Solitude Guide 2024

simple guide

Planning a Day of Solitude for Your Team

Planning Ahead

1. Pick the Date.

Decide if you’ll use June 16 (the CAFO-wide Day of Solitude) or another day.

2. Invite the Team.

As soon as you’re able, encourage your team to save the date. Sending a calendar invitation is an easy way to get it on everyone’s schedules. (You may wish to allow those with conflicts to use a different day, while still encouraging all who are able to participate on the same designated day to build a sense of solidarity and shared experience).

3. Share the Vision.

Introduce your team to the concept of the practice of solitude.

• Use the introductory video and two-page overview from CAFO, if helpful.

• For a fuller conversation, you can also use CAFO’s suggested discussion questions.

• Explain that this will be an exploratory, learning experience for the whole team. Freely acknowledge if this is new for you, too. Remind also that going for a day without life’s normal activities, noise and other “stimulants” may be uncomfortable — but is well worth it!

4. Plan the Particulars.

Encourage everyone to make plans as soon as possible for their location and the other details of their Day of Solitude.

• A location away from typical work and home life is ideal, especially one with access to a park, trail and/or other ways to access God’s creation. You may want to look into whether there are retreat grounds, camps or other facilities in your area to recommend.

• While many may only be able to do a workday timeframe, some may be able to carve out 24-hours, which can make the experience all the fuller.

• Emphasize the importance (and lightness!) of unplugging from tech for a day. If a person must be reachable, encourage them to plan a way that’s minimally intrusive.

5. Pray for the Team.

Before, during and after the day, earnestly ask God to pour Himself and His good gifts into each person through the experience of solitude however He might choose.

Afterwards: Process It Together.

Plan a time to process the experience together while it’s still fresh.

• Feel free to use CAFO’s suggested discussion questions. Encourage people to share aspects that may have felt difficult or disappointing … as well as the things that felt most meaningful.

• If individuals took a particular realization or idea from their time, encourage them to write it down or memorialize it in some way. Pray for them to internalize and act upon it. If appropriate, make a note to gently ask them about those things at a future date.

• Consider how you and the team might engage solitude and silence in the future, perhaps including shorter times on a more regular basis.