Our Guest Testimonials
Testimonials reflect the impact of an experience on our lives. Individual testimonials blend together to create an overall personal life story that is unique to each person. WinShape Retreat is honored to be a part of small part of your life story. Please take the time to read our collection of testimonials, and if you would, please share your testimonial so that others may be encouraged.
“Yesterday I wrapped up another weekend marriage intensive. It is hard to describe the dramatic change in the hearts of the couples from Thursday to Sunday. It is equally difficult to communicate my joy in watching God work in such a profound way.”
Tim Bowman, LPC
“I really don’t have the words to express how truly wonderful WinShape is! The peaceful atmosphere of the grounds, the sweet spirit in which I was served (ministered to) by each person I encountered (at the registration desk, the chefs, the servers in the dining hall, the audiovisual technicians) EVERYONE treated me as though I was the only guest in the place! God’s love was showered on me from start to finish! THANK YOU!! is not enough to say, but it’s all I have right now! There is a special anointing there; if only I could have bottled it and brought some home with me.”
Deborah Wilson, The Tuesday Night Bible Study Group from Missouri
“I saw information about WinShape Retreat on a Chick-fil-A Restaurant wall. I made a phone call to make reservations for July 22-24, 2011. WinShape Retreat is another world, takes us back in time so that we have more time for the important things: Life itself. The staff is more than wonderful. They are sent from heaven.”
Roger and Jeanette Cornett
“I call it, “A PIECE OF HEAVEN”. We are thankful for the experience (of being at WinShape Retreat). I am telling everyone especially married and dating couples. We plan to come back and bring other friends and ministry partners with us. Thank You Truett Cathy and Family for your vision.”
Ruthie Brooks
Emergency Black Marriage Summit
“I have had the privilege of coming to WinShape Retreat for the Cup of Joy retreat and just today left the “Marriage Champions” retreat. I cannot say how thankful we were to be able to get away for a day and spend time together. I call WinShape the “mountain of transformation” as I believe it is humanly impossible to experience that atmosphere and not be transformed in some way. THANK YOU so much for all that you do! We are forever and always WinShape advocates. May God’s blessings truly pour over the retreat center, the staff, the administration and all who visit.”
Shawna Johnson
“Thank you again for helping make our kidz2leaders “Day Apart” retreat so wonderful. Our team so enjoyed our time on the WinShape campus! As we walked the acreage and brainstormed, God spoke to us in a mighty way as we planned for the future of Camp Hope and kidz2leaders. It was truly a blessed day apart for us, and your entire team was so accommodating! Thank you again!
In Him,”
Diane Parrish
“Patty and I had a wonderful time at WinShape Retreat. Our weekend was full of time, rest, God and each other. It’s so beautiful and peaceful at WinShape Retreat. We were treated like a king and queen. The food was REALLY GOOD. We went on an awesome hike up to the House of Dreams, fell asleep in the hammock together, biked on Saturday & Sunday, and enjoyed deep conversations & decisions throughout our visit. God used the WinShape team in our lives. We look forward to visiting again… God bless!”
Oliver and Patty
Follow Your Heart (self directed retreat)
“Our attendance at the Prepare to Last Weekend was an awesome experience; one that will stay with us forever. We are now married and pray that our marriage will last. We know it will when God is in the center of our relationship. We learned alot from Debbie and Jeff and have gone on some of our date nights since, keeping in mind things they taught us. We use the books as resources and pictures to remind us of the weekend that we had.”
Amy Duncanson
“We were part of the WinShape / Chick-fil-a Ride for marriage and family in October.
From the moment we stepped onto the property we were greeted with smiles and service. This was truly a refreshing and treasured experience of beautiful surroundings and pampering. The grounds were inspiring, the programs memorable and the food was divine. We recommend this place to everyone and cannot wait for our own return. Thank you WinShape staff!”
Dan and Anna Mauck
“Where to start? We had such a wonderful time at Winshape. There isn’t another place like it: the smiles, the friendly chats, the serving attitudes, the food, the spotless facilities, the beautiful countryside, the positive atmosphere, and most of all, the presence of God in that place. It is such a testimony to the rest of the world about how all of life could be like WinShape if only…”
Rick and Linda Rapson
“To the management and staff of WinShape: Thank you for a great weekend, everything was excellent, the hospitality superb. My wife and I highly recommend your program to all married couples and groups. You will certainly see members of the New Freedom Christian Center family again. May God continue to bless you all.”
Romantic Adventure Alumni
“I would like to express my deepest thanks to you, Shawn and the WinShape Marriage team for planning and providing a wonderful marriage preparation experience for my daughter and her fiance. Elizabeth and Austin raved about the great mix of practical coaching, tailored instruction and fun interaction during the marriage preparation bootcamp.
Thank you for creating an opportunity for them to invest intentionally in their dawning life partnership. May God bless you in your important ministry.”
Claude H. Rhea, III
“My wife, Kelly, and I were blessed to attend the Courageous Hearts Retreat this weekend. Kelly works at Chick-fil-A headquarters and has vicariously been a raving fan of WinShape through all of your staff that she knows. We now know why everyone speaks so highly of the facilities, staff, and programs. On behalf of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Bruno’s, we thank you and Mr. Bubby Cathy for the opportunity to attend such a wonderful event and retreat center. May the ceiling of our faith and actions become the basement for the next generation!”
Randy Bruno
“My wife and I attended a marriage intensive this past weekend at WinShape Retreat. WOW what an awesome blessing this facility was for our marriage. My wife and I arrived Thursday night with a lot of hurt and desperation that I personally didn’t see any answer for or relief from. The minute we arrived in the parking lot, God took us in His arms and started some long overdue healing. I know now why they call these events ‘intensives’ as the emotions of this weekend were very intense at times. I had the privilege of not only watching healing occur in my marriage but some serious breakthroughs in 4 others too. One couple that said “Monday we file for divorce…this is our last option” – they were holding hands by Sunday. The Holy Spirit of God worked in a powerful and amazing way.”
Shared by a couple attending an ACM Marriage Intensive by counselor: Tim Bowman, LPC
“Our trip to WinShape Retreat for the Prepare to Last Retreat was an amazing experience. The staff was very pleasant and serving. The rooms were spotless and furnished better than any hotel I have been to. The time spent in a media free environment was priceless, it was so nice to not have to worry about email, TV, calls and such. The time spent in quiet with my fiance and the Lord was a much needed refreshing experience. The programming was also very beneficial and enjoyable. God really used the weekend to bring my fiance and me much closer together and gave us a refreshing breather from the busyness of planning a wedding. It felt like we were a couple again. Praise God for teaching us so much about Himself and each other.”
Nate Moore
“I just wanted to pass on that we had a really productive, romantic and valuable time at the Courageous Hearts Retreat. It may have been the best weekend since our honeymoon. We’ve recommended WinShape Retreat to a number of friends and to our marriage counselor. We plan on coming back next year to refresh. You guys are doing marvelous work.”
Gary and Becky Cundiff
Johnson City, TN
“I want to tell you something from my heart. I was very surprised, excited, open minded. All in the same moments this past weekend. I can not say anything at all that would even define the time we had this weekend. My wife Angela and me were very receptive to everything that happened and are on a road toward being closer to God. That in turn will bring us closer and then our family closer. We could have taken a bad food moment, but even that did not happen. If there was a word to cap off the entire time their it would be “powerful” We can not thank your staff their and our church Smart United Methodist Church for everything that has been done for me and my wife. What a place, an awesome place.”
Paul Walls
WinShape Retreat Courageous Heart
“We absolutely loved our retreat – we think it was our best Stephen Leader retreat yet. Normandy is spectacular, with the re-do, and was simply perfect for our group. Our group seemed to share at a deeper spiritual level than we ever have before, and yet we had lots of laughter as well. The weather didn’t hurt, either! As always, everyone who responded to our requests was courteous, servant hearted and gracious, as well as being quick to take care of us. What a place, and what a group of people you all are. It’s truly remarkable to see the body of Christ in such beautifully coordinated service and caring. The introduction Friday night was especially fun, as we got to hear some facts we hadn’t heard before. Thank you for the work you put into making our retreat wonderful.”
Marilyn Shinn
Fellowship Bible, Roswell
“Last weekend my wife Michelle and I attended the “Marriage Under Fire” seminar at WinShape Retreat. It was our first trip to WinShape Retreat, and Rome, Georgia, and we were blown away. Neither of us had ever heard of Berry College or Martha Berry, but first impressions are lasting impressions. Both of us agreed that Berry College is EXACTLY the place that we want our two young sons to attend college. From the moment we drove onto the main campus, we felt peace and we felt like it was home.
When we made it to the Mountain Campus and WinShape, our eyes were met with some of the most beautiful architecture and landscape we have seen. We were warmly greeted at our car by staff that took our bags to our room. Once inside the Grand Chalet, the friendly staff made us feel at home and directed us to our wonderful room. I have lived in a college dorm, and spend a lot of travel time in various hotels. The lodging at WinShape Retreat is top-notch and gave both of us peace almost immediately. The “Daily Bread” CD playing when we walked into the room contributed to the nice atmosphere, and other little details made it very enjoyable to just “be.” The lack of television and computer media were a welcome surprise.
The meeting hall was very comfortable and the acoustics were great. The programming definitely strengthened our already-good marriage. The McElroys are a good teaching team and are very friendly. Forever Families and Serving Marriages are definitely on the right track. So many people need to hear their message.
The dining room was phenomenal. The staff was amazingly polite and had a service oriented spirit that was very evident. Thank you for choosing the staff that you have. Careful selection of the right team takes a lot of skill and your team members made my wife and I feel like we were part of your family. The food was wonderful and the sweet tea was perfect. Every meal was a joy.
We will definitely be returning to WinShape Retreat at least once a year for a weekend of recharging and refocusing ourselves. I have and will continue to sing the praises of WinShape, Serving Marriages and the rest of the team that makes the total package such a wonderful experience. I will continue checking the various web sites affiliated with WinShape to find programs that are right for Michelle and me, and recommend programs to our friends to strengthen their marriages.”
Sincerely,
Adrian Breedlove
There is no doubt about the care & service at WinShape Retreat!! You are the Ritz Carlton of Rome. We, in the tourism office, are so happy to have partners like WinShape Retreat. You make Rome look good….no great!!
Thanks, Linda
Rome CVB
“I have always been impressed with the grounds on the WinShape Retreat campus as well as the staff. Each person I came in contact with was very courteous and friendly. It was an honor and a privilege to actually serve on staff at the Retreat. I also stayed in the rooms at times and they were always clean; I never had a complaint. Overall, the campus is gorgeous and I would highly recommend people to come and stay at WinShape Retreat. It truly is a little piece of heaven.”
Laura Shannon
“Yesterday I wrapped up my 6th marriage intensive at WinShape Retreat in Rome, GA. It is difficult to describe the joy and fulfillment I feel after one of these weekends. Once again God showed up in a huge way and tore down walls and reconciled his people to himself and to each other in marriage. There were 5 couples present, two of which I was especially concerned about. If God hadn’t done a work in their hearts, there would be no possibility of reconciliation. All five couples made significant progress, and have hope even though there was no hope prior (including the two I was most concerned about). Here is what one couple said “We were truly blessed and can’t wait to see what else God has in store for our marriage in the future! It was a weekend we will NEVER forget.” Everyone makes tremendous progress when they attend an intensive weekend, but I am convinced that God uses intensives to reach some couples that cannot be reached under any other circumstances. That was certainly the case this weekend.
Atlanta Center for Marriages next intensive will be Jan 28-31 and I have two spots left. If you know someone who could benefit from attending, send them my way.”
Tim Bowman, LPC
“My wife and I recently stayed with you for the SonScape Pastor/Wife 7 day retreat. We experienced the love of Christ at WinShape Retreat. We left refreshed, restored and renewed. While there I read Mr. Cathy’s book and was greatly encouraged. My wife, Lori, and I have been married for 22 years and the Lord has blessed us with five daughters. The week we spent with you is now counted as among the best weeks of our 22 year marriage. The impact, I think, will be felt for years to come.”
Ray Rhodes
“I wish to express my appreciation for the fabulous hospitality your staff provided this week while I was there for the Thirst Conference. I was previously responsible for training at 25 resort hotels at Walt Disney World. Because of my hospitality experience with a company renown for superior service I have very high expectations and a critical eye. That said, the entire Winshape team did an absolutely incredible job! In addition to great hospitality, the food was delicious and the rooms, facilities, and grounds were immaculate. Kudos to you and your entire staff.”
Don Levonius
Thirst Conference