In February 2015, Chresten and Bridgette Tomlin launched a ministry for ministry wives with its first two-day, two-night retreat. Sanctuary is designed for women who are married and in some form of vocational ministry. The word sanctuary is defined as “a place of refuge or safety“. Many ministry wives are desperate to find a haven, a place of healing. Others simply need rest. Many are needing connection and reassurance. And still others are craving fulfillment in ministry, but are coming up emptyhanded where they are planted alongside their husbands.

Over the past decade, Sanctuary has evolved to include local meetups of ministry wives called Let’s Connect, gatherings that are popping up across the nation, as well as collected a deep archive of blog resources written by ministry wives, for ministry wives. Four seasons and 100 episodes of a podcast proved to be an additional platform for support, encouragement, and growth. But Sanctuary’s Let’s Retreat, where it all began, continued to be the heartbeat of this unique designed ministry.

In September 2026, Sanctuary is taking 10 years of Let’s Retreat on a road trip to…Branson, MO! Registration is now open for Sanctuary’s first ever mini-conference, set for Sept 29-Oct 1, 2026! Let’s Gather, a mini-conference for ministry wives, will combine all the best elements of a Let’s Retreat while making room for a few more guests to join the fun!

Conference Details:

For conference registration and ticketing details, click here. And don’t forget to reserve your hotel room(s) at the host venue! Call Renee [417.335.2555] at Lodge of the Ozarks in Branson, MO to reserve your room with Sanctuary’s block for the best rates!