written by: Julie Kotulek

The Austin Stone Community Church

It’s 4:30 on a Friday afternoon in March in Giddings, TX.

I can feel the swell of anticipation rising within me similar to how the tide pushes and pulls on the sea. The dream team is in game-time position: we’re just 30 minutes away from the moment where months of planning crashes full speed into reality.

Five hundred women from our church are about to fill camp for the next three days of Women’s Retreat 2023 - the best weekend ever is officially here.

For the past few months, the women in attendance have merely been 500 registration ID numbers on an excel spreadsheet.

Today, they are real faces with real life stories in tow, all the way from Austin. Most importantly, each one of them is intimately known and loved by God.

We’re all asking one question at this moment:

Have we done enough to remind them of that truth this weekend? We believe it about them, but will they?

That purpose is at the center of hosting an event like this. We are carving out time and creating a space to foster connection - with each other, but most importantly with God. We want each of them to leave our retreat believing in God’s love for them more than they did when they arrived.

So, how do you turn a five hundred person event into one that’s deeply personal?

Remember the details.

The tiniest moments and the most ordinary logistics have the opportunity to stack upon each other with intentionality and become something meaningful to each woman.

So you continually break down your overarching goal into the smallest parts and allow that to inform your decisions.

Nothing has to be insignificant. From handwritten notes from leaders waiting in their room, to discerning a commonly-felt spiritual need in order to teach what’s not only true, but best, from the main stage all weekend. All of the details of planning must start with the question:

How can we make sure they feel personally seen in this moment so that they ultimately feel seen by Jesus?

Be faithful in excellence, but see God rightly.

When it’s all said and done, only the Spirit of God can produce the desired outcome in the hearts of those in attendance — whether it’s 10 people or 500, no matter how much you pour into planning.

While that may feel out of control, it’s actually the most secure place to be. You can trust Him with outcomes more than you can trust yourself with outcomes: He loves them more than you do, and the end result is His best end result for them (and you).

Be faithful in planning, labor well while you’re there, and trust Him with the rest.

It’s 10:00 on Sunday evening back in Austin, TX.

I can feel the soreness making its home within my tired body similar to how a guest checks in for an extended stay. The dream team has made it home to find rest in their own beds — we’ve just completed our biggest ministry event of the year.

Five hundred women are back in the reality of their individual stories - the best weekend ever has come and gone.

We’re all asking one question at this moment: Do we trust Him?

Photo Credits: The Austin Stone Community Church

How to turn a 500-person event into one that’s deeply personal