2024 Pastoral Resilience Retreat Guide

Welcome

We are excited to host you for the first Pastoral Resilience Retreat and Cohort. As we get closer to the retreat, we want to provide some important information. This guide will provide the schedule for the retreat and information about transportation, lodging, and things of that nature. 

Our goal for this retreat is to equip you with new tools to develop your own resilience and to provide a respite from the daily demands of ministry.

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Schedule

 

Sunday, September 22

Everyone Arrives

6:30 PM - Group Dinner

 

Monday, September 23

7 AM - 8:45 AM - Breakfast at the Hotel (On your own)

9 AM - 9:45 AM - Experiential Activity/ Worship

9: 45 - 10:45 Session 1: Fill Your Cup: How to Develop Practices for Soul Health, the challenges of ministry, barriers to resistance, and burnout. Presenter: David Oceguera

11 AM - 12 PM Session 2: For the Joy - The Importance of Calling, Identity, the three phases of a Resilient Leader. Presenter: David Oceguera

12 PM - Lunch (Panera, participants will choose their order)

1 PM - Session 3: Unhealed Wounds: Becoming Aware of the Power of Unhealed Wounds, how to notice them, how to heal - Presenter: Adrian Langdon, Therapist.

2 PM Session 4 - Protecting What is Most Important: The Importance of Values, how to set Healthy Boundaries and Why this is Key to Joy in Ministry. David Oceguera.

3 PM - 6:30 PM - Schedule a Session with the Retreat Therapist, Free Time, Rest, Explore the City, Netflix, Workout, Connect with other participants

6:30 PM Group Dinner (Provided by RU - Location TBD)

 

Tuesday, September 24

7 AM - 8:45 AM - Breakfast at the Hotel (On your own)

9 AM - 9:30 Experiential Activity

9:30 AM Session 5: Cultivating Resilience. Presenter: Peter Casillas

10:30 AM Session 6: Tools for Ministry in a New World. How to manage your reactivity, how to reorient and reframe for your church and the importance of remaining relational, and support systems. Presenter: David Oceguera

Ministry in a New World. Four Tools to Lead in this New World. David Oceguera

11:30 AM - Session 7: Becoming a Well-Differentiated Leader. How to lead well when the pressure of ministry is heavy and there seems to be no easy fix. Presenter: David Oceguera

12:30 PM: Lunch (Chipotle - participants will choose their order)

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM - Session 8: How Trauma Affects Us and How We Begin to Heal - Ingrid Slikkers, Associate Professor of Social Work and Executive Director of the International Center For Trauma Education & Care, LMSW, CCTP, CFTP

2:30 PM - 3:30 PM Session 9: Developing Resilience in a High Stress Job. Taking a holistic approach to well-being, the role of faith, and becoming tempered. Presenter: Kenneth Rose, CEO UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Bolingbrook Hospital

3:30 PM - 6:30 PM - Schedule a Session with the Retreat Therapist, Free Time, Rest, Explore the City, Netflix, Workout, Connect with other participants

6:30 PM Group Dinner (Provided by RU - Location TBD)

Important Information

 
Airport Transportation

You will be picked up from the airport by one of our team members. You will be provided their phone number so that you can text them when you land. They will come in to baggage claim to make it easier for you. We will also provide transportation to the airport when you depart. 

Hotel

The retreat and lodging will be at the Hampton Inn & Suites in the River North Neighborhood of downtown Chicago. We will meet daily in the Wright Room.

Hampton Inn and Suites River North
33 W Illinois St, Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 832-0330

Sunday Night

On Sunday night, we will eat dinner together as a group. One of the central tenets of resilience is having friends as a support system. It is our hope to model healthy frienships through our dinner time. 

Free Time

We will be done by 3 - 3:30 PM each day. You are free to spend the afternoon as you wish. We will organize sightseeing if you would like to explore the city. Otherwise, you are free to be on your own until dinner.

Meals

The hotel provides a complimentary hot breakfast. We will provide lunch and eat together in the conference room. Each night, we are hosting the cohort for dinner. The goal is for you to engage with other colleagues and develop friendships in a relaxed environment. 

Dress Code

We encourage business casual to casual dress. Keep in mind that we may be taking photographs for promotional purposes. If you prefer not to be photographed, let us know. 

Exercise

The hotel has an indoor pool and fitness center if you would like to work out. We may organize a group run outside if there is enough interest.

Free Counseling

One of the features we are proud to offer during your time in Chicago is a free counseling session. We have partnered with Adrian Langdon who is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has a heart to pour into Christian leaders, to provide a free counseling session if you choose to have one. This is completely optional.

 

Meet the Presenters

David Oceguera

David is the founder of Resilient University and the lead presenter for this retreat. He currently serves as the Lead Pastor of Bolingbrook Church in Chicagoland.

Peter Casillas

Peter is part of the Resilient University team and a co-facilitator. He currently serves as the Lead Pastor of Canyon Creek Project in Richardson, Texas. 

Ingrid Weiss Slikkers

Ingrid is an Associate Professor of Social Work and the Executive Director of the International Center For Trauma Education & Care.

Kenneth Rose

Kenneth currently serves as the President/CEO of UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Bolingbrook Medical Center.

Adrian Langdon

Adrian is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and our resident therapist. He has a heart to help Christian leaders be at their best.

Our Sponsors

Resilient University is grateful for our sponsors, who believe in the vital importance of our work, and without their help, could not provide this retreat.