Cafe Chocolat Retreat

Cafe Chocolat -- Where Women Delight in God's Grace
Women's Ministry Retreat Director's Kit
Group Publishing


I had the honor of reviewing one of Group's newest Women's Retreat programs. Group does a fabulous job of pulling together all the materials necessary for a women's group leadership team to plan and deliver a great retreat without having to pay a speaker or organizer.

Cafe Chocolat uses chocolate as a metaphor for God's grace. The kit comes with:
Director Guide
Training and Promo DVD
Graphics and other goodies on a CD
Worship Leader Guide
6 Session Leader Guides
Music CD
There are also samples of the materials for each participant (purchased separately):
Journal
God's Grace Bracelet
Cafe Chocolat Tote bag.

If interested, a Bible study follow up and a chocolate themed devotional can be purchased.

My Thoughts
The retreat seeks to link women's typical love of chocolate and it's wonderful attributes with the amazing grace of God.

This is an effective retreat for women in all stages of their walks with Christ, and it is probably geared most toward women who want a relaxing retreat, not an in-depth study. As with most of Group's retreats, it is heavy on relationship building within the participants. The games are lighthearted and familiar. As one who really doesn't like 'get acquainted' games, those described for this retreat are not too 'cheesy', so even stick-in-the-muds like me won't be uncomfortable!

The games aren't much different from those in Group's Cozy Cabin retreat, so it might seem repetitive if your women's group has done that retreat in the past.

As with all Group retreats, there is a missions project included. This particular one could be quite expensive, requiring 25 yards of fleece for a group of 30. The project requires a couple of people to do quite a bit of cutting before the event.

this type of retreat might be difficult for those who are trying to lose weight or those who are allergic to chocolate. It would be important to have a plan to deal with these situations so no one feels left out. I don't remember reading any suggestions.

This would be a fun retreat for a group that doesn't want to go too deeply into spiritual issues at their retreat, those who really want a chance for women to get away from the stresses of the world and relax. It is definitely Biblically sound, and provides a well planned package for a successful retreat.