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Journey of Wholeness
Cohort Overview
Embark on a journey towards greater wholeness and flourishing in Christ
Overview:
A church or ministry's ability to flourish rises and falls with the health of the leader. It is for this reason that we created Journey of Wholeness - a five-month retreat-based cohort experience designed specifically to help Asian American pastors and ministry leaders move towards greater wholeness and flourishing in Christ. Over the course of five retreats, participants will come away from their ministries, work, and family life in order to respond to Jesus' invitation to find rest and renewal for their souls. Our hope is that through this transformative 5-month journey, participants can deepen their life with God and experience renewal both personally and vocationally.
Each Retreat Provides:
- Valuable teaching around concepts related to formation & soul care
- Opportunities to engage in life-giving spiritual practices
- Space for you to recover the stillness your soul seeks
- Meaningful conversations with fellow pastors and leaders
- Time with a dedicated guide who will listen and help you process
Retreat Schedule:
Journey of Wholeness Guides
Learn from seasoned and compassionate leaders who are experienced in soul care and spiritual direction and have served in pastoral ministry themselves.
Jeff is the founder and President of Barnabas & Co. - a soul-care ministry for Asian American faith leaders. He has served the local church for nearly 20 years and is currently pastoring a church in Orange County. He has a deep love for both congregations and their leaders.
With over 25 years in church leadership, Sam has experienced much of the highs and lows that come with being in pastoral ministry. This is why Sam has a special heart for pastors who struggle with burn out, stress, and anxiety. He is also the author of the book Be Free.
A certified spiritual director, Rema walks alongside others on their journey with God. Having served in Asian immigrant churches, she deeply understands the unique challenges faced by Asian American faith leaders and creates safe spaces for authentic connection with God.
Elliot has spent nearly 20 years in liturgy and pastoral ministry, accompanying churches through seasons of change, merger, and loss. He carries a deep compassion for leaders longing for rest and renewal and a conviction that flourishing in life flows from embodied faith in Jesus.
FAQs
Asian Americans ministry leaders struggle with unique pain points and struggles in their respective cultural context of ministry. Our desire to come alongside such leaders grows out of our conviction that Asian American ministry leaders are underserved and under-resourced - especially in the area of soul care.
According to Barna, one of the leading reasons why pastors and ministers are considering dropping out of full-time ministry is due to the experience of isolation and loneliness. We believe that deep and lasting formation happens in the context of community and relationships. Our aim is to create safe, shared spaces for Asian American ministry leaders - for meaningful, life-giving connection with God and with others. To that end, we keep our cohort sizes intentionally small.
Thanks to our generous donors, the registration cost for the entire cohort experience is $250. This includes all meals, overnight lodging, and materials for the five retreats. This fee is non-refundable. In addition, the other cost to participate is your time as you'll need to commit to attending all 5 retreats plus monthly prayer & reflection exercises between sessions.
The following dates are for the 2026 Cohort:
Retreat #1: January 28-29. This overnight retreat begins on Wednesday, Jan 28 at 9am and ends on Thursday, Jan 29 at 9pm. Retreat location: San Juan Capistrano, CA.
Retreat #2: February 23. This is a full day retreat on Monday, Feb 23 from 9am - 5pm. Retreat location: San Juan Capistrano, CA.
Retreat #3: March 23. This is a full day retreat on Monday, March 23 from 9am - 5pm. Retreat location: Rancho Palos Verdes, CA.
Retreat #4: April 20. This is a full day retreat on Monday, April 20 from 9am - 5pm. Retreat location: TBA (in Orange, CA).
Retreat #5: May 13-14. This overnight retreat begins on Wednesday, May 13 at 9am and ends on Thursday, May 14 at 9pm. Retreat location: Rancho Palos Verdes, CA.
This cohort experience is for Asian-American Christian leaders (both men and women) including pastors, ministry leaders, parachurch leaders, and missionaries. (This cohort is also open to those who do not identify as Asian-American, but work in an Asian ministry context.) Whether you serve full-time, part-time, or are currently in transition, if you are interested in taking part of this cohort experience, we encourage you to apply.
Click the "Apply for Cohort" button below or above, and fill out the application form. One of our team members will reach out to you via email to schedule a 20-minute interview to get to know you more and answer any questions you may have. Following the interview, we'll let you know if you've been accepted into the cohort.
If you need help deciding whether this cohort is right for you, please email us at info@barnabasandco.org.
EMBARK ON A TRANSFORMATIVE JOURNEY
Discover how we can help you experience renewal again both personally and vocationally
“The call of God to minister the gospel is a high honor and a noble challenge. It carries with it unique opportunities as well as special burdens and dangers for members of the clergy as well as their families. These burdens can be fruitfully born and the dangers triumphantly overcome. But that will not happen unless the minister's “inner person” (2 Cor. 4:16) is constantly renewed by accessing the riches of God and His kingdom in the inner person.”
Dallas Willard, The Great Omission
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