All retreat coordinators know the struggle of discovering the perfect theme for their retreat every year, and ladies’ retreat themes are no exception. You want a theme that is faithful to scripture, but not too generic.
You want a theme that is relevant to women, but not sexist. Picking themes is all about finding a balance. If you’re looking for a few ideas to spark your creativity, read on.
1. True Beauty
We live in a society that tries to tell us that we’re not good enough. Just look around – everywhere you go, there are magazines and movies this image of what a “real woman” should be. As a result, so many women are insecure about themselves, because they don’t fit into the mold of “perfection” that is forced upon them.
Every woman needs to know that true beauty is not measured by how attractive you are or how much you weigh, but by who you are on the inside. An excellent verse to go with this theme might be 1 Samuel 16:7, which says, “…For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”
2. I Am His
Another huge challenge facing women today is the challenge of identity. What makes us who we are? Does it have something to do with the way the world sees us, or is it something we decide for ourselves?
Thankfully, the Bible tells us exactly who we are – we are daughters of the King. Psalm 139:14 says, “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” We don’t have to worry if we don’t fit in with everyone else; we are treasured by God.
3. Fearless
Fear is something that we all encounter. After all, we’re only human; we can’t see the bigger picture, as God does. Fear is what holds us back from being bold for Christ, from pursuing the great plans that He has for us.
But our God is stronger than all of our fear. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” We don’t have to fear, because His love has conquered everything already.
4. Renewed
We like to be in control – this is not only true for women, but for everyone. The problem is that the majority of the things we worry about are completely out of our control. We allow these things to fluster us until we’re left exhausted and in dire need of rest.
We need to take time out of our busy lives to reflect on our relationship with God, repent of our sin, and come to Him once again. As Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
