The Best Gift We Can Give Pastors: Soul Care in Sacred Rhythm

What do pastors really need?

When we sat with that question at the Church Leadership Center, we knew we had to go beyond tools and training. Kevin, who brought insight from years of leadership and research with a previous agency, helped us start with this foundational question. After much prayer, reflection, and conversation, we arrived at a simple but profound answer:

The best thing we can give pastors is care for their soul.

Not just strategies. Not just more books or workshops. But space to become again—a son or daughter of God, grounded not in doing but in being.

At Better Together, we believe that soul care is not a luxury—it’s a calling. That’s why one of the core expressions of this care is our retreat experience, hosted through Cultivate Renewal. And we’re not just hosting it anywhere.

We’ve chosen Genesee Abbey in Western New York, a place marked by silence, simplicity, and sacred rhythm. Yes, snow is often part of the experience—but the real draw is its spiritual depth. This Trappist monastery lives out the ancient rule of prayer seven times a day, inspired by Psalm 119: “Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws.”

For over 1,400 years, monastic communities have been ordering their days around the Psalms. At Genesee, that rhythm still echoes in stone chapels and quiet cloisters. We don’t require participants to attend all seven prayer services, but the invitation is there. The rhythm of the Abbey becomes a gentle structure for the soul—a place where pastors can exhale and listen again for the voice of God.

What’s remarkable is that this retreat isn’t just for one type of leader. We’ve welcomed pastors from across the denominational spectrum, and even those not currently serving in ministry. One participant was a diesel mechanic, another a business leader. But all came with a shared hunger—for renewal, for rest, for God.

And every single one of them left changed.

Not because we delivered a magic formula. But because we created space to wait on the Holy Spirit. That’s where the real transformation happens.

If you’re feeling worn thin by the demands of ministry—if your soul is dry, your joy dulled, or your vision blurred—this retreat might be for you. Not to fix you. But to remind you of who you are in Christ.

We believe deeply in this work. And we’d love to see you join a cohort.