What To Expect

This retreat is set apart for:

• Powerful times of worship and encounter in the presence of the Lord

• Interactive teaching sessions with Jonathan Helser and the Cageless Birds

• Diving deep into our stories to recover hope for the battles of life

• Five days to step out of the noise of the world and slow down

• Identifying barriers to connection with God

• Practicing transformative emotional health tools to grow in your relationships

• Replacing the lies of the enemy with the truth of who God says you are

• Deep fellowship and connection around the table

• Enjoying excellently prepared meals and fresh-roasted Maker Coffee

• Times of quiet reflection to cultivate friendship with God

• Intentional evenings around the fire sharing stories, connecting with like-hearted men and dreaming together

This Men’s Retreat is hosted on our beautiful 52 acres of land called A Place for the Heart. The cost of this retreat includes all food and lodging. Our campus, located in the foothills of North Carolina, is set-apart for those looking to come away from the noise of the world and encounter the voice of the Father. This is where we—The Cageless Birds—host the 18 Inch Journey and live and work year round.

Our campus features a farmhouse for meals and fellowship, studios for our leather, pottery, and music, a coffee roasterie, pickleball court, garden, Art Barn for worship and sessions, cabins nestled under the trees, dance & fitness studio, and more. Our grounds were made to be a resting place where communion with the Trinity, creative inspiration, and belonging around the table are everyday rhythms.

You will be staying in two variations of cabins tucked in the woods. Three of the cabins each have a ground floor and a loft with a bathroom located inside the cabin, each of these sleeps eight to ten. Two of the other cabins sleep four to six per room and have a short walk to the bathrooms. All linens and towels will be provided in your cabin.

As a community and ministry, we have a high value for relational connection and gathering around the table. With a seasonally curated menu, all meals will be excellently prepared and served by our kitchen and hospitality team. All meals will be provided from Tuesday evening through Saturday morning.

Location: A Place for the Heart, 4228 Beckerdite Rd. Sophia, NC 27350

Transportation

Attendees are responsible for their own transportation to and from the retreat.

Shuttle Service:

We will provide one complimentary shuttle service run for pick-up and drop-off in Greensboro, NC at Piedmont Triad International Airport (PTI). If you are accepted to this retreat, we will be in touch about transportation. If you’d like to use our shuttle service, there will be space to indicate this at that time.

Airport Information:

Piedmont Triad International Airport - 40 minute drive
Raleigh Durham International Airport - 1 hour 45 minute drive
Charlotte Douglas International Airport - 1 hour 45 minute drive

Location

A Place for The Heart
4228 Beckerdite rd.
Sophia, NC 27350

Application Process

Due to the limited size of our Men’s Retreat, we will be implementing a lottery-based system for our application process this year. Our application will be open for 7 days, and during this time any eligible man is welcome to apply for our retreat. Our desire is that applicants could take their time filling out the application as it is not first come first serve.  This application period will be June 4th - 18th. There will not be a cap on how many applications can be submitted during this window of time. Once this application period is closed, we will not be accepting any additional applications.

After the application closes, we will begin our lottery-based selection process, and we will be in contact with every person who applied. We will be selecting retreat guests for both our roster and our waiting list for this year’s retreat. If you are not selected from the lottery, we will be in touch via email letting you know. 

While we aim to accommodate as many guests as possible, we have a very limited number of spaces available and feel that a lottery-based process is the best way for us to consider applicants for this year’s retreat. If you have any questions, please reach out to us using the contact link at the bottom of this page.

Applications will open on June 4th for our 2026 Retreat

FAQ’s

Why an application?

It is our desire to get to know our retreat applicants. The application process empowers us to hear more of your story and understand why you want to come to this retreat. We are looking for applicants who are hungry to step beyond the normal of their everyday life and into an upgrade in their relationship with the Lord.

Can I apply if I’ve attended the Retreat in the past?

If you have attended a Becoming Wholehearted Retreat in the past, you are only eligible to apply for our waitlist. We are prioritizing first time attendees for this retreat.

Cancellation

You may cancel your registration to receive a full refund up to 3 weeks prior to the date of the event.  In the event that you cancel your registration less than 3 weeks prior to the date of the event, you will forfeit 50% of the entire registration fee.  Regardless of when you cancel your registration, your registration is not transferable to another event, date, or person.

Are there resources for me if I cannot attend?

If you would like to explore more of our resources and learn some of the tools we teach in our schools and retreats, you can explore our Online Workshops, listen to the Jonathan and Melissa Helser Podcast, or purchase one of our Devotional Books on our online shop.

Photos