Because your story matters.
Fearlessly begin the journey of becoming the Greatest Storyteller of your life.
Roots & Branches Creative Retreats
invite writers in the holy transition of creativity to examine the living architecture of their inner lives— the roots that hold meaning and the branches that carry it forward.
Within a Christ-centered and supportive creative sanctuary, you’ll return to the sources that shaped your voice: personal history, intellectual lineage, lived and shared experience.
You’ll tend these roots with care, discernment, and curiosity, while making room for new branches to emerge. Here, artistry meets Spirit through thoughtful inquiry.
With reflection, conversation, and sustained creative practice, your words deepen, extend, and take their place within a larger canopy— grounded in origin, responsive to change, and oriented toward what is becoming.
Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is.
—Frederick Buechner
Upcoming Retreats
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March 27-29, 2026
Where: Forksville, PA
Cost: $595
Deadline to Register:
March 1, 2026
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April 17-19, 2026
Where: Forksville, PA
Deadline to Register:
April 15, 2026
Registration opens
March 31, 2026
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May 1-3, 2026
Where: Forksville, PA
Deadline to Register:
April 30, 2026
Registration opens
April 15,2026
Explore the foundations of your story. Deepen your self-reflection. Develop the courage to share your personal narrative.
What’s Included:
Roots and Branches Retreat to a two-night gathering set amid the timeless, wooded hills of Pennsylvania’s Endless Mountains—a refined rustic haven for seasoned writers seeking to deepen their personal storytelling. Enjoy chef-curated meals prepared with locally sourced, farm-to-table ingredients that highlight the region’s heritage. Engage in guided writing and reflection sessions designed to open thoughtful creative space, and take part in an intimate master class led by a local artisan. As evening settles, gather around a glowing bonfire beneath the stars, sharing quiet conversation and elevated, rustic gourmet s’mores. The retreat concludes with a reflective journey to Worlds End State Park, where the rugged landscape and your unfolding narrative meet in a moment of stillness and clarity.
Optional Mentoring:
Three sessions post-retreat to sustain your growth & refine your craft. Cost is $100 per 90 minute session.
You hold the power in your pen.
We have to keep telling our stories, because they reveal where we came from and where we are going.
— Henri Nouwen
Story has always felt like a place of meeting for me—where memory and meaning draw close, where the heart learns to courageously speak what it has been carrying. This work has unfolded slowly in my life, shaped by decades of writing, teaching, listening, and walking alongside others who feel the quiet insistence of a story longing to be told. It has taken form in classrooms and conservatories, in drafts written and rewritten, in conversations guided more by attention than answers. What has endured is a devotion to the work itself and to the people willing to enter it honestly.
Along the way, study in story for the stage and screen, the architecture of communication, literature, bookended with theology has formed how this work is held. Craft is treated as a kind of hospitality—structure sturdy enough to carry truth, clarity that makes room for what is tender.
At its center, this work is rooted in authenticity and a living connection in Christ. Stories are not hurried here. They are listened for and tended sweetly, shaped at the pace of presence rather than pressure, with honesty, courage, and a rugged kind of grace.
If you have arrived because something in you is stirring—unfinished, unnamed, persistent—this is a place to stay awhile.
—Rebecca
About Rebecca Phillips
Rebecca Phillips is a writer, director, educator, and creative who has spent decades helping artists find their voice, move beyond perceived limitations, and pursue their calling with courage and conviction. Her work lives at the intersection of story, faith, and formation. Whether writing, directing, teaching, or mentoring, Rebecca is driven by a single passion: inviting people into deeper truth through story and cultivating creative lives marked by excellence, resilience, and radical tenacity for Christ.
A Life Shaped by Story
Rebecca’s journey into the arts began with a deep love of language and narrative—stories that carry meaning, beauty, and transformation. That love grew into a lifelong vocation shaped by both formal training and lived experience, including leading creative teams, collaborating across cultures, and mentoring artists as they discover both their craft and their calling. Her work has been presented in settings ranging from intimate venues to large-scale productions across the U.S. and internationally.
Credentials & Creative Practice
Rebecca holds an MFA in Script and Screenwriting, an MA in Communication (Performing Arts), and a BA in English and Bible. Her academic training is fully integrated with practice: she has written over one hundred scripts, directed mainstage productions, taught university theater and classical education, mentored numerous performing arts teams, and helped develop creative programs centered on excellence and spiritual formation. As an educator, she is known for challenging students while fostering a space that is rigorous, generous, and deeply human. At the heart of Rebecca’s work is mentorship. For decades, she has invested in artists and leaders, guiding them to grow not only in skill, but in integrity, perseverance, and purpose. Through teaching, retreats, and one-on-one mentoring, she continues to equip others to live lives of intentional creativity that honor both the art and the Artist.
Where your story begins to grow.
Friday
4 PM / Check In
Explore the property.
Breathe. Rest.
5 PM / Introductions
6 PM / Dinner
7 PM / Session 1
Burning the Old Branches: Gathering around a bonfire together, we will work to release fear, doubt, or other barriers that inhibit us from sharing our story.
8:30 PM
Gourmet s’mores.
Bonfire continues until eyes grow weary.
Saturday
8 AM / Breakfast
Cottage terrace
9 AM / Session 2
Pruning the Branches:
Following the tangled roots of Imposter Syndrome and clearing space for something truer to grow.
10 AM / Coffee. Tea. Pastries.
10:30 AM / Session 3
Sharing the Branches: Understanding storytelling techniques to shape & share your story effectively.
12 PM / Picnic Lunch
Enjoy your own
basket, blanket, journal.
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1-2 PM / Wildfire and Fern / Pressing In
Create a bookmark with pressed flowers with a local renowned artist.
2-3:30 PM / Rest and Write
3 PM / Coffee. Tea. Cake.
3:30-5:30 PM / Session 4
Digging Deeper:
Redefine your identity as a writer.6 PM / Dinner
7-8 PM / Session 5
Rooted for Tomorrow:
How intentional living impacts & shapes your writing and life.8:30 PM /Bonfire. Hot cocoa, marshmallows, blankets.
Sunday
8 AM / Breakfast
Cottage terrace
9 AM / Worlds End State Park
9:15 AM / Session 6
Roots in the Wild: Explore the metaphor of nature’s resilience.
10:30 AM / Session 7
Wade. Walk. Write.
Wade into the currents of the river. Walk on the rocks & earth.
Write a letter to yourself.
11:30 AM / Wrap Up
12 PM / Retreat Concludes
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Vicki
The Roots & Branches Creative Retreat was much more than I imagined. I went in with an open heart, not sure what to expect, but ready for anything and hoping to get at least one small nugget that I could carry with me. Instead, my cup overflowed. I have met women who I now consider life-long friends. I've connected with myself, given myself a safe space to grieve, and realize that there is much more ahead of me than behind.
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Jessica
The Roots & Branches retreat was truly transformational. Not only is Becki a brilliant instructor she also created an atmosphere of complete safety and peace. During the weekend we were asked deep questions that continued to be answered by that still small voice within. Personally, I've wanted to write for years but have never felt the confidence in my own writing. During the retreat, lies I've been believing were dismantled and replaced with truth and a new found confidence. Where I didn't know how to begin, I discovered a place to start. This retreat created internal momentum, unlocked creativity, and encouraged freedom to "just write"! I left the retreat believing that what I have to write matters and my voice needs to be heard! I am grateful for the weekend away to discover and unlock my writing potential.
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Cherie
Every moment together as a group, guided by Becki’s leadership, was deeply meaningful. I was terrified to read my writing aloud, but choosing vulnerability was met with genuine encouragement—like a gentle yet powerful wind that lifted my wings and gave me the courage to fly.
I left with a deep longing for more, knowing something in me had been awakened over the weekend. I would do it again without hesitation. I am forever grateful.
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Evelyn
I loved the vulnerability and emotional maturity of the group. While every session mattered, The Roots of Our Story stood out—learning to connect with the emotions of a story gave me clarity on where to begin and how to move forward.
The retreat held a beautiful balance of freedom, productivity, and rest. It truly felt like a retreat, not a conference. The accommodations were exceptional—the food felt like a gift, and the thoughtful details made the experience even more special.
Thank you for hosting this space so graciously. You held not just the environment, but hearts and spirits, and helped awaken something in me I didn’t know I needed.
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Lori
This was my very first writers retreat, and I arrived feeling a little nervous. As the weekend unfolded, I was able to surrender that anxiety. Our host and teacher, Becki, gently created a safe and welcoming environment where I felt free to try new things and simply be myself.
One of my favorite parts of the weekend was learning from and gaining inspiration from the other women attending. That retreat was almost a year ago, and today I am preparing to publish my very first children’s book. I am so grateful to Becki for helping make this dream a reality here.
Registration Form.
Don’t Delay. Max participants 8.
Final payment due upon registration.
Waitlist available.
Payment Options
Venmo / @Rebecca-Phillips-195
Personal Check / email: beckiphillipscreates@gmail.com
Registration is not complete until full payment is made.
Cancellation Policy
Full refund issued for cancellations 3 or more weeks prior. Partial refund issued 1 week prior.