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Retreats & Seminars
The six retreats and/or seminars listed below are presented by Lois Dick, a long-time counselor and teacher at ELM. They are based on the Word of God as well as materials she has written.
TREASURES RETREAT
I believe one of the biggest problems in Christianity today is our concept of God on a practical level. We know who He is according to the Bible; however, how we perceive Him on a bad day is another story. This is our functional view of God, and it seems to be different for everyone. This retreat or seminar is based on 2 Corinthians 4:7. In the first session, I will have each attendee discover their practical view of God. In the second session we will become personal in our knowledge of God and discover unique ways to get to know Him. Session three I have titled "The Broken Vessel." In this time together we will learn from 2 Corinthians 4:8-12 the purpose of brokenness and/or suffering. At the end of this session each person will have an opportunity to make surrendering to our true God a reality in their life. We will end in 2 Corinthians 4:15 with praise and thanksgiving.
The Treasures Retreat is a 6-8 hour teaching designed as a retreat or a seminar. It can be held on a Friday evening, Saturday morning, Saturday evening, and Sunday morning. We can also adjust it to fit the specific needs of the inviting church or organization. It can also be presented as a seminar.
The titles and details of the sessions are as follows:
1. BUT WE HAVE THIS TREASURE
We will begin this time with our focus on 2 Corinthians 4:7. We will together determine whether we have developed the wrong concept of who this treasure is, over the years, and then how to correct it.
2. GETTING TO KNOW THIS TREASURE
In this session we will become personal in our knowledge of God and discover unique ways to get to know Him.
3. THE BROKEN VESSEL
In this time together we will learn from 2 Corinthians 4:8-12 the purpose of a broken vessel. At the end of this session each person will have a practical opportunity to make this a reality in his or her life.
4. A THANKFUL HEART
Here we look at three levels of thankfulness. We will end with expressions of thanks and praise.
I try to include a lot of audience participation and encourage questions and testimonies during the sessions.
THE LOVE CONNECTION
The Love Connection is a six-hour teaching designed for a ladies’ or couples' retreat or seminar. It deals with the contrast between the old life inherited from Adam and the new life we now have in Christ. You will also learn how to discern your unique flesh pattern, and how you have been living life out of it instead of allowing Christ to live His life through you.
This seminar can be held on a Friday evening, Saturday morning, Saturday evening and Sunday morning. We can also adjust to fit the specific needs of the inviting church or organization.
The titles of the sessions are as follows:
1. THE LOVE OF THE FLESH (two hour session)
Here I give my personal testimony, while teaching the audience how to discern the unique flesh pattern I developed over the years. They then have the opportunity to discern the flesh patterns they have developed.
2. THE LOVE OF GOD
This entire teaching is on the love of God for each individual person. I try to make this very personal, and end with reading and giving to them a letter from God.
3. DYING TO LOVE
Here the audience will learn, from Romans 5, how they were born in Adam and what they inherited from him. The contrast is their new life in Christ Jesus and their new identity found in Him. Through Galatians 2:20 I show how their death, burial and resurrection took place. At the end they have an opportunity to make this truth a reality or accept Christ into their life.
4. RESURRECTION LOVE
Session four is a celebration of who we are in Christ Jesus, with a lot of audience participation, fun and testimony.
5. ONE-ANOTHER LOVE
This unique teaching is found in John 13, using Jesus as the example of humility, service, love, and forgiveness because of His identity and thankfulness. This is compared with Colossians 3 as we are instructed to do likewise in regard to one another. A beautiful service of foot-washing concludes this session.
I try to include a lot of audience participation and encourage questions and testimonies during the sessions.
THE GIFT GOES ON
God has given us so many gifts. In fact the Scriptures say we have been given everything we need for life and godliness. If this is true (and it is), then why aren’t we experiencing more of these gifts? In this retreat I try to answer that question, while weaving my life story throughout the sessions. The first two sessions are based on Ephesians 2: 1-10. Here we talk about many gifts that are waiting for us to take. Session Three gives 5 ways we learn to be receivers. Here participants will have an opportunity to come to Jesus with their hands wide open to receive what He has for them. Finally, receiving from God will always lead to giving to others. This is based on 2 Corinthians 9:6-11. I love this retreat. One of the visuals I use is to have a Christmas tree set up with white lights. Hanging on the tree will be ornaments made up of construction paper and ribbons, with many of God’s gifts written on each one (enough for everyone). They will be given an opportunity to get their gift off of the tree. It is always a special time.
The Gift Goes On Retreat is a 6-8 hour teaching designed for a ladies’, men's, or couples' retreat or seminar. It can be held on a Friday evening, Saturday morning, Saturday evening, and Sunday morning. We can also adjust it to fit the specific needs of the inviting church or organization. Subjects include:
1. DEAD MEN WALKING
What kind of baggage we are hanging on to, and where we picked it up from.
2. BUT GOD
What gifts God has given us.
3. KEYS TO RECEIVING
How to receive and enjoy what we have.
4. THE GIFT GOES ON
How to give these gifts away to others.
The Father gave the Son,
The Son gave the Spirit,
The Spirit gives us Life,
So we can give the gift of love,
And the gift goes on.
Don’t you love to get a present,
Wrapped up in a special bow?
God gave each of us a present,
On that night so long ago,
And the gift goes on.
It’s a gift that keeps on giving,
If our spirits can receive,
It’s the secret joy of living,
If our hearts can just believe,
And the gift goes on.
When your life is full of Jesus,
Then your life is full of Love,
You can give away the present,
That began with God above,
And the gift goes on.
Just like ripples in the water,
Symbols of our life extend,
What was started with the Father,
It’s a gift that has no end,
And the gift goes on.*
*Adapted from the song The Gift Goes On by Sandi Patti.
AWESOME!
This seminar is all about God. I use the Hebrew names of God and describe Him on a very personal and practical level. His name reveals His character. His name doesn’t just tell us something about Him; it tells us who He is. For example, His Word tells us in I John 4:8,16 that God is love. It doesn’t say He has love. If that were the case, then He could love us as He chooses, and we would constantly try to perform so He would pour His love on us. No, love is who He is. He can’t operate in our lives on any level apart from His love. So it is with all of His names. Now for the disclaimer: I can in no way believe for one minute that I have a handle on who God is. When I get even a glimpse of Him, immediately I know I have just scratched the surface. On the other hand, it is my passion to know Him better each day. It is also my passion that every participant will leave this seminar not on a high but as a changed person, one who has a deeper intimate relationship with God. I use many visuals, such as video clips, a parade of banners with His names on each banner, a large cross for a time of surrender and many more.
I use videos as well as other visual aids to help cement these truths in our hearts. The full retreat includes 12-13 of His Hebrew names. It takes approximately four speaking hours. This can be reduced if time is more limited. It can be scheduled as a seminar or retreat.
BUILDING A HOUSE OF LOVE:
A Marriage Retreat
This retreat/conference is based on the picture of the two houses in my book, Unless the Lord Builds the House, available at http://www.crosslifebooks.com/. I have found that couples needing help in their marriages are unable to make the necessary progress if they are living in their flesh house. In this retreat, I have participants each draw out their unique house of flesh. I then provide them with the answer to their dilemma, in the form of the GraceLife Diagrams. The last two sessions (or the last day) deal with many of the “one another” verses in the Bible and focus on practical ways to communicate with one another, love one another, forgive one another, and humble themselves before one another. The retreat/conference ends with communion, where the husband serves his wife. A counselor from our Ft. Collins, Colorado, office and his wife are also willing and able to do this retreat, if that is preferable in your setting. Session 1
Our basic marriage problem is that it is comprised of two people who are living out of their own self-centered desires. They are trying to make their marriage work out of their own resources (flesh) with or without God's help.
Session 2
The answer is God's way as presented in Galatians 2:20. It is based on the exchange of our self-centered lives for His life and what that would look like in a marriage.
Session 3
Marriage helps are addressed as we go through the "one another verses" in the scripture. Some of the subjects are:
1. Humility towards one another
2. Accepting one another
3. Forgiving one another
4. Receiving one another
5. Loving one another
6. Speaking to one another
7. Stimulating one another
8. Honoring one another
UNLESS THE LORD BUILDS THE HOUSE
This seminar is probably a combination of all my seminars. It is based on the discipleship book I wrote, titled Unless the Lord Builds the House, available at http://www.crosslifebooks.com/. It goes in the general direction of a GraceLife Conference. I believe everyone lives in one of two houses. In the "house that flesh built," we are sitting on a faulty foundation that is comprised of past sins and past hurts. Out of that foundation come lies we believe about ourselves, God, and others. This is where Satan makes himself at home. To protect ourselves, we develop behavioral patterns such as anxiety attacks, people pleasing behaviors, addictions, and depression (the roof). However, if we fix the behavior but don’t do any thing about the foundation, the Bible says (Psalm 127:1) our work is in vain. God wants to condemn the house and move you into the house He built for you. There the foundation is based on Truth, who He is, who you are in Him, and His great love for you. The behavior will then change. Each attendee would need a copy of my book, and in the sessions I would highlight particular areas from it. One session will end with brokenness and surrender. Again I will make this very personal and practical. Unless the Lord Builds the House is a six-hour teaching designed for a ladies’ or couples' retreat or seminar. It can be held on a Friday evening, Saturday morning, Saturday evening and Sunday morning. We can also adjust to fit the specific needs of the inviting church or organization.
I try to include a lot of audience participation and encourage questions and testimonies during the sessions.
Please contact me if you have any questions or if you wish to schedule the retreat in your area.
Lois Dick
Exchanged Life Ministries
10610 E. Bethany Dr.
Aurora, CO 80014
Phone: (303) 750-1970
To find out more about these retreats and conferences, or to schedule one, contact Lois Dick at loisdick2000@yahoo.com or phone her at (303)-988-0448.
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