Temporary on Purpose
A Workshop at The Shack with Keynote Speaker Rob Ribbe
October 24, 2026
Step away from the everyday and rediscover how God uses temporary experiences to bring lasting impact.
Join us at The Shack for Temporary on Purpose, a thoughtful and practical workshop with Rob Ribbe as he explores how God uses temporary communities to renew, call, and equip His people. Through biblical insight and practical application, this workshop will help leaders understand how retreats, camps, conferences, and other temporary systems can strengthen the long term mission of churches, families, ministries, and organizations.
God Often Uses What Is Temporary for Eternal Purpose
Throughout human existence, God has used temporary community experiences such as sabbath, mountain top encounters, wilderness journeys, and festivals to renew, call, and equip people. These moments may be for a season, but their impact often reaches far beyond the experience itself.
In today’s world, temporary systems are everywhere, both inside and outside the church. This workshop will explore the God designed purpose behind temporary communities, the social science theory that helps explain their influence, and how they can best serve permanent systems like churches, families, organizations, and society.
What This Workshop Will Explore
At Temporary on Purpose, participants will consider how temporary experiences can be used with greater intention and Kingdom purpose.
Topics include:
- The biblical purpose of temporary community experiences
- How God uses temporary settings to renew, call, and equip people
- The social science theory behind temporary communities
- How temporary systems can engage and enhance permanent systems
- Ways churches, ministries, and organizations can use temporary experiences to accomplish mission
- How temporary communities can help grow effectiveness, develop people, and support strategic goals
Why This Matters for Ministry Leaders
If you lead within a church, camp, retreat center, school, or Christian organization, you have likely seen how powerful a set apart experience can be. A retreat can bring clarity. A camp week can shape identity. A workshop can spark vision. A conference can renew calling.
But these experiences are most effective when they are understood and used with purpose.
This workshop will help leaders think more clearly about how temporary experiences can support their broader mission and create lasting fruit in the lives of the people they serve.
Meet the Keynote Speaker
Rob Ribbe
Rob Ribbe is a professor at HoneyRock, The Center for Leadership Development of Wheaton College, where he serves as program director of the Master’s Degree in Outdoor and Adventure Leadership.
He teaches courses on spiritual formation, organizational leadership, leadership development, and the theology and practice of camp ministry. Rob is a regular instructor at CCCA national and regional events and has spoken at Christian camping conferences around the world.
From 2000 to 2023, Rob served as executive director of HoneyRock, a year round camp known as an experiential leadership development laboratory. His years of experience in Christian leadership formation, camp ministry, and organizational development bring depth, wisdom, and practical insight to this important conversation.
Rob and his wife Jackie live in Grand Rapids.
Hosted at The Shack
The Shack offers a peaceful setting where leaders can step away from the noise of everyday life and make space for learning, reflection, and renewal. Surrounded by beauty and designed for meaningful retreat experiences, The Shack is a fitting place for a workshop centered on how God works through intentional, temporary community.
Who Should Attend
This workshop is designed for:
- Camp and retreat leaders
- Pastors and church staff
- Ministry directors
- Christian educators
- Organizational leaders
- Anyone interested in spiritual formation, leadership development, and camp ministry
Join Us for a Meaningful Time of Learning and Reflection
Temporary experiences can serve a lasting purpose. Whether you are leading a church, shaping a ministry, building a team, or caring for the next generation, this workshop will help you think more deeply about how God uses time set apart to prepare people for what comes next.
Come to The Shack and explore how temporary community can lead to lasting mission impact.
Save on lodging
Your stay at The Shack
for conference participants.
Instructions for booking with discount will be emailed after registering for the conference.
If cost is a concern, support is available - don’t let finances hold you back.
Email us at guestservices@shackretreat.org for more information on available scholorship options.
Tentative Schedule
*Subject To Change