Serving in Ministry
Pastors, missionaries, worship leaders, church staff, church planters, ministry couples, bi-vocational leaders, and other Christian ministry servants.
— ShelteringTree Ministries —
Rest for the Weary.
Restoration for the Kingdom.
A peaceful sanctuary where pastors, missionaries, and ministry leaders can step away, reconnect with God, and return to their calling renewed—with lodging fully covered through the generosity of hosts and donors.
Serving pastors, missionaries, and ministry leaders through donor-funded restorative retreats with lodging provided at no cost to guests.
The Crisis
Who Shepherds the Shepherds?
Always ServingQuietly CarryingRarely Resting
Pastors, missionaries, worship leaders, church staff, church planters, ministry couples, and other Christian ministry servants spend their lives pouring into others. They carry burdens few people see — shepherding congregations, caring for families, leading worship, serving communities, navigating conflict, responding to crises, and faithfully giving themselves to the work God has called them to do.
Yet many rarely have the opportunity to step away and be cared for themselves.
For some, the barrier is time. For others, it is financial margin. For many, it is the quiet belief that rest must wait until everyone else is cared for.
ShelteringTree Ministries exists to create space for rest, renewal, and reconnection with God so that faithful servants of Christ can be strengthened and refreshed for the journey ahead.
“For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.”
Jeremiah 31:25
Who We Serve
Faithful Servants of Christ
ShelteringTree Ministries serves Christian ministry leaders, couples, and families who are faithfully pouring into others and need space to rest, reconnect with God, and be renewed. Lodging is fully covered through the generosity of hosts and donors for those who would be meaningfully helped by this gift of rest.
Aligned in Faith
Those serving the God of the Bible and affirming the foundational truths of historic Christian faith.
Review Our Core Beliefs →In Need of Rest
Leaders, couples, and families carrying weariness, transition, burnout, grief, ministry strain, financial pressure, or other barriers that have made restorative retreat difficult to access.
Each retreat request is reviewed with care so that available sanctuary stays can be stewarded toward faithful servants of Christ whose season, need, and ministry alignment fit the purpose of ShelteringTree Ministries.
What We Provide
A Thoughtfully Hosted Retreat Experience
Every retreat is shaped around the needs of the guest, the availability of our host partners, and the kind of rest that will best serve each leader or family. Some stays may include a private room or suite in a larger retreat home, while others may include an entire property for a couple or family.
A retreat may include:
Peaceful Accommodations
Restful lodging in a partner property, thoughtfully matched to guest needs, family size, and available retreat space.
Unstructured Time
Space to rest, reflect, pray, read, walk, and reconnect with God without the pressure of a packed schedule.
First-Day Hospitality Meal
A welcoming meal provided through a host, local restaurant, or hospitality gift to help guests settle into their retreat experience.
Travel Assistance When Needed
Limited travel grants may be available to help offset airfare, rental cars, or other retreat-related travel expenses.
Prayer & Ministry Support
Prayer and encouragement may be available for guests who desire additional support, along with connections to trusted ministry care resources.
Trusted Ministry Resources
Connections to counseling, coaching, sabbatical, marriage, prayer, and ministry care organizations for leaders seeking additional support.
A retreat may include:
Every retreat experience is unique, but the goal remains the same: creating space for rest, renewal, and reconnection with God so ministry leaders can return strengthened for the work ahead.
Our Approach
Radical Stewardship: The Hybrid Model
Across the country, thousands of short-term rental properties sit vacant during portions of the week.
At the same time, pastors, missionaries, and ministry leaders often go years without an opportunity to truly rest.
A Question
What if the answer was already sitting empty?
How the Model Works
Available Nights
Host partners make donated or at-cost retreat availability visible through ShelteringTree Ministries.
ShelteringTree Facilitates
Ministry leaders review available sanctuary options, request preferred dates, and receive guidance through the retreat request process.
Donors Sponsor Rest
Every confirmed retreat stay includes lodging at no cost to the guest. Gifts may also support first-day hospitality and limited travel assistance where designated funding allows.
Leaders Are Renewed
Pastors, missionaries, and ministry families receive meaningful rest at no cost and return strengthened for the work God has called them to do.
Instead of purchasing and maintaining retreat properties, ShelteringTree Ministries partners with generous short-term rental owners who transform available nights into opportunities for rest through donated stays and at-cost hosting partnerships.
Donors then help fund hospitality, travel assistance, and retreat support, allowing ministry leaders to experience meaningful rest at no cost to them.
By leveraging existing resources rather than building new infrastructure, every dollar can be focused on people instead of property.
A vacant home becomes a sanctuary.
A donated night becomes a retreat.
A season of exhaustion becomes a season of renewal.
Why This Ministry Exists
A Burden for Those Who Carry the Burdens of Others
ShelteringTree Ministries began with a simple burden: to care for those who spend their lives caring for others — creating space for faithful servants of Christ to rest, receive hospitality, and be strengthened for the work God has entrusted to them.
For years, that vision seemed tied to owning a retreat property. But through prayer, research, and God’s continued prompting, a different model began to emerge — one rooted in generosity, hospitality, and stewardship.
Today, ShelteringTree exists to help transform available homes and open nights into sacred spaces of renewal for weary ministry leaders, couples, and families.
“We envision a peaceful place where weary leaders can breathe again, reconnect with God, and return to their calling restored.”