One of my favorite venues for leading worship is at a weekend retreat, where women or ministry staff, etc. come together with purpose for a few days in a desire to pull away from the daily grind to spend time retreating with God. I think what attracts me the most about this worship setting is the often times intimate atmosphere that retreats are known for. It’s a great opportunity for me to get to know my fellow worshippers on a more personal level, which isn’t as feasible with larger conferences or worship events.

I’ve lead worship at retreats that run for one, two, or three days [Friday – Sunday]. The schedule usually includes a morning worship session and another time of worship in the evening, but can vary depending on if it’s a retreat highlighting a guest speaker, or if the retreat has a broader agenda. In either case, I work with the current song list being used at your church/ministry to ensure that the music I choose is well known by those I’m leading in worship. In addition to singing, I incorporate a lot of Scripture reading into the worship sessions, knowing that many times, there are those in attendance who haven’t yet experienced that as a form of worship.

Ideally, my fee to lead worship at a retreat will include a mileage stipend, room & board at the retreat location, and a set fee of $50 per half-hour worship session. In some cases, smaller congregations having limited resources have offered to pay for my accommodations as my fee. I never want to exclude my music ministry to those whose church budget cannot meet my requirements. Therefore, I’m willing to offer my services at a reduced rate, if necessary.