Women in Leadership Retreat 2022

What a blessing it was to be part of the inaugural LESNW Women in Leadership Retreat! The time spent in connection with God and each other provided rejuvenation and empowerment to return to our school sites with energy for the remainder of this term. The retreat involved time to reflect on our leadership practice, along with opportunities to grow spiritually and in the practice of meditation.

The retreat involved a pilgrimage, starting with a beautiful walk on part of the Heysen Trail, anticipation of wonderful speakers and sessions and time in community together. Reverend Dr Melinda Cousins explored the book of Psalms and embodied worship practices, including a focus on practicing praise, learning to lament and pilgrim paths, which was a wonderful provocation for us to journal and reflect on the Psalms and their connection to our lives. We also engaged with Lifeflow who provided practical examples of how to interweave meditative practices into our daily living. Finally, we reflected on who we are as leaders and attributes of women in leadership that we admire.

The retreat provided an important time for women who have leadership roles or who are aspiring leaders to engage in fellowship, develop collegial networks and individually reflect on where we are on our leadership journey currently. It also supports LESNW’s Strategic Intentions, specifically goal five around equipping governance and leadership for the emerging future. It is hoped that this retreat will become an annual event. Thank you to the organising committee who facilitated such a wonderful event. If you are a woman in a leadership role, or aspiring to be, I would encourage you to engage in this opportunity when it is offered again into the future.

Alicia Puiatti
PYP Coordinator
Encounter Lutheran College