MISSION
“If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them strays; will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, it gives him more joy than do the ninety-nine that did not stray at all. Similarly, it is never the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.” (Matthew 18: 10-14)
Who are the lost sheep of our community? Who suffers the isolation experienced by the sheep that strayed? Which ‘lost sheep’ could benefit the most from a weekend retreat? Can we, the People of God, develop programs that will bring healing and support and truly welcome them home to our communities?
These are the questions that Itinerant Retreat Leaders asked hundreds of pastors, retreat centers and community service providers across the United States in 2008 and 2009. In response, we have established four initial groups to develop retreat programs
- Families and caregivers of returning veterans suffering from brain trauma
- Individuals and Families Who are Struggling to Cope with Dramatic Life Changes
- Clergy Members and Caregivers Who are Struggling Against Isolation and Burn-out
- Men and Women Seeking a Simpler Lifestyle, a Spirituality of ‘Enough’
Itinerant Retreat Leaders is currently recruiting talented, experienced retreat leaders to offer effective programs for these four target audiences. IRL will market these retreat programs and leaders to retreat centers around the United States. In order to make these programs economical for retreat centers, IRL will pay the travel expenses of the leaders. IRL is also developing partnerships with organizations that can work with the retreat centers to provide ongoing follow-up for retreat participants.