Walk Ideas

Take a walk - alone - and listen to all the sounds you can hear.  Separate them into man made and God made sounds.  Try to ignore the man made sounds and just listen to all those from His world.  Be aware of those sounds that you have taken for granted and have ignored, like the sound of the wind or rain or even the birds.  Each the pleasant sounds you hear has a perfect curve to it's wave length, designed to be pleasing to the ear.   They are in harmony with each other.  Dissonant sounds are often the man-made mechanical gratings that set our teeth on edge.

Thank God for sound and the harmony of nature that He conducts every day.  Ask Him to sharpen your spiritual ears for what He will speak to you this day.

BE STILL

Be Still
How do you do that with all the stuff coming at you at 100 MPH and faster?  Being still is an art form that is often required before one can hear from God.  Ruth Haley Barton said, "I find it inexplicable the way God comes to us and ministers to us when we are willing to trust ourselves to Him."  So according to this author, Trust is a large part of being still.  Trusting God to take care of the barrage in your life while you take time out with Him.  Please reply if you have a great way to do this we can share with the others who read this blog.

Why is it Free?

There are many people who donate to Broom Tree to make it possible for it to be free for the pastor couple. Many other faithfully pray for the couples before, during and after the retreat.  For these 'Friends of Broom Tree' we are grateful!

Many pastors have told us that they could never have afforded this type of retreat and those who could, said that they probably would have used those funds for a family event or vacation; not for just the two of them.

Even those pastors who have been on repeated retreats through the years will testify that each one is different and each time they have been surprised with God's touch.

"You can have longevity..."

 At Broom Tree Ministries we offer pastors a chance to retreat, but really a better description of these free opportunities to encounter the living God, are spiritual advances.  If you have a moment feel free to watch this quick video. We would love to hear your comments! Have a wonderful Christmas.

A Fisherman's Catch!

Dorman and Cindy Pollet, from  Canada attended a Broom Tree retreat last spring.  Just like Peter and Andrew, God called Dorman from the fishing industry in Newfoundland to pastor in Wheatly, Ontario which he has been faithfully doing for over 8 years.  Now he is a "Fisher of Men".  We just received this wonderful testimony to what God is doing in his small town:


"GOD IS DOING GREAT THINGS  SO FAR THIS YEAR WE HAD ABOUT 115 PEOPLE GIVE THERE LIVES TO CHRIST PRAISE GOD . YOU SAID THERE  IS A LADY PRAYING FOR US CAN YOU THANK HER FOR US!  [ We did that right away] 
WE LOVE YOU AND   YOU ARE A BLESSING TO THE BODY OF CHRIST. HAVE A GREAT MERRY CHRISTMAS.    PASTOR DORMAN AND CINDY POLLETT CANADA

Why Do Pastors Need a Retreat?

Broom Tree Ministries provides these spiritual retreats for pastor couples with the sole purpose of strengthening the strong.  Many pastors and spouses today have been so busy 'doing' that they have not had the luxury of rest and reflection with Jesus.  Experts tell us that most are sleep deprived so all of the guides and tools we offer to them include proper rest, exercise, and plenty of time to process anything they are learning.  We encourage them to be intentional about slowing down.  Each pastor couple designs their own retreat using the materials Broom Tree provides.


Broom Tree retreats are as much for spouses they are for the pastor.  Strengthening the strong is a strategic effort to avoid burnout way before it is a possibility.  Prevention to insure that your pastor remains at his or her best.

Listening lessons

This past retreat has been a welcomed time to rest and listen.  This is what has been impressed on our hearts:
1. Humbly serve being strengthened by God
2. Go and minister God's grace
3. Always speak truth so that God may be praised


For the donors - Thank you for making this week possible not for just us, but for all the couples that were here in November and over the years.
May God provide refreshment for your lives as well -
Ed & Nan McCallum
Too visit their blog Press Here