This year's retreat will be February 23-25, 2024. Can't wait to see you there! JOY will take place at the beautiful Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Stoney Creek is located in the Kansas City area and is less than four hours away from both St. Louis, MO and Tulsa, OK.

Any adoptive, foster, prospective adoptive/foster mom or support team! Whether you are interested in adoption or foster care, are just starting out, in the process, in the waiting stage, have just completed an adoption or foster placement, have been an adoptive or foster mama for years or have someone close to you in this world...this retreat is for you!

You can expect a weekend full of connection, education, & encouragement with other adoptive and foster moms. We are an interdenominational ministry. The weekend will include main sessions, breakout sessions, worship times, meals, connection times, and some recreation time. It is a chance to rest, rejuvenate, refresh, and connect with God and other women walking similar journeys. 

Attendees will purchase their retreat ticket from JOY and will then book their own lodging directly with the hotel or their choice of other lodging. Your retreat ticket is $250 and includes the following:

• Conference Admission

• Saturday Lunch & Dinner

• Snacks, Desserts, and all the Coffee

• Fun Night Activities

• Five Breakout Sessions

• Three Main Sessions

• An Evening Worship Experience

• Swag Bag - Tickets purchased after January 1st cannot guarantee a SWAG bag

• Connection Groups

• Opportunity to Shop with Our Incredible Vendors (part of all proceeds go towards adoption, foster care, first family, or orphan ministry)

• A unique opportunity to connect with other foster and/or adoptive moms who "get it" during the weekend, as well as before and after retreat in our active 2024 Retreat Facebook Community.

*JOY attendees will book their own lodging. You may choose who you want to room with, how many roommates you would like to have, and where you would like to stay.

• You can choose to stay at the Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center where the retreat will be held. We will have a large block of rooms at a discounted rate of $110 per night. You will be sent information on booking at Stoney Creek after you register. You may share rooms and can find a roommate on the Facebook group for attendees if interested.

• Attendees may wish to stay at alternative hotels, an Airbnb, or even at home if you live in the area. 

Our theme for this year is WITH. We are walking through the story of Mary, Martha and Lazarus in John 11 and resting in the promise of God's presence with us in the waiting, grieving and victory.

JOY will not refund any purchased ticket. If you are unable to attend, it is your responsibility to contact us at joyinthejourneymo@gmail.com as soon as possible. If we have a waitlist at that time, we will help facilitate the transfer of your ticket. You may find a friend or another person to sell your ticket to as well.

In the event that Joy in the Journey, Inc. has to cancel the retreat due to health guidelines, a full refund (minus a handling fee) will be offered to ticket holders. 

This is a child free event! As much as we love children and babies, this retreat is designed for moms to rest, rejuvenate, refresh, and connect with God and others. Please no children or infants of any age. No exceptions. 

We are able to provide “Gluten Friendly” lunch and dinner to those who mark this on your registration form. We are not able to meet any additional dietary needs, so please plan accordingly. There are mini fridges located in each hotel room at Stoney Creek.

Stoney Creek is a beautiful hotel set up incredibly well for the retreat and there are lots of areas to rest, relax, and to connect with each other.  If you choose to stay at Stoney Creek breakfast is included and you will have a microwave, Keurig coffee maker, and mini fridge in your room. There is a hot tub, a heated indoor and outdoor pool, fitness center, a scenic 1.5 walking/running trail as well.

We have vendors at retreat that sell amazing items with profits that go toward foster care and adoption! If you would like to be considered to host a vendor booth at retreat, you may apply for a spot.  Please watch for this application to become available shortly after registration.  Vendor spots are available for retreat attendees only and are limited.

Registration opens on October 21, 2023 at 6pm CT. There will be a Register Now button on our website. If you are interested in attending the 2024 retreat, mark your calendars and set your alarm so you are prepared to register and purchase your ticket at that time! In an effort to maintain the smaller, more intimate atmosphere of this event, there are limited tickets available. We don't want you to miss it!

You are not alone! We have many ladies every year who come to retreat alone, but they never leave that way! That's because this retreat is designed for connection. These are your people. These are the people who get it. You will be in a connection group where you will be able to connect organically with other amazing women who understand.

It is the heart of Joy in the Journey to align all aspects of the ministry with our mission of connecting, educating, and encouraging foster and adoptive families through a Biblical, God-centered framework. When selecting the speakers for our events, our teams begin with this goal in mind. 

Speaker selection is a multi-step process and begins with reviewing the post-retreat surveys from the previous year to gain insight into what the attendees learned and what they felt was lacking in the content of the sessions. That input is considered along with the schedule of the upcoming retreat to determine which speakers will be asked to return as well as what topics need to be addressed with new speakers. For the majority of the years, there is an open call for speaker applications, and those applications are considered based on their topics and framework. Those who fulfill the given need are offered a speaking contract for the upcoming event.