A Time Together, A Time Apart
Bring your laptop, your friends, your creative imagination, and your heart for God. Together we will lean into our calling and vocation as we are spiritually renewed, grow in our writing skills, and fellowship with other women writers and authors.
Our time together is intentionally set apart from everyday schedules to slow down and focus on God. Whether an early morning beach walk, quiet time in Lake Superior Chapel, joining morning Prayer and Pilates, or one-on-one with the Chaplain, your retreat is what you make it. With speaking sessions, workshops, writing time, evening vespers, and even cozy evenings with cookies & cocoa by the fire as we read excerpts of original work, this retreat is designed for you.
Maranatha Writers Retreat
IS SET APART
We provide women
a powerful learning environment
at our beautiful
conference center
We engage female writers
in new and compelling ways by encouraging the integration of faith
and writing
We focus on the Christian woman writer in an intimate community so writing flows from a place of deep purpose grounded in Christ
We facilitate discipleship through small groups, one-on-ones, and encouraging relationships to continue through our social media communities
Ann Swindell
Meet our Keynote Speaker
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Meet our keynote speaker, Ann Swindell, the owner of Writing with Grace, where she teaches Christ-centered writing courses for women. Ann is a published author who holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing and an MA in Writing. Ann will be leading three speaking and workshop sessions around writing as Witness, Worship and Wonder.
Our Retreat Presenters
Catherine McNiel
Retreat Chaplain & Breakout Speaker
Meet our Retreat Chaplain, Catherine McNiel. Catherine is a published author, speaker and chaplain working toward her Master of Divinity at North Park Theological Seminary. Catherine will be leading us in morning devotionals, she will be our Sunday worship speaker, and she will be leading three breakout sessions around Soul Care for the Writer.
Learn more about Catherine and her work here.
Katie S. Williams
Breakout Speaker
Katie S. Williams is an editor and story and heart coach who helps women authors craft adventurous tales of authentic faith, both on and off the page. She will be leading three breakout sessions for fiction writers on Finding and Refining the Heart of Your Story.
Kate Motaung
Breakout Speaker
Kate Motaung is an author and editor who loves to support and encourage Christian writers as they use the gifts they’ve been given for God’s glory. She will be leading three breakout sessions on Sharing Your Story Through Memoir and Devotional Writing.
Riley Christensen
Worship Leader
Meet our Worship Leader, Riley Christensen. Riley has been a part of the Maranatha Praise Band for the past two summers and we are so excited to have her with us this weekend. We will all be blessed by her gift of music. She is currently on the worship team at Cornerstone University.
Shayne Moore
Director, Maranatha Writer's Retreat
Meet our Director, Shayne Moore. Shayne is a summer resident of Maranatha and the author of five books including Women@Halftime: A Guide to Reigniting Dreams and Finding Renewed Joy and Purpose in Your Next Season. She considers it a life mission to invite women to use their voices for Christ and his Kingdom.
On the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan join us and be spiritually renewed.
