Refresh the love and intimacy that is vital to the success of your relationship.
Strengthen the unique bond you have with each other, as you explore what does and doesn’t work well for you as a couple.
Enrich your relationship as you enjoy one on one time together in a fun, relaxed environment.
With an open mind, your marriage can be renewed and transformed to a level you never thought possible.
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You can expect a fun, relaxed environment.
To get the most out of the weekend we offer main sessions with a mix of informative teaching by Matt and Belinda Stott, a stunning time of worship with Hope and Eugene Fuimaono and a bit of fun with our MCs, Bruce and Sarah O'Brien.
On Saturday and Sunday a range of optional workshops are available led by our team of experts in the field of healthy relationships. You choose what works for you!
Our desire is for you to walk away feeling absolutely looked after, so we provide top-notch meals, including a three-course candle-lit dinner where you will be served by our waiters and waitresses, enjoy live music and have the opportunity for a dance afterwards.
To make sure you can maximise your time away together, we offer several fun dating opportunities; ball room dancing, outdoor movies, horse riding, geocaching, archery, rock climbing and of course there is plenty of opportunity to explore the beauty of Waikanae! There are local reserves, gorgeous beaches, great cafes and local museums, check out further options here.
Throughout the weekend we also run our own high tea café and a café with free barista-made coffee!
Our team is made up of caring individuals who have a passion for enriching marriages. Their aim is to both nurture and support couples, as well as be available for couples should any issues arise throughout the weekend.
There will also be an experienced team available for prayer, private counselling and prophetic ministry.
MAIN PRESENTERS - Matt & Belinda Stott Back by popular demand….we have Matt and Belinda back for a fourth year with all new material. Matt and Belinda run life and relationship workshops in Australasia in a variety of contexts. They have been married for nineteen years and have two children, Jasper and Scarlett. Every time they speak there is an overwhelming response from attendees as to how personable, insightful, fun and captivating they both are. Matt and Belinda offer a wealth of knowledge and very practical tools for building a healthy marriage. They have a very unique and needed ministry in Aotearoa and are leaving a legacy of countless strengthened, rebuilt and renewed marriages in their wake. It is a deep privilege to have them with us again. Once part of the Attitude team and The Parenting Place, he now works alongside Belinda running life and relationship workshops all over the country and Australia. More on Belinda With more than a decade of experience as a counsellor, Belinda brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in working with couples. As a counsellor, novelist and public speaker she has helped couples work through a wide range of areas effecting their relationship, including: trust and forgiveness issues; struggles around rejection, jealousy, infidelity and shame; depression, anxiety and addictions; past trauma; sexual struggles and more.
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WORKSHOP LEADERS - Neville & Kerran Bartley Neville and Kerran have been married for over thirty years. Both trained teachers, they youth pastored for most of their married life and are currently spiritual mentors, ministry supervisors and Neville also works for Scripture Union. They discovered that communication, like marriage, is a continual journey and it is a three-way conversation which includes God. They are here to share some stunning gems with us. They have three adult children, one son-in-law and a daughter-in-law, who are all followers of Christ.
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WORKSHOP LEADERS - Matt & Angela Swank
Matt and Angela have been married for fifteen years. Matt has been in ministry for over twenty years (BA Biblical Studies MA MSFL – Spiritual Formation and Leadership, and Workplace Supervision Trained) and Angela has been a counsellor for over fifteen years (MA Counselling, registered professional NZAC). They have two children and one giant great dane, Rapha, who thinks he is a lap dog. Matt and Ang have both been trained as ‘Prepare and Enrich’ facilitators and enjoy encouraging others wherever they might be on this life journey. They run their own business, Life Inc, that provides Consultancy, Counselling and Supervision services. . One of their great passions is studying the Life of Christ, and disciple making. Their life verse is 1 John 2:6 "Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did". They believe this applies to all aspects of life even in their marriage. They truly believe marriage is a gift from God, and that God can bring healing to any marriage even those that feel discouraged. |
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WORKSHOP LEADERS - Damon & Rachel Fitzpatrick Damon and Rachel have been married for twenty years and they still like being married to each other! Much of their married life has been dedicated to their three children and to youth pastoring. For them, one of the biggest privileges in ministry has been counselling and marrying couples that were once their young people. They think marriage is an essential building block to family and society. They are passionate about seeing love bind and last so they are Prepare and Enrich trained and are at this Retreat to help you invest in your marriage. Both Rachel and Damon are very good listeners, offer thoughtful insights and offer a safe, gentle and effective approach to helping others. |
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WORKSHOP LEADERS - Phillip & Margaret Witehira Phil and Margaret have been together for thirty eight years and married for twenty four. They lived a colourful, drug-centred life in the far north before radically coming to faith in 2003. Since then, Margaret and Phil have been very active in sharing their healing journey with others. Earlier last year they started the first of three missions to take the gospel back to their marae in Ngatiwai territory, Te Wairahi, Whananaki. They also founded and run Property Mini-Makeovers in Porirua and both volunteer their time to Prison Fellowship and El Rancho camps. They have a wealth of experience in mental health; Phil works for Pathways Health Limited. They have six children and eight grandchildren. Margaret and Phil have a powerful testimony about how God has transformed their lives and their marriage. They come with a depth of both practical and spiritual tools for marriages. |
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WORSHIP LEADERS - Eugene & Hope Fuimaono Hope and Eugene are a married couple that are passionate about leading worship in a meaningful, uplifted and Christ-centred way.
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This retreat is for newly weds and oldly weds, for strong healthy couples and any that might be struggling their way through their relationship.
It is our hope that all those coming will benefit from the seminars, time alone and fun activities, as a means of enriching their
relationship.
The full cost for the weekend is $360 per couple ($180 per ticket and it can be paid off in installments, if that is easier for you).
This is less than what it actually costs us per couple, to run the Retreat and includes the following:
• Two nights accommodation in your own room. Linen, bedding and towels are provided.
• Four catered meals – including breakfast and lunch on Saturday, a candle lit, three course meal on Saturday evening (feel free to dress up) and breakfast Sunday.
• A great line up of seminars and workshops across the weekend.
• Two onsite cafés with baristas (making complimentary coffees!) and live music.
• An exciting range of onsite activities!
(Please note you may be sharing bathroom facilities with at least one other couple).
We are looking at fundraising to help cover the costs of this great ministry event, if you are in a position to help with this or would like to sponsor a couple to come, please contact us on programmes@elrancho.co.nz.
We have been to many events for married couples and this was by far our favorite event. The weekend was the best time we have ever had as a married couple.
Thank you for the most incredible weekend. This is the most fun we have ever had and we have had so many revelations together.
This has saved our marriage.
Incredibly well organised! Blown away by the hospitality, kindness, attention to detail, care, thought and prayer. Such a blessing to us as a couple.
We felt respected and welcome. We were just hanging on to our marriage after ten years of struggling. It has been both challenging and hopeful to see what we can do to start building intimacy, trust and friendship again. Nice to be with people on varying stages of their journeys. Our marriage would not have survived until Christmas - now we have some ideas on what to do. Thank you so much.
A truly amazing weekend. We loved every bit of it. The whole team went well above and beyond what we bargained for! You are amazing people!"
A very well run weekend. Strengthened our relationship with each other and God.
What a wonderful, romantic and comfortable atmosphere you have created. I almost felt undeserving of all this love and attention.
I really enjoyed the realness and authenticity of the speakers. Marriages are hard work and coming to a marriage retreat can make you believe your marriage is not up to scratch...this was very non-threatening, husband-friendly and most enjoyable, I would definitely recommend.