Pastors from Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri gathered at the Downtown Omaha Embassy Suites Hotel, April 11-14, 2021, for a retreat focusing on the Enneagram.

Hunter Mobley led workshops describing the Enneagram types. One participant learned that “enneagram numbers are neither good or bad; they are what they are, and they help us understand, and celebrate each other’s gifts and weaknesses. The opportunity to simply sit with this material and bounce ideas around invites us to celebrate who we are in God’s amazing creation, fallen, and redeemed servants of Jesus Christ called to bring our whole selves to the ministry experience.” The participants appreciated Hunter’s knowledge of the enneagram, and the stories he shared that made enneagram numbers understandable.

Suzanne Gorhau was the worship leader for the gathering. Suzanne drew upon all the senses – sight, sound, touch, smell and taste. The participants prayer walked, listened to Taizé music, enjoyed worship videos and even knelt in prayer. The Lord’s Supper was served with whole rolls for each worshiper, as well as a personal small bottle of juice. As one participant said, “I appreciated Suzanne’s take on experiential worship. As a kinesthetic learner I often find worship one dimensional. I loved how she incorporated our senses into each of the services.”

This was the fourth retreat that Pastoral Leadership Revitalization has hosted since the start of the pandemic. We are learning that pastors are longing to be together. One pastor said, “One of the best features of this retreat was the opportunity to connect with other colleagues in ministry and simply share stories and recognize that community in-person is essential for growth. It was also very beneficial after the workshop sessions to have small informal group discussions to talk about the material that was presented.” Another told us, “I really appreciated the time away. Life and ministry have been very stressful over the past year and I needed the time away.”

This retreat also offered free time for pastors to explore Omaha. Some walked the Old Market, some visited the Holy Family Shrine, near Gretna, Nebraska, and a couple toured Henry Doorly Zoo. One participant said, “I really appreciated the good food and fellowship with colleagues and free time in Omaha to do things like visit their world class zoo.”