Retreat planner
Plan a retreat everyone actually comes back from rested
For churches, elders, staff, and teams of up to 15. Everything you need to plan it, and a one-page summary to pitch it.
Why it works
One house, one table, no distractions
Retreats work best when the whole group stays, eats, and talks in one place. Rough Life Lake House sleeps 15 in five bedrooms, seats 12 at one table, and sits on a quiet branch of Rough River Lake, about an hour and 45 minutes from Louisville.
- 15guests, 8 beds
- 5bedrooms, 3.5 baths
- 12seats at the covered porch table
- 6Roku TVs and Starlink
For churches & ministries
Elder, staff, and small-group retreats
Get your elders or staff away from the building for prayer, planning, and rest. Quiet mornings on the porch, long sessions at the table, and evenings by the fire. Men's and women's retreats fit too.
For companies & teams
Offsites without the hotel conference room
Strategy in the morning, kayaks in the afternoon, poker at night. Starlink keeps you connected, and a TV handles slides. Small teams and leadership groups up to 15 stay under one roof.
Sample schedules
Steal these, then make them yours
2-night elder or staff retreat
Friday to Sunday, or Sunday to Tuesday
- 4:00 PM
- Arrive, claim beds (use the bed planner)
- 5:30 PM
- Dinner on the grill, eaten at the porch table
- 7:00 PM
- Opening session in the great room by the fireplace
- 8:30 PM
- Firepit, prayer, and conversation
- 7:00 AM
- Coffee and quiet time: patio swing, porch, or waterfront deck
- 8:30 AM
- Breakfast together
- 9:30 AM
- Session 2 at the 12-person table
- 12:00 PM
- Lunch, then free time: kayak, nap, walk
- 3:00 PM
- Session 3: planning and vision
- 6:00 PM
- Dinner
- 7:30 PM
- Worship or a long-form conversation
- 9:00 PM
- Pool table, cards, or the firepit
- 7:30 AM
- Breakfast and a closing prayer
- 9:30 AM
- Wrap-up: next steps and assignments
- 11:00 AM
- Checkout
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
3-night midweek retreat
Sunday to Wednesday, or Monday to Thursday
- 4:00 PM
- Arrive and settle in
- 6:00 PM
- Dinner and introductions
- 7:30 PM
- Opening session
- Morning
- Solitude: Scripture reading and prayer in quiet spots around the house
- Midday
- Teaching session and lunch
- Afternoon
- Rest, recreation, one-on-one walks
- Evening
- Dinner, sharing, firepit
- Morning
- Strategic planning at the porch table
- Afternoon
- Free time or a drive to Rough River Dam State Resort Park
- Evening
- Celebration dinner and commissioning
- Morning
- Breakfast, closing session
- 11:00 AM
- Checkout
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
2-night team offsite
Tuesday to Thursday works well
- 4:00 PM
- Arrive, room assignments
- 5:00 PM
- Kickoff: goals for the offsite
- 6:30 PM
- Team dinner on the porch
- 8:00 PM
- Pool, poker, and the firepit
- 8:00 AM
- Breakfast
- 9:00 AM
- Strategy block at the 12-person table, slides on a TV
- 12:00 PM
- Working lunch
- 1:30 PM
- Breakouts: great room, lower level, and porches
- 4:00 PM
- Free time: kayak, Adirondack chairs, nap
- 6:30 PM
- Dinner and the Rough Life Olympics
- 8:00 AM
- Breakfast
- 9:00 AM
- Decisions, owners, and next steps
- 11:00 AM
- Checkout
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Meeting space
Where you'll meet
- 12-person covered table on the upper porch, overlooking the lake
- Great room with seating around the stone fireplace for whole-group sessions
- Lower level with game tables for breakouts, and French doors to the patio
- Starlink internet and six Roku TVs for slides, videos, and video calls. Ask Greg about connecting a laptop.
- Kitchen with Thor appliances and a large island for cooking for 15
Quiet spots
Where you'll read and pray
- Daybed swing on the lakeside patio, under the porch
- Adirondack chairs by the lower-level French doors
- Upper porch sectionals with a view of the lake
- Waterfront deck down the back steps
- Five bedrooms, each with its own AC unit, for real rest
Midweek rate
Sunday to Thursday costs less
Midweek dates are the easiest to book and come with a ministry and business rate. It's a natural fit for staff and elder retreats.
Pitching the trip to your elders or your boss? The one-pager has the facts, a sample schedule, and the midweek rate on a single sheet.
Sunday to Thursday, ministry & business rate
Ask for a quote
Sample price: final rate coming soon.
Book direct
Check your dates
See available dates and cost per person, then send Greg your request. He'll reply within 24 hours.