Retreats for families 

Seasonally, Iona House will provide a 2-4 day retreat designed specifically for families and children to engage in age-appropriate, monastic-inspired rhythms that have been forming Christians for thousands of years. This is, essentially, the family-friendly version of our retreat: Work-Study-Pray: Monastic Spirituality for Ordinary People. Children, alongside their parents will get to engage in basic farm work, agricultural education, and feasting on whatever fruit is in season - all as a means of spiritual formation and capturing a sense of wonder at God’s creation. Children will also engage in more contemplative actives like art as worship and listening practices. These retreats will be staffed with additional staff who will offer childcare opportunities so that parents are able to find their own times of respite, quiet, prayer, and connection with other adults.

Accommodating Families Year-ROund

The Village at Iona House is specifically designed with a “Family Zone” where kids and their parents can explore the wonder of God’s creation, get their hands dirty, and have their imagination captured by the beauty of life in reference to Christ. Children will have access (with parental supervision) to the animal area in order to (for example) feed our goats, see our chickens, and engage with our children’s vegetable garden, orchard, and berry-patch. We also plan to provide a fenced playground area for the kids to allow them a great place to safely run around and play.

We encourage you to arrange (and bring along) your own childcare person to supervise your children in the Family Zone in order that you may fully engage in the rhythms and retreats of Iona House in an undistracted way. In order to maintain an ambiance of undistracted quiet and reflection, we kindly ask that children remain in The Village portion of our campus at Iona House when family-friendly Work-Study-Pray retreats are not in session.