The group of pastoral ministries students and Lee faculty who attended this year’s 25th Annual Pastoral Retreat on Signal Mountain
Thirty-two pastoral ministries students attended the 25th Annual Lee University Pastoral Retreat along with Dr. Jerald Daffe, professor of pastoral studies, and Dr. John Lombard, adjunct professor of pastoral studies. The event took place at the Signal Mountain Church of God Camp Grounds.
This year’s theme was “Finding Us Faithful.” The retreat was held for students in the pastoral ministries course PASM 202 and emphasized the area of spiritual gifts. The focus was to evaluate the results of the students’ spiritual gifts test taken previously.
According to Dr. Daffe, the retreat allowed students the time to gain true understanding of their own spiritual gift(s) and provided a time for fellowship and community development among students.
“I believe this retreat will impact students’ pursuit for pastoral ministry because it has taught them that sometimes you just need a quieter atmosphere to understand yourself and to hear what God is saying to you,” said Dr. Daffe.
Another segment of the retreat focused on Lee University’s Quality Enhancement Plan aspect of redemptive service. Lee alum Nick Mclean, accompanied by his wife Briana, was the guest speaker for this segment. Mr. Mclean is the director of Homeless Ministry at the Atlanta Dream Center, and his message delivered a new understanding about ministry to the homeless.
The retreat began with a service Friday evening with Dr. Daffe and Dr. Lombard, followed by a time of prayer and reflection. Saturday began with a joint session with Dr. Thomas Doolittle, chairperson of the Department of Christian Ministries at Lee. He shared God’s faithfulness in the testimony of his and his wife’s ministry. The retreat concluded with communion and personal reflection.
“Being a non-traditional student, I haven't had a lot of time to hang out with and get to know my peers,” said Natalie Cox, junior pastoral ministry major at Lee. “Something I took away from the retreat that I wasn't expecting was the unique sense of community we built while on the retreat. I went in with the expectation of hearing from the Lord, and that I did, but I also walked away with a sense of belonging, and for me, that was huge!”
For more information about Lee’s School of Religion, contact 303-5080.