Worried about Low Attendance at Your Retreat? Here's Your Solution!

by Shopify API November 30, 2020

By Gail Marsh

Scheduling, organizing, and hosting a retreat is not for the faint of heart. It takes months of preparation, along with a team of dedicated, hard-working women. And, the women who plan the retreat want it to reach as many women as possible! If your location maxes out at 50 participants, you want 50 women to be there!

How can you make sure your retreat reaches as many women as possible? There are several strategies that experienced retreat planners swear by. Here are just a few:

Begin early! As soon as you’ve confirmed a date and location, it’s time to get the word out. Provide as much information as possible regarding the retreat: theme, location, cost, amenities, what to bring, retreat schedule, menus, and more. First-time participants will feel most comfortable if they have all of this information.
Consider assembling retreat folders that contain all of the important retreat details. Women can pick up a folder after church, or folders can be handed out from your church office. Give folders to various church committee leaders for distribution, as well.
Get your retreat information in your monthly church mailings and on your church calendars. Think: “Countdown to the women’s retreat starts now!” And, “Only 56 days until our women’s retreat!” Or, “Hang in there, ladies! Only two weeks until our retreat!”
Make your bulletin reminders work harder. How? It’s simple–just provide slightly different wording each time and ask that your reminders be placed in a different part of the bulletin each time, too.
Use social media. Post retreat information on your church website in a variety of ways. For example, one month, run a brief video endorsement from a seasoned retreat participant. Another time, include full-color photos of your event’s location, to highlight amenities. Utilize Twitter, Facebook, and other social media to get the word out. Frequently change up your advertising approach to keep it fresh and new.
Ask team members and those who have already registered to invite friends, both within and outside of your church family. Call, email, or send an invitational postcard. Make the invitation personal and genuine.
Use online registration like SignUp Genius or Google Forms. Payments can be handled online with PayPal or similar programs.
Reach out to Bible study groups, church-sponsored clubs, M.O.P.S. (Mothers of Preschoolers), and other women’s organizations. Invite the members of these groups to attend! Or, ask the clubs to “sponsor” the retreat fee for a woman or two.
Above all, pray for your retreat. Enlist the prayers of church members, too. Ask your Lord Jesus to knock down any barriers that may keep some from attending. Invite the Holy Spirit to touch the hearts of the women who most need to hear the retreat’s message of grace, love, and forgiveness.