REST Ministries / Shepherd's Gate Cottage

REST Ministries / Shepherd's Gate Cottage Christian ministry with retreat home

Personal Retreats:
- Any Christian adult seeking to grow in their relationship with the Lord

Group Retreats:
- Elders
- Church staff
- Sunday school classes
- Study, mentoring and accountability groups
- Couples (marriage retreats)
- Worship teams
- Prayer ministry teams

This past weekend our family provided a wonderful, incredibly meaningful celebration of our 50 years of marriage! They h...
06/15/2026

This past weekend our family provided a wonderful, incredibly meaningful celebration of our 50 years of marriage!

They hosted this event for us at Boyne Mountain resort in Michigan. So much fun! We continue to relive these precious moments together as a family. Our actual anniversary isn’t until October and the 2 of us will have a celebration cruise in October.

Have you ever retreated at The Garden Suites of Shepherd's Gate Cottage?💙 I have retreated at The Cottage, and it was a ...
06/10/2026

Have you ever retreated at The Garden Suites of Shepherd's Gate Cottage?

💙 I have retreated at The Cottage, and it was a meaningful time of rest, reflection, and renewal.

OR...

💙 I have not yet retreated at The Cottage, but I would love to experience a personal spiritual retreat there someday.

Comment below with:🙋‍♀️ "I have"or🙏 "I want to"

We'd love to hear from you! Whether you've already experienced the peace of the Cottage or hope to visit in the future, we're grateful to be part of your journey.

To make a reservation visit us at www.rest-ministries.org/contact

This little frog sits quietly by the water’s edge, in the gardens at Shepherd’s Gate Cottage, camera in hand, watching a...
06/08/2026

This little frog sits quietly by the water’s edge, in the gardens at Shepherd’s Gate Cottage, camera in hand, watching and waiting. It reminds me that some of the most important moments in life happen when we slow down enough to pay attention.

So often we want God to move quickly, answer immediately, and reveal the whole plan at once. Yet Scripture is filled with invitations to wait, watch, and trust. In the stillness, God is often preparing our hearts to see what we would have missed if we rushed ahead.

A retreat is much like this frog’s posture—stepping away from the noise, looking expectantly, and being ready to capture the beauty of what God is doing. Sometimes His greatest gifts are found not in the striving, but in the watching.

“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope.” — Psalm 130:5

May you find a quiet place today to watch for God’s fingerprints all around you.

When we spend time in His presence, He shapes our hearts, renews our minds, and leaves His fingerprints on our lives. Hi...
06/06/2026

When we spend time in His presence, He shapes our hearts, renews our minds, and leaves His fingerprints on our lives. His peace becomes more visible. His love becomes more evident. His grace begins to overflow into the lives of those around us.

At Shepherd’s Gate Cottage, our prayer is that every guest leaves refreshed—not because of a beautiful place, but because they have spent unhurried time with the One who changes everything.

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” Acts‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬

May the greatest thing said about us be this: They have been with Jesus.

Chuck in the kitchen at Shepherd’s Gate Cottage, prepping dinner. 🍽️ While we don’t serve meals to our retreat guests at...
06/05/2026

Chuck in the kitchen at Shepherd’s Gate Cottage, prepping dinner. 🍽️

While we don’t serve meals to our retreat guests at the Cottage, God gives us opportunities (the word God gave us for 2026) to host and serve in this way too. One of the joys of ministry is gathering around the table and sharing life together.

Last night, our dinner guests were a woman along with her 2 friends, sensing God’s call to begin a ministry of her own. As we shared a meal, we also shared pieces of our journey—how God led us step by step, often without seeing the whole path ahead.

It was a blessing to encourage her to take whatever next step God is asking of her, trusting that He will provide guidance, strength, and provision along the way.

We are grateful for opportunities like these at Shepherd’s Gate Cottage—where conversations become encouragement, meals become ministry, and hearts are strengthened for the work God is calling them to do.

“Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.” — Philippians 1:6 💜

Max and Millie are hard at work perfecting their selfie-taking skills. 🐾Millie is testing her “thoughtful gaze into the ...
06/04/2026

Max and Millie are hard at work perfecting their selfie-taking skills. 🐾

Millie is testing her “thoughtful gaze into the distance” pose, while Max has already mastered the classic “look adorable”expression. Together, they’re building quite the résumé for their new positions on the Shepherd’s Gate Cottage hospitality team!

Guests, don’t be surprised if these two furry greeters show up in a few of your retreat photos. They’re practicing now so they’ll be camera-ready when it’s time to welcome visitors with purrs, cuddles, and plenty of kitten charm.

The gardens at Shepherd’s Gate Cottage are a bit like a scrapbook. 🌸 Each flower seems to tell a story, because many of ...
06/01/2026

The gardens at Shepherd’s Gate Cottage are a bit like a scrapbook. 🌸 Each flower seems to tell a story, because many of them came as starts from the gardens of family and friends. As they bloom year after year, they remind me of the people, memories, and blessings woven into this place.

These peonies are especially dear to my heart because they came from my mom’s garden. Every year, they would bloom right around the time of Vacation Bible School, and Mom would gather armfuls of them to share with her VBS class. Their beauty and fragrance filled the room, just as her love and faith touched so many lives.

Now, each spring when these peonies burst into bloom at Shepherd’s Gate Cottage, they bring back sweet memories of Mom and remind me how the seeds of love, faith, and kindness continue to blossom long after they are planted.

“The memory of the righteous is a blessing.” — Proverbs 10:7

Arms raised.Knees bowed. Face down.Hearts broken. It is never too late to ask the God who longs to redeem to do the see...
05/25/2026

Arms raised.
Knees bowed.
Face down.
Hearts broken.

It is never too late to ask the God who longs to redeem to do the seemingly impossible. There is a renewed sense of hope that God might answer our prayers for revival in our nation. By His Spirit, he is stirring his people to pray in greater numbers than ever before. If Jesus is still interceding for us, how can we possibly stop praying for others?

What God is done in the past, he can do again. This is the hope we have for our nation, our cities, our friends, and loved ones. ~ Jim Jarman

As promised, you get to meet our new staff members! (Drum roll please!)Introducing the brother / sister team: Max and M...
05/19/2026

As promised, you get to meet our new staff members! (Drum roll please!)

Introducing the brother / sister team: Max and Millie. The 2 are currently in training, learning how to welcome our guests at Shepherd’s Gate Cottage along with other duties as assigned.

They’re excited to meet you when come to the Cottage for your next retreat.

Address

Shepherd's Gate Cottage, 60721 Whitethorn Lane
Goshen, IN
46528

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+17653277157

Website

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