Thanks for your interest in studying one of the CMEC Retreat Packages with a small group! Here we have collected suggestions for group study, specific notes for each of our retreat packages, and information about the purchase process.
General Suggestions for Group Study
General Suggestions for Group Study
We suggest a few different options for using our retreat in a group setting:
1. Listen at home
Each member of your group could listen to one workshop at a time at home. Your group come then together weekly or monthly to discuss and share ideas. This is the simplest arrangement to organize.
2. Listen together weekly or monthly
If your group chooses to listen together in a group setting, one talk at a time, you could schedule the retreat audios over several meetings, one per workshop. Since each mom will have personal access to the downloads, those who have to miss a month can still "keep up" with the discussion by listening along at home, then come to the meetings they are able to attend. Each mom would need her handbook available as well as access to the slides on a personal or shared screen while listening. At each meeting, you could listen to the recording and then spend time discussing afterward.
3. Listen together as a “retreat”
One last option would be to host a “retreat” to listen to the talks together all over one or two days, breaking between talks for discussion or meals. You might even intersperse immersions like brush drawing or handicrafts like we did during the original event. You would want to have a screen handy to show the slides as you listen, and you could have mothers print their handbook to bring along, or you could provide printing services for the group. Mothers would have access to the retreat to go back and listen to again at their leisure.
The package includes seven audio workshops:
Workshop 1 - 45 min
Workshop 2 - 55 min
Workshop 3 - 1 hour 37 min
Workshop 4 - 47 min
Workshop 5 - 52 min
Workshop 6 - 1 hour 26 min
Bonus Evening Lecture - 30 min
Additional notes for a group setting:
Workshop 3 - Includes a big brainstorming section where moms should have paper and pen handy. We cut the quiet writing time out of the recording (it just fades out and then back in), but we left in the group brainstorming section since it is valuable to hear the ideas other mothers came up with. In a group, you may want to leave a little time in your meeting schedule to pause the audio and work on paper, then listen to the group brainstorming session together. You may want to pre-listen to that session and decide how it would work best for your needs.
The package includes six audio workshops:
Workshop 1 – 56 min
Workshop 2 – 1 hour, 13 min
Workshop 3 – 25 min
Workshop 4 – 1 hour, 9 min
Workshop 5 – 50 min
Workshop 6 – 43 min
Additional notes for a group setting:
Workshop 1 – Fades out and back in midway through for a picture study and narration. You could pause and do this together (5-10 min), then continue the recording.
Workshop 4 and 5 – Fades out and back in midway through for a brainstorming session in small groups. You could pause and do this together (about 10 min), then continue the recording.
The package includes seven audio workshops and a bonus Q and A:
Workshop 1 – 1 hour, 1 minAdditional notes for using workshops in a group setting:
Workshop 2 – 1 hour, 13 min
Workshop 3 – 1 hour, 16 min
Workshop 4 – 51 min
Workshop 5 – 1 hour, 6 min
Workshop 6 – 1 hour, 2 min
Workshop 7 – 35 min
Bonus Q&A Panel – 41 min
Workshop 2 – Fades out and back in twice: (1) for a lesson preparation immersion and (2) for a picture study and narration. You could pause the recording and do each immersion together (roughly 5-10 min for each), then continue listening.
Workshop 3 – The formal talk ends at 01:03:30. At that point begins the bonus notebook work session and small group discussion. We recommend listening to the introduction to the notebook work session, then pausing to spend about 20 minutes in quiet work as recommended. Then you can listen to the introduction for the small group discussion of Mary Hardcastle’s “It All Comes Down to Education” (included in the Retreat Handbook), pause and spend 20-30 minutes in discussion, then listen to the closing thoughts. See the final two slides in the linked slides for further details on these sessions. If listening together, you may want to split Workshop 3 into two meetings, one for the formal workshop on notebooks, and the other for the notebook work session and small group discussion.
Workshop 4 – Fades out and back in for a composer study immersion (music selection included in audio). You could pause when it is time for narration and do this together (5 min), then continue the recording.
Workshop 5 – Includes hymn singing at the end of the audio.
Bonus Q and A Panel – This casual panel discussion is a lower quality recording. You could choose to include this in your formal study or just offer it as follow-up listening for your group members.
Workshops 2, 3, and 4 include important accompanying slides.
We recently lowered the price of the 2018 and 2019 Retreat Packages, so everyone can now purchase at the $20 price -- there is no additional discount for groups. You can send your group members directly to the 2018 Retreat Package page or 2019 Retreat Package page to complete their order.
The 2022 Retreat Package, our newest offering, is listed at $40 for individual purchases through the regular 2022 Retreat Package page.
We offer those purchasing the 2022 Retreat Package as a group a 50% discount. For $20 each, each group member will get full access to the retreat package download page, including all of the audios and the handbook. This is a discount for groups of five or more purchasing together.
To facilitate a purchase for your group of five or more:
1. Figure out how many ladies will be studying along with you. Email info@thecmec.org a list of their names (first and last) and email addresses.
2. You will then receive a link to the product listing at the group rate to send to your group members so they can purchase separately through our website.
If you are interested in moving forward or have any questions, please email info@thecmec.org.
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