access to up to ten Shepherd’s Sabbath Retreats without expectation of financial contribution.
The Shepherd’s Sabbath is envisioned as a 24-hour self-guided prayer retreat, Sunday to Monday, with access to significant resources from Coracle, specifically curated with ministers in mind. Those resources include:
Corhaven Retreat Center as a sacred space dedicated for prayer retreat with access to all the amenities necessary for retreat as well as our wooded walking trails, fire pits, and dedicated outdoor prayer stations.
Retreat & Sabbath Resources, specifically developed and/or curated by Coracle for ministers, including our newly developed digital resource Sabbath & Retreat, as well as helpful onsite literature at Corhaven.
Pastoral Counsel and Prayer (optional upon request) with one of our Corhaven hosts will be available on Monday mornings. And, for those interested in spiritual direction beyond their Shepherd’s Sabbath, reach out to our Spiritual Direction Coordinator, Margot Eyring, for a conversation in which you can explore, without commitment, the possibility of finding a spiritual director.
Special incentive specifically for pastors: While the Shepherd’s Sabbath is accessible to ministers in general, to entice pastors in our community to place greater priority on rest and renewal, we are offering the first 10 pastors who sign up for a Shepherd’s Sabbath retreat a free copy of Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest.
In order to sign up for your first Shepherd’s Sabbath, simply fill out this Corhaven Retreat Request form with the dates that can work for you. Make sure to mark that this is a Shepherd’s Sabbath and once we receive that request we will follow up with an email to help guide you into the Shepherd’s Sabbath experience.
Support the Shepherd’s Sabbath Here. As a non-profit, Coracle can only offer such initiatives through the generous donations of our community. To help us remove as many barriers as we can for ministers to access our retreat resources and to help us make the Shepherd’s Sabbath a sustainable initiative, we invite individuals and organizations to partner with us by making a financial contribution. We especially encourage church leadership teams to consider contributing to the Shepherd’s Sabbath initiative and encouraging their ministers to set aside time for rest and retreat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Shepherd’s Sabbath a Program?
No. There are not specific days that you ought to come or practices that you ought to do. This is a self-guided, Coracle-resourced experience.
Could I stay for longer than 24 hrs?
Yes, especially for those who may need to travel some distance we welcome you to use up to three Shepherd’s Sabbath days consecutively.
Will I need to provide/cook my own food?
Yes, we have a full-sized kitchen that you can utilize as well as a binder full of recommended restaurants and grocery stores within a 10-minute drive.
Could I do a Shepherd’s Sabbath with a friend/group of ministers?
Absolutely! While there are times when a retreat ought to be an experience of solitude, there are also times when we need to retreat with others. We encourage participants to discern if perhaps inviting others to join them might be a meaningful experience.
Can I use the Shepherd’s Sabbath for my leadership retreat?
No. While Corhaven is an ideal place for church leadership teams, and we do want you to bring your leadership team out here on retreat, that is not the purpose of the Shepherd’s Sabbath experience. If Sunday to Monday happens to be the best time for your leadership team retreat, let us know that in your reservation request form and we will try our best to accommodate your request.
Can a married couple utilize the Shepherd’s Sabbath together?
Yes. While we only have two rooms suitable for couples, we would be glad for a couple to participate in a retreat together, provided that at least one of them is a minister.
How do I know if I qualify as a “Shepherd”?
While we recognize that many different vocations involve shepherding (like parenting for example!), this initiative is aimed at those in formal ministry roles either in the church, or a Christian non-profit.
Do I need to be a lead pastor?
No. Youth ministers, children’s ministers, associate pastors, co-pastors, non-profit directors, etc. are all welcome.
Does a Shepherd’s Sabbath have to be Sunday-Monday?
No. While it is the case that we encourage Sunday to Monday retreats when possible, we are also glad for retreatants to request another weekday that can work for them. Weekend retreats are also welcomed, though the regular suggested donation would apply.