Over 20 facilitators from seven cities gathered in St. Louis for deeper formation in ISP’s ministry approach
“The explanation of the whys behind the movements was huge for me.” This response captured the breakthrough many facilitators experienced at our recent Network Facilitators Retreat held May 19-21 at the White House Retreat Center outside St. Louis.
The retreat sparked renewed confidence: ‘What matters most is presence, patience, and the ability to deeply listen’ — authentic connection over perfect words.
Understanding the Architecture
Twenty-plus team members from Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, DC, Orange County, San Diego, and Saint Louis came together for three transformational days. The focus: understanding not just what we do in ISP programs, but why we do it.
Many had experienced ISP retreats before becoming facilitators, but this formation offered a completely different lens — understanding the intentional design behind each movement from the facilitator’s perspective.
Claire DesHotels, who co-facilitated the retreat, shared: “People mentioned going over the movements and understanding the arc of why we do things the way we do and in the order that we do was really helpful. It’s about seeing the overall architecture, not just the building blocks.”
Facilitators from seven cities gathered to explore the ‘why’ behind ISP’s retreat movements — moving from understanding the building blocks to seeing the overall architecture.
Programs That Transform Lives
The retreat focused primarily on the movements that shape ISP’s overnight retreats, with secondary attention to how these principles apply in spiritual reflection circles. Together, facilitators explored how each movement creates opportunities for participants to discover hope, belonging, and purpose — healing from within and stepping into lives of renewed possibility, including stable housing, meaningful work, and family reunification.
Renewed Confidence Through Presence
The formation sparked renewed confidence among facilitators. “This retreat helped me realize that I don’t have to have all the right words to be an effective facilitator,” one participant reflected. “What matters most is presence, patience, and the ability to deeply listen.”
This insight captures ISP’s core approach: spiritual companionship happens through authentic presence, not perfect words. Whether facilitating a retreat movement or guiding a reflection circle discussion, the power begins with in creating safe space for encounter and healing.
Bringing together diverse experiences to create best practices no single city could develop alone.
Real Impact, Multiplied
These 20+ facilitators will directly serve hundreds of people this year. But the impact goes further. Each person who finds hope and purpose through ISP carries that healing home — to children, workplaces, and neighborhoods. Recovery that includes spiritual formation creates stronger families, more stable communities, and lives rebuilt from the inside out.
“Having people reconnect with our mission in a deeper way — that’s huge,” DesHotels noted. “Our entire ministry depends on volunteers feeling confident and inspired. “Since we are so volunteer-driven, that renewed sense of vision and passion is essential.”
Each facilitator will carry these insights back to their communities, creating ripples of transformation that reach hundreds of participants in the year ahead.
Strategic Formation for Sustainable Ministry
This retreat shows how coordinated formation amplifies grassroots ministry. The three days brought together diverse experiences, creating cross-pollination of best practices that no single city could develop alone. Veterans shared wisdom with newer facilitators, while emerging 
insights were woven into ISP’s broader formation approach.
“Anyone who participated in the NFR would note that having this group experience is very different and a deeper learning experience than what’s possible online,” DesHotels noted. This kind of immersive formation honors both the dedication of local volunteers and the complexity of effective spiritual companionship — creating space for trauma-informed, spiritually grounded healing requires ongoing formation and support.
Moving Forward
ISP’s commitment to offering this formation twice yearly reflects our understanding that quality ministry requires ongoing investment. The goal: ensuring facilitators across our 20+ cities can access transformational training that elevates their confidence and effectiveness.
As participants noted, the retreat renewed mission, vision and practical ability. For a ministry serving thousands annually through volunteers, that combination changes everything.
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