Replenish

The need for RPLNISH is growing pt 1

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 11:20:15 -0700

Many of you have personally experienced the gift of Replenish: time to step away, reconnect with Jesus, build meaningful friendships, and simply breathe.

The need is growing and we need your help.

👉 Research reveals that 65% of pastors experience loneliness and isolation, and 42% have considered leaving full-time ministry.

That’s why RPLNISH exists.

“I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.” -Jeremiah 31:25 ESV

This September, we’re believing for $7,500 in new monthly support to help us provide more RPLNISH Experiences and soul-care resources.

You know what Replenish can do because you’ve experienced it.

Now, would you consider helping give that same gift to another pastor?

🙏🏼 [ THE GIFT OF REPLENISH ] 🙏🏼

Healthy Pastors Lead Healthy Churches.

More than a retreat pt 2

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 11:06:09 -0700

Last week, we mentioned the growing need. This week, we want to articulate the mission. These are both reasons we need to increase our monthly sponsorships.

If you’ve experienced a RPLNISH trip, I’m sure you know firsthand what happens when a pastor gets intentional space to breathe, reconnect with Jesus, build relationships, and return to ministry replenished.

But RPLNISH is more than a retreat. Read on below 👇👇👇

The incredible generosity of our partners results in an entire ecosystem of replenishment:

4-Day RPLNISH Experiences

Soul-Care
Counseling
Sabbatical Coaching
Ministry Couples Resources
Pastoral Cohorts
Prayer...Read More

I quit!

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 08:51:46 -0700

Many pastors leave ministry every month, but that is not the focus of this story.
RPLNISH began years before 2019, both by accident and because I was "upset". Five pastors formed a working board that would later become RPLNISH. We had been taking pastors and leaders on trips and pooling our money together to cover expenses. I was on the speaking team of a church in Southern California, and the church I served had a ranch house we were able to host 10 guys at a time. We invited guys to come out with us when I was speaking. We invited them to meet us at LAX, and we would spend a few days together; we would have fun, eat well, and care for each other's souls.
It worked. We saw guys encounter God, deepen their connections with each other, and receive much-needed rest. Our little group was making a difference, but we wanted to do more. We were believing God to do five trips in one year. All of us had day jobs, and we hoped and goaded each other to go full time in pastoring other pastors. Our goal was to do five trips in one year, but we knew one of us needed to commit to doing RPLNISH full time, before it would actually grow.
In the years that passed, often God would challenge me to do more for pastors. In 2019, I was praying, yet again, and I heard God tell me to do more for pastors. This time, I heard Him, and I responded, "God, the only way I can do that is if I quit my day Job." I felt like God put those words right back at me. I knew it was time and I was the one to do RPLNISH full time.
Seven years ago I said yes, to serving pastors full time and it has been a blast. We have replenished thousands of pastors during these past seven years. God continues to open doors, provide resources and give greater vision. We are know doing RPLNISH domestically,...Read More

Couples. CO. Holy Spirit.

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 12:08:51 -0700

Recently, my husband and I led our first RPLNISH trip for pastors and their wives in beautiful Colorado. We have never been pastors, but we both grew up in ministers’ homes, have a deep calling to care for those in ministry, and have supported RPLNISH for many years. We honestly felt like we were going in with no qualifying credentials, but we had willing and available hearts and had been praying for God to do the work.
By that evening, the last evening together, we opened the conversation with a question of how the Lord had encouraged them through the week. It was amazing to hear how God had spoken through others' words and their lives. A younger couple was so blessed to spend the evening with a couple a few decades ahead of them. They said it was like getting a snapshot of their future in 20 years; same ages of kids, same passion in ministry, same struggles. They were built up in hope and got a glimpse of what their lives can be as they live faithful lives for Christ. We were humbled to see the Holy Spirit speak words of knowledge, wisdom, and encouragement to each one there. Our lives were impacted deeply.

Acts 3:19 says, “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.”
--Jason and Jennifer Koeshall
AUGUST, 2026 IN TUALINCINGO, HILDAGO
I'm sitting in the airport, still processing what just happened. Pastors from all over the Tualincingo, Hidalgo region were there. We knew it would be a unique experience, but once we sat down and got to know these pastors, it was much more than we expected. Stories like this come up in every RPLNISH Experience.
We arrived at a local restaurant where they mostly served tacos and a few steaks, the most expensive being right around $15. When the menus were passed around, they were really quiet. We dialogued with them and realized most had never been to a restaurant like this; one of them had never been to a restaurant at all. They didn't know what to order because of experience and cost (of course, our generous partners picked up the tab for the meal and the entire trip). After that, we went to ice cream; one of them had never had ice cream. It ended up being a great night of soul care as they expressed their loneliness and their lack of support, encouragement, and, well... replenishing. They opened up their heart and their lives.
Some additional firsts:
One pastor shared that he wasn't used to electricity; he has a pole near his church with a solar panel that provides enough power to run a small light and occasionally charge his phone.
One pastor had chest pains late one evening. We took him to the public clinic, and they gave him some meds for stomach pain. They said if the pain persisted, to check him into a private hospital; they did. We took him to a private...Read More

A Full Heart Requires an Empty Schedule

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 11:12:11 -0700

The Replenish Retreat for pastors is a simple but powerful idea. Anyone who has spent years "feeding" God's people, week after week, knows how it can drain you. Replenish exists because a group of generous donors believe that investing in the hearts of pastors is really an investment in the future health of churches. This was my first time on the retreat, and here are a few thoughts still settling in me.
I'm a scheduled Lead Pastor in the Seattle area, which means my mind wakes up already running through a calendar. For each appointment, my phone reminds me an hour out, thirty minutes out, ten minutes out, faithfully making sure I never miss the next meeting. So when I arrived in Colorado and was told there would be no written schedule, it hit me in the best possible way. We were encouraged to stay offline, leave our phones in our rooms, and nap, hike, or walk — whatever the moment called for. Within a day, I could feel my mind actually unwind. It was the kind of pace I didn't know I needed until it was already changing me.
The slower rhythm opened the door to something unexpected: enriching conversations. These were unhurried talks with other pastors around the fire pit, laughter that came easy, care that didn't feel like one more obligation. The change of pace led to a change of my heart posture. Rest was encouraged rather than earned. God felt closer. Relationships went deeper (without any of the weight that usually comes with vulnerability among colleagues).
Then there was the fly-fishing, something I'd never done but had quietly dreamed about since I first watched A River Runs Through It. Standing waist-deep in a Colorado river for four hours, learning the rhythm of the cast, felt like its own kind of sermon. Nature had our full attention. When mountain thunderstorms rolled through the Rockies while we fished, I felt the power of God's creation move through all of...Read More

A Word for Pastors, Leaders, and the Ones Who Love Them

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 10:50:22 -0700

Here's encouraging news from Barna Group's latest research: pastors' feelings of inadequacy dropped from 64 percent in 2023 to 44 percent this year, the lowest Barna has ever recorded. Pastors seriously considering leaving ministry fell from 42 percent in 2022 to 24 percent in 2025. Resilience is genuinely growing.
But satisfaction still lags, down to 52 percent from 72 percent a decade ago. Barna's research found relief comes less from encouragement and more from structure: a role that fits a leader's actual gifting, and real freedom to delegate.
Tip for this week: name one task on your plate that was never really yours to carry, and hand it to someone else. That's a resilience habit worth practicing.
Contact Dr Willis or Reclaim Leadership
Read More

The best of 2026

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 10:10:51 -0700

So far, 2026 has been a blast. Team additions, early trips, new properties, and an amazing Pastor's Mayday. It is really cool to see God move on a larger scale and bless RPLNISH as an organization, and it is also amazing to see how lives are impacted. You can read more blog testimonials and watch life-changing video shorts at these links. We just added a heartfelt and tough perspective from a pastor who shared his personal grief and resolve to stay true to his calling here.
Meet Ryan
Ryan Bunbury joined the RPLNISH team earlier as Director of Church Relations. He is working on some innovative ways to make RPLNISH even better. Meet Ryan here. Email him here.
RPLNISH Experiences
We have already completed 14 RPLNISH Experiences this year. That means we have replenished over 200 pastors and leaders through RPLNISH Experiences alone. We have also reached hundreds more through some of our other RPLNISH initiatives, like soul care coaching, team-building exercises, in-services, and pulpit ministry. More here.
If you need more info on participating in an RPLNISH Experience, sponsoring, or leading, we need to connect.
We have lots of replenishing yet to come this year. Which trip is right for you? Lead pastor, couples, women in ministry? We are also partnering with international partners....Read More

The God who goes before

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 08:28:45 -0700

“The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” — Deuteronomy 31:8
One of the greatest comforts we have as believers is knowing that we never walk alone.
When Moses encouraged Joshua with these words, he wasn’t simply telling him that God would accompany him. He was assuring him that the Lord Himself would go before him. Before Joshua took a single step into the Promised Land, God had already gone ahead… preparing a way!
This promise brings to mind the beautiful imagery in Isaiah 40:3, later quoted in Mark 1:3: “Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
In the ancient world, when a king was preparing to travel, a crew would be sent ahead to clear the road. They would remove rocks, cut back brush, fill low places, and smooth rough terrain so the king’s journey would be unhindered. The road was prepared before the king ever arrived.
What a beautiful illustration of what God does for His children.
As we walk through life, we often wonder what lies ahead. We see only today’s step, but God sees the entire journey. He has already gone before us, clearing a path we cannot see. Some obstacles He removes completely. Others He leads us around. Still others He gives us the strength to overcome.
Perhaps one of the greatest expressions of God’s love is His unseen protection. We may never know the temptation He spared us from, the accident that didn’t happen, the opportunity that would have harmed us, or the discouragement He quietly removed from our path. Like the workers preparing the road for a king, God is constantly at work ahead of us, making a way...Read More

July and August Prayer

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 07:59:36 -0700

Prayer Team,
Thanks for praying. Below is a prayer need from our friend Robert in Houston. He is doing a great work with his inner-city mentoring group. Below that are some prayer and praises from July
July was busy and kind of insane. Because there was so much, i'll keep this short and sweet but we can grab a call if you want and I can give some details.
JULY OVERALL
Three trips: 2 couples trips and one senior pastor trip. Amazing ministry, lives changed and a few of the participants want to sponsor trips of their own. Pray that they keep making progress and that we can do even more to help.
The couple's trips are slower impact but go much deeper. God did some amazing healing and started the process for additional healing in several couples.
THE ROUGH NEWS
One guy led a trip for us and two days later had a heart attack. Nothing related to RPNISH but wow. He is doing fine and recovering after 2 stints were put in. He is 53 years old. Please pray for Jason. UPDATE - he is at home, resting and recovering really well.
Please prayer for three pastors that are close to RPNISH (2 have been on trips in the past 18 months) quit or were forced out of ministry. I cannot go into details, but you can prayer for Pastors: P, C and M.
All three churches were pretty good size (1500-2000).
My takeaway: pastoring is hard, the enemy is real and RPLNISH can do more. And, yes, these hit me hard and personally.
THE GOOD NEWS
One of the guys moved from DFW (actually Gateway) to the PNW to plant a church; the church didn't do well, so he closed the doors. God told him to use his skills as a handyman to help people. He began posting on Facebook and Next...Read More