Leaders Retreat 2026: Building from a Place of Legacy

Legacy is often treated as something we think about towards the end of our leadership. This retreat begins with a different conviction: legacy should shape the way we lead now.

It asks us to look beyond immediate demands, short-term results and the expectations we carry. What are we building that has lasting value? What are we passing on through our decisions, relationships and example? Is the life we are creating consistent with the future we say matters to us?

This year’s leadership retreat has been created for business and marketplace leaders who carry significant responsibility, but rarely have enough distance from it to think clearly.

Over three days, we will move through an intentional rhythm of rest, reflection and recalibration. We will look honestly at the year that has passed, pay attention to where we find ourselves now and consider what God may be inviting us to build next.

This will not be a conference filled with content or a programme designed to keep everyone busy. There will be guided sessions, shared meals, conversation, prayer, time outdoors and space to be alone. Some moments will help us think others will simply allow us to breathe.

The aim is not to leave with more pressure or another ambitious plan, it is to return with greater clarity about the season we are in, the responsibilities that are truly ours and the legacy our present leadership is already creating.

Retreat details

Dates: Thursday 3rd December to Sunday 6th December 2026

Location: Kinahan Lodge, YWAM Harpenden, 6 Highfield Oval, Harpenden, AL5 4BX

https://www.kinahanlodge.com/

Accommodation and cost

£595 per person
Three nights’ en-suite accommodation in a double room, all meals, coffee, parking and scheduled retreat activities. Optional off-site activities will carry an additional charge.

£450 per person
Three nights’ accommodation in a shared en-suite room with a single bed, all meals, coffee, parking and scheduled retreat activities. Optional off-site activities will carry an additional charge.

Arrival and departure

Guests can arrive from 6pm on Thursday for welcome drinks. Dinner will be served at 7.30pm.

The formal programme will finish at midday on Sunday. We will share a final lunch together before departure at approximately 2pm.

The rhythm of the retreat

Each morning will begin before breakfast with coffee and a shared Lectio Divina devotional. This will be an unhurried time to listen, reflect and become attentive to God before entering the day.

Following breakfast, the programme will combine facilitated group sessions, personal reflection, conversation, outdoor activity, shared meals and genuine rest. 

This is a retreat, not a test of endurance, so every part of the programme has been designed to create room for honest thought, deeper relationships and renewed perspective.

Programme

Thursday evening

Arrival, dinner and opening stories around the fire. We will begin by setting down some of what we have been carrying, and becoming present to one another.

Friday morning

Lectio Divina, breakfast and our first group session. We will reflect on the year behind us, including what it has revealed, required and changed.

Friday afternoon

Space for rest, personal reflection and relaxed group activities. On-site options will include cornhole, pottery and use of the prayer room. Optional off-site activities, such as clay pigeon shooting or archery, may also be available at an additional cost.

Friday evening

Dinner and an informal evening together. The emphasis will be on enjoyment, laughter and connection rather than structured content.

Saturday daytime

A 12km walk-and-talk hike, creating space for deeper conversation about the season ahead and what we are being called to build. The walk will be paced for the group and should be accessible to most guests. Please tell us in advance if this may not be suitable for you.

Saturday evening

Dinner and stories around the fire. A chance to speak honestly about leadership, responsibility, faith and the lessons that rarely appear in public accounts of success.

Sunday morning

Lectio Divina, breakfast and our final group session. We will draw together what has emerged and identify the decisions, conversations or changes that need to follow us home.

Sunday afternoon

Closing reflections and lunch, followed by departure at approximately 2pm.

You will not be expected to arrive with polished answers. Come ready to be honest about where you are, open to what God may be saying and willing to give other leaders the same quality of attention you hope to receive.

The retreat offers something increasingly difficult to find: time away from performance, urgency and noise, in the company of people who understand the privilege and cost of carrying responsibility.

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