From Stressed to Sabbath Rest
Healing Super Sheroes Who Do Too Much
A SIX-WEEK CONTEMPLATIVE RETREAT GUIDE
A six-week contemplative retreat for leading Black Christian women from strength at all costs to Sabbath rest.
Many women in our churches carry the weight of everyone and everything, and they call it faithfulness. From Stressed to Sabbath Rest gives you a ready-to-lead retreat that helps them set that weight down. It's rooted in Ignatian spirituality and shaped for Black women's lives. Through story, scripture, and prayer, it guides women toward a life that rests in God's care instead of constant performance.
Who it’s for
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Who it's for
Women's ministry leaders planning a retreat or small-group series
Spiritual directors who companion Black women, one-on-one or in groups
Christian therapists and counselors looking for a faith-rooted resource clients can work through between sessions
Pastors and lay leaders who see what "being strong" is costing the women they serve
The contemplative woman who wants to take the six weeks on her own, at her own pace, alone with God
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Week 1: A Call to Healing
Week 2: A Call to Rest
Week 3: A Call to Communion
Week 4: A Call to Community
Week 5: A Call to Surrender
Week 6: A Call to Sabbath
Each week has its own grace to pray for, a focus scripture, and a story or poem that opens the conversation.
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Super Shero stories that help women see themselves without having to say it first
A daily rhythm of prayer that works in as little as five minutes, with room to go deeper
Five prayer methods explained step by step, including Lectio Divina, Visio Divina, and the Examen
Notes for group leaders and spiritual directors on holy listening, avoiding crosstalk, and keeping the space safe
Before-and-after reflection questions and a personal Sabbath plan to close the retreat
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Use it for a group retreat with a leader or spiritual director, a self-guided group, one-on-one spiritual direction, a companion to Christian counseling, or a personal retreat on your own.
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Many women have walked through this retreat on their own, and you can too. If six weeks feels like a lot right now, start here: [placeholder: quiz link]
Looking for rest for yourself?
Many women have walked through this retreat on their own, and you can too. If six weeks feels like a lot right now, start with our Strong at All Costs Quiz.
LEAD IT WITH PATRICE
Bring this retreat to your church, ministry, or organization.
Rev. Dr. Patrice Gerideau is available to lead From Stressed to Sabbath Rest as a retreat for your group.
Selected Excerpts
My Wake-Up Call
“The journey to Sabbath rest began for me in an unexpected way—a wake-up call to my body, mind, and spirit. Like many Black women, I had learned to wear strength like armor, to be resilient no matter the cost. But when that resilience began to take its toll, I had to confront the core of my identity and the weight I’d been carrying.”
Our Story as Black Women
“The “Black Super Shero Syndrome,” as I call it, has been passed down through generations. We’ve been taught to keep going, to hold it all together, to be strong no matter what. But this type of strength often comes at the cost of our health, our peace, and our connection with God.”
An Invitation
“This retreat is not an admonition to keep being strong—it’s an invitation to experience the luxuriousness of God’s loving care.”