ReNew Marriage Retreat

November 20-22, 2026

Black Lake Bible Camp

Most divorces are NOT the result of a lack of love, a loss of desire, or a missing strategy. Marriages fail because the couple never learned how to be truly safe for each other. ReNew Marriage Retreat was created to change that. From newly married couples to those in crisis, all can discover the deep intimacy and redemptive love that God designed for marriage.

Over one immersive weekend, couples discover the deeper patterns driving conflict, identify and begin to heal the childhood wounds they’ve carried into marriage, and learn to create the intimacy that holds a relationship together when strategies and willpower fall short.

Our time alternates between short, story-rich teaching sessions, and engaging in carefully designed couple activities, giving participants the time and space to begin applying what they’re learning in real time.

What couples learn:

  • Marriage as a Safe Place — Understanding God’s design for intimacy and what true safety in marriage actually requires.
  • Breaking the Cycle — Seeing marriage as a system: how couples co-create conflict patterns and how to interrupt them.
  • Childhood Wounds & Love Styles — How early attachment experiences and survival strategies surface in adult relationships.
  • Triggers, Projections & Survival Cycles — Mapping the emotional loop that turns small moments into major ruptures.
  • The Shame Beneath the Anger — Recognizing secondary emotions and meeting the deeper wound with curiosity and empathy.
  • Safe Vulnerability — Building a shame-free zone where both partners can share their truest selves without fear.
  • A Biblical Framework — Grounding all of the above in Scripture and a theology of redemptive covenant love.

Cost is $550.

Register before October 1st and receive a $50 discount. 

Includes 2 nights lodging in a private room, 6 meals, and all conference materials. 

Register Today

Facilitators: Sandra and John Golling


Licensed marriage and family therapist, Sandra Golling, and her husband Dr. John Golling, bring over 30 years of pastoral and marriage ministry experience, along with their own stories of conflict, chaos, renewal, and healing, to create a biblical-based experience that equips couples to build oneness, safety, and resilience in their marriage.

Feedback from retreat participants …

“The love-style assessment was huge for me. I realized that because of my avoidant style, I’ve skipped over my husband’s feelings along the way. It was eye-opening.”
— Alayja H.
“Learning how to meet emotionally-charged-conflict with curiosity and empathy will help to defuse anger and allow vulnerability instead.”
— Zach P.
“The session on shame was the most helpful to me. I think it opened doors to connect the past to present — being able to understand how and why we say and feel the things we do.”
“I appreciated the call to deep emotional work personally, and in our marriage.”
— Claire B.
We identified our trigger cycles, and how dysregulation impacts communication and conflict, and this was extremely helpful.”
—Tiffany G.
“I have a list of people I plan to recommend to this retreat.”
— Bill S.
“Your transparency is a blessed ministry of messiness and hope, and an excellent example of the power of authenticity.”
— Ashley S.