The Fieldstone Counseling team of staff and counselors recently gathered in Green, Ohio, for our two-day annual team retreat. Nearly fifty of us descended upon our host space at Parkside Green, some flying in from across the country (California, Oklahoma), and others driving in from cities in North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Our team retreat is hands-down one of the most anticipated gatherings of the year. Consistently, our counselors and staff members offer feedback about the meaningful nature of this event.
While the retreat includes various activities, a couple of unique features stand out from this year’s gathering. Each of the two days began with devotional thoughts shared by board member Isaac Van Epps and fellow counselor Beth Tomic. We enjoyed the caring, wise teaching of CCEF faculty member and counselor Darby Strickland, panel discussions covering case observations and aspects of the broader history and movement of biblical counseling, and instructive breakout sessions led by a couple of our own counselors. This annual gathering would not be possible without the generous support of the Fieldstone Board of Directors or through the caring service of our staff and retreat volunteers. In the days following the retreat, I asked some of our team members to share what most impacted them.
While several aspects of the retreat stood out, the resounding majority of our team appreciated Darby Strickland as our guest speaker. Counselors felt both equipped and cared for by Darby’s humble instruction, which connected the complexities of trauma with biblical themes of help and hope. Darby pointed us to our shared dependence on God in the oftentimes heavy burdens of counseling and to personal renewal by remembering God’s presence with us in the midst of this work.
Fieldstone teammates experienced refreshment in the opportunities for connection throughout the retreat, noting the worship and devotional times – led by fellow team members – as a particular form of encouragement. The hospitality team's careful attention to providing coffee, snacks, and delicious meals was another expression of care. Many of us met in person for the first time, as the Fieldstone team has continued to grow in size and locations over the past year. Several counselors voiced gratitude for the varied ways relationships were deepened over the three-day retreat, as we shared in times of teaching, conversation, games, and nature walks. Others cited the breakout sessions, taught by Fieldstone counselors on topics such as sleep anxiety and cross-cultural transitions for international workers, as highlights of the learning experience.
Nearly every counselor expressed particular gratitude for the generous gifts of coffee mugs, resources, and Fieldstone swag. Counselors Ian Tully and Danielle Ware tied for the most books collected to take home, totaling nine each! Fieldstone’s annual team retreat remains among the most valued aspects of what we provide for our counselors and staff. Overwhelmingly, the retreat is marked by the unique camaraderie and joy we experience as a team. We celebrate what God has done, and continues to do, in and through our board, staff, counselors, and especially the counselees we serve. We are better for it when we have this yearly opportunity to gather together. We invite you to rejoice with us at God’s goodness!
Melissa Affolter has served in various aspects of counseling and discipleship ministries for nearly twenty years in the local church.
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