ASHBORNE
RETREAT
ASHBORNE RETREAT
When was the last time you heard your own thoughts?
There is a kind of weariness that does not announce itself. It settles in quietly, disguising itself as faithfulness, responsibility, perseverance, and strength. Life becomes full of good things. People need us. Ministry needs us. There are prayers to answer, meals to cook, lessons to teach, burdens to carry, and souls to shepherd. We keep showing up because that is what love does.
And after a while, we stop noticing the weight. Not because it isn't there, but because we have grown accustomed to carrying it. Most of us can tell when our bodies are tired. The soul is harder to read. Its weariness often hides beneath competence. It is possible to continue serving Christ faithfully while slowly becoming unfamiliar with your own heart. It is possible to spend so much time doing things for God that you scarcely remember what it feels like to simply be with Him.
Not because you have wandered. Not because He has left. But because life has a way of filling every quiet space until the soul forgets how to rest. Many women do not realize what is happening until they encounter silence and discover how much they needed it. For some, it has been months since they sat before an open Bible without a lesson to prepare or a box to check. For others, it has been years since they lingered in prayer without rushing to the next responsibility. They love Christ deeply, yet somewhere beneath the noise of everyday life there remains a quiet ache they cannot quite name.
The Lord spoke to Elijah not through the wind, the earthquake, or the fire, but through a low whisper. Perhaps the whisper was not proof that God had finally arrived. Perhaps it was proof that He had been there all along. Ashborne is an invitation to step away from the noise long enough to notice what has been crowded out. It is a place for stillness, Scripture, prayer, and unhurried communion with God. A place to set down what you have been carrying and remember that before you were a leader, a teacher, a wife, a mother, a friend, or a servant, you were simply His.
Not because God has stopped speaking. But because some things can only be heard in the quiet.
October 2nd & 3rd, 2026
There is a place where silence is not empty, but sacred.
Where ashes are not waste but witness.
Where the weary do not have to explain themselves—only come.
Ashborne is a retreat for the woman who has walked through the fire and forgotten what beauty feels like.
It is not loud. It is not hurried.
It is a slow return to the One who restores what the world has burned.
Come away.
Not to be fixed.
But to be held by the God who still speaks in whispers.
“He will give them a crown of beauty for ashes...” – Isaiah 61:3
There are losses we grieve and losses we simply learn to live with.
The second kind is often the most dangerous. The slow loss of wonder. The slow loss of stillness. The slow loss of intimacy with God.
Ashborne is not a conference. It’s not a weekend escape with curated playlists and surface smiles. It’s for the woman who’s already walked through the fire… and is still carrying the smoke.
It’s for the one who is:
Burned out and can’t name why
Holding everyone else together while slowly falling apart
Spiritually parched but doesn’t know where to begin again
Quietly grieving what no one else sees
Longing for God, but afraid she forgot how to listen
If your soul is threadbare… if your fire has gone out… if your prayers sound more like sighs, Ashborne is where you come to remember you’re still His.
You’re not lazy.
You’re not weak.
You’re just tired.
Bone-deep, soul-worn, too-many-tabs-open-in-your-brain tired. You have become remarkably good at carrying things: responsibilities, expectations, burdens, people. So good, in fact, that you may have forgotten what it feels like to set them down.
For the Woman Who’s Done
Her Best to Keep Breathing
Ashborne is for the woman who has done everything right and still feels like she’s drowning.
The one who loves Jesus deeply—but hasn’t heard Him in weeks, maybe months.
The one who answers every text, every need, every “Can you just…”
And secretly wonders when someone will check on her.
It’s for the woman who:
Feels guilty sitting still
Doesn’t remember what rest feels like
Is constantly pouring out but is rarely filled
Wonders why the things that used to light her up now just leave her numb
Thinks, “Something’s wrong with me,” when really, she was just never shown how to live whole
No one ever taught you that burnout is not the badge of faithfulness.
That silence is not failure.
That emptiness might just be the invitation.
Here’s the truth:
You were never created to be everyone’s everything. You were created to abide, and Ashborne helps you reset to begin again.
What to Expect
We won’t give you an itinerary. We won’t map out every hour.
That’s not how sacred things work.
Ashborne is designed to feel like stepping into another world, not because it’s far away, but because it’s still. And when the world is loud, stillness feels otherworldly. Here’s what you can expect:
Quiet. Not empty silence, but holy quiet. The kind that heals, not haunts.
Beauty. The kind you forgot to notice: flickering candlelight, still waters, early morning fog.
Guided reflection. If your soul feels tangled, we’ll gently walk you into rest with questions, Scriptures, and prompts to help you listen for God again.
Prayer stations. For when you don’t have the words, but still want to be with Him.
Soul space. You’ll have time alone. Unrushed, uninterrupted, uncluttered.
No pressure. You don’t have to talk, lead, impress, or share your story. You can simply be and that will be enough.
Beauty for ashes. Not metaphorical. Actual release. You’ll be invited to lay some things down. And no, you won’t have to do it alone.
There may be soft worship. There may be a gentle ceremony. There may be moments that break you open in the best way. But mostly, there will be Jesus. Unhurried. Undemanding. Unimaginably kind. Waiting for you in the quiet.
Things to Note
Ashborne will take place on October 2nd and 3rd, beginning with your arrival on Friday evening.
To keep the experience sacred and personal, we’re opening the retreat to a small number of women, which means spaces will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. You’ll receive more details as the date approaches, but for now, just know: we can’t wait to welcome you.
It will be held at:
Howell’s Mill Christian Assembly
99 Christian Camp Road
Ona, WV 25545
Frequently Asked Questions
(Because this retreat doesn’t shout. Neither do your fears.)
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Not unless you want to. Ashborne is quiet by design. If you want to talk, we’ll listen. If you want to be silent, we’ll honor it.
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Then you’re among friends. Falling apart here is sacred. You won’t be left alone in your unraveling.
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Not exactly. But you will hear from the Word—and from the One who wrote it.
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In many ways, yes. But in other ways, no. It is weird because it is something won’t be used to. But fear not: No incense. No chanting. No pressure. Just stillness, prayer, presence, and Jesus.
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Perfect. Ashborne is for beginners, doubters, wanderers, and the quietly faithful. You don’t need experience. You just need breath.
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Yes… and no.
Silence can feel unfamiliar—maybe even a little terrifying.
But every part of Ashborne has been prayerfully and intentionally designed to guide you through that discomfort, not drop you into it.We know that stillness is a stretch for many.
That’s why we’ll ease you in with gentle rhythms and sacred pauses and we’ve woven in moments of quiet fellowship, too.
So when the silence begins to speak, you’ll have space to process,
to share, and to remember:
God is near. And you’re not alone. -
We’ve intentionally capped Ashborne at 25 women to keep the experience intimate and sacred. Spaces are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
A journal (but no pressure to use it)
A Bible (even if you haven’t opened it in a while)
Comfortable clothes (this isn’t a fashion show—it’s a holy exhale)
A blanket or sweater that feels like home
An open heart and whatever ashes you’ve been carrying
Water bottle
Optional: your favorite tea bag or mug
Any medications or essentials for personal care
What to Bring
Leave behind the to-do list
The inbox
The guilt of being away
The pretending
Your inner critic
Pressure to perform
The need to explain yourself
The fear of being too much or not enough
The lie that you have to be everything to everyone
What to Not Bring
October 2nd & 3rd, 2026
There is a place where silence is not empty, but sacred.
Where ashes are not waste but witness.
Where the weary do not have to explain themselves—only come.
Ashborne is a retreat for the woman who has walked through the fire and forgotten what beauty feels like.
It is not loud. It is not hurried.
It is a slow return to the One who restores what the world has burned.
Come away.
Not to be fixed.
But to be held by the God who still speaks in whispers.
“He will give them a crown of beauty for ashes...” – Isaiah 61:3
You are wanted here.
We won’t ask you to be anything but honest. We won’t ask you to bring anything but yourself. You don’t need to show up strong. You don’t even need to show up certain. You just need to come. If your soul has been whispering, “I can’t keep going like this,” If your spirit feels frayed at the edges, If you don’t even know what you need, only that you need something holy and quiet and true...
This is for you.
And yes, stepping into silence can feel overwhelming. That’s why every part of Ashborne has been carefully curated to guide you through it not with pressure, but with presence.
We will ease you in. You will not be dropped into isolation. You’ll be gently led into quiet, like walking barefoot through a garden at dawn. And along the way, we’ve created spaces for fellowship, holy pauses to share what God is stirring in the silence, so you know: you are not alone.
There is a place prepared. There is beauty waiting in the ashes. And the King is already there, ready to meet you in the stillness.