Planning & Prayer for 2023

A virtual retreat for Christian business owners to spend focused time reflecting, planning, and praying for the year ahead.

Wednesday, 11th January, 2023 - 2pm UK time | 9am Eastern time
with 30 days of post-retreat access to the community & replay

 

We live in a time of unexpected changes, unanticipated events, and global uncertainty.

But Jesus is the Unshakable One, the One who brings peace in the stormiest of circumstances, the One who provides us with everything we need to get through each day. 

This half-day, virtual retreat is designed to give us space for prayer & planning as we enter a new year as business owners  & followers of Jesus.

It includes practical business advice & community encouragement that will support you in growing your business - no matter what your gifts or goals may be.

 

Each of us is made uniquely, with talents, passions, and lives that reflect different cultures, experiences, challenges, and aspirations.

We have the greatest impact when we are firmly rooted in Jesus, embracing who He has created us to be and walking in step with His Spirit.

 

The Planning & Prayer for 2023 Retreat is designed to help you…

Reflect and review

Reviewing the year that has passed with prompts and space to look at what worked and what didn't so we can leave what we need to with Jesus & look ahead with freedom and confidence at the year to come.

Plan and prepare

Setting goals & intentions for the year ahead that are rooted in worship & prayerful discernment, reviewing what the Living God has given us to do, and thinking through the what, when, and how of your business growth.

Step out and grow

Mapping out the next 12 months to create a clear plan that helps you steward your time and energy wisely in business, so you have a roadmap to refer back to as you take daily, weekly, and monthly action.

Three hours of focused time to reflect, plan, and pray for the year ahead.

Our Planning & Prayer for 2023 session is designed to help you focus on Jesus as you reflect & plan for the next 12 months of your business.

Join us as we look to Him for the year ahead, and be encouraged!

Here’s what people are saying about Cheerful Business…

  • "The Cheerful Business Club has helped my walk with Jesus in the most phenomenal way."

    “The Cheerful Business Club has helped my walk with Jesus in the most phenomenal way. It has taught me that if I'm consistent in laying hold of God in prayer, in contending for God's faithfulness over my business, despite the seasons that my business may go through, I can cling cling to the truth of God - cling to His everlasting love, cling to the fact that He will hold me in His everlasting arms, and uphold me through the dark times. He'll walk with me through the valleys, because his Word is true.

    I have fallen more in love with God because I've seen Him show up in an area I never even personally thought I would be in. I am so grateful for The Cheerful Business Club, for taking me another layer deeper with God - that I can enjoy Him in another area and arena of life and just be encouraged again by a community that stands upon the true word of God.”

    Fiona Williams | Founder of Creative Stationery London

  • I've seen Jesus at work in my business - it's not separate from the rest of my life.

    “I feel like I know these people as well as some of my closest friends - just going through the week and chatting about the highs and the lows and with people who understand, who are in the same boat, who are small business owners.

    I now have some really good systems in place, and as boring as that sounds, it saves me a lot of time, saves me a lot of stress and I feel like I'm in control and know what I'm doing. I now pay myself a salary, which is pretty exciting and I’ve also been accepted as a seller on Cheerfully Given the website.

    I've seen Jesus at work in my business - it's not separate from the rest of my life. I have seen Him at work and I've been able to witness and testify that He is at work in every area of life.”

    Anna Hamill | Founder of And Hope Designs

  • It has been the best decision I have made for my business.

    “My favourite thing about The Cheerful Business Club is definitely the community - just knowing that you are in a space with people who are business owners and love Jesus the same way as you makes your journey feel not so lonely.

    I love the devotionals and I absolutely love the prayer meetings and community calls. You definitely feel that connection with the Holy Spirit. It feels very safe to share and we are able to tackle things and change perspectives where necessary in line with the things of God.

    It has been the best decision I have made for my business. They have really put their hearts and their souls in giving us what we need to run our businesses as best as we can in a Christ-centred way.”

    Danielle | Faithkind Art

“The big takeaway for me was understanding price from a Godly perspective. Getting away from the scarcity mentality, and believing that ALL resources belong to Jesus!”

Lea

“I have been encouraged and feel empowered to actually put my visions and dreams into achievable actions. It’s helped me to make goals and work out the steps to get towards them meaning I actually take action rather than procrastinate.”

Nikki

“I walk away each time feeling motivated, on purpose, and with a joyful heart in awe of God. I have shared my excitement about the group with friends, and am so grateful for it.”

Rachel

What’s on the agenda?

This half-day virtual retreat is taking place in real time, with recordings available for those who can’t join us live.

The live event will be hosted on Zoom on Wednesday 11th January at 2pm UK time / 9am Eastern, and will run for approximately 3 hours.

There is a Retreat Lounge in our Community Hub, so you can connect with other retreat attendees before and after the event.

 

There are 3 sections, each lasting approximately an hour, and you will be able to ask questions in the chat as we go.

Reflection: Review the highs and lows of 2022, and understand what worked and what you want to change as you move into the new year.

Direction: Spend time praying about the year ahead prompts for 2023, and reflect on the vision and purpose of your work before setting your goals.

Action: Create a business roadmap for the year ahead, mapping out what your priorities and focus are for each month.

 
 
 
 

Hey hey, I’m Menekse! 

(meh-neck-sheh)

Founder of Cheerfully Given & The Cheerful Business Club.

I’m a follower of Jesus based in East London, where my husband and I lead a church family. I started Cheerfully Given in 2016 (having built the first website myself!) and we’ve grown from 36 amazing designers & makers to a marketplace of over 300. In that time, we raised over £15,000 on a Kickstarter, built 2.5 new marketplaces, and have run 5 Creative Christianity events for thousands of people in 30+ countries.

I’m a professional marketer & have worked with a variety of high growth online businesses, and in my free time I’m a sessional lecturer for University of the Arts London and ELLE Education. I’ve also provided advisory support for a variety of organisations including Bible Society, Speak Life, Christian Aid, Jordan Raynor, Christian Creative Directory/Christian Creative Network, and Biblical Frameworks.

Supporting incredible business owners like you is my joy and privilege, and I'd love to see you at the retreat.

The Retreat is perfect for you if…

✅ You're currently a business owner: In order to get the most out of the retreat, having your business already set up is ideal. If you're coming back from parental leave, or you're setting up in the first part of 2023 then it will work for you as well. 

✅ You're a Christian: Everything we do, think, and say is through the lens of following Jesus, which means that people who attend are usually Christians.

You are completely welcome if you don't currently identify as a Christian, but please bear in mind that we will be praying together and thinking about purpose, direction, and business in relation to the Living God and a Christian perspective of life & reality.

✅ You sell products: Cheerfully Given is a marketplace for physical products - so as a community, we’re well-versed on the logistics of running & marketing a physical product or art-based business.

✅ You sell services: I’ve worked as a freelancer/contractor for a number of years, and there will be space to answer questions for service-based business models as well.

What’s included in Planning & Prayer for 2023?

 

Today’s price: $9 or £7

Here’s a summary of what’s included when you sign up for our half-day business retreat…

  • Onboarding questionnaire to help you prepare for the retreat (and help me prepare the most helpful resources & support!)

  • Retreat Community to connect with other attendees before the live event, and 30-days of access to it post-event.

  • Planning & Prayer for 2023 workshop, including 3-hours of time to reflect, plan, and pray.

  • Prayer prompts & scriptures to help you reflect on the year that has passed, pray for direction & discernment for the year that is ahead, and for boldness to take action as you step out in faith.

  • A digital workbook & roadmap template, so you can work through the retreat sections alongside the facilitated space for each section.

  • Access to watch the replay & work through the session recording for 30 days after the live event.

 

“This helped me think outside the box & start offering services - now it has supplemented my income to the point that I can now pay myself a wage.”

Hannah

“It’s finally made me put my dreams into practice, so much business information I could not have found elsewhere, all clearly laid out and so much to work though.”

Kay

“I have never felt closer to God in my life… Connecting with God and Christian business owners has been life changing for me and my creative business.”

Karrie

 Frequently Asked Questions

  • We know that life is often unpredictable. While this Retreat is designed to be done at the beginning of the year for planning and reflection, you can watch the sessions at any point and they will be hugely beneficial for your business.

    We are also including 30 days of access to the recordings so you have plenty of time to watch the replay.

  • Our annual retreat is normally 2-3 days, and includes guest speakers & additional resources - and we have historically charged a lot more for the event.

    This year, I got Covid when I was meant to be planning, and decided to do a shorter event that is accessible for as many people as want to join.

    I would normally charge $49 for it, but the fact you can sign up for the price of a couple of Starbies is something I’m super excited about offering.

  • Once you’ve paid for your space, we’ll save you a virtual seat for the event. If you can’t join in with the live session, we’re providing 30 days of access to the replay so you can watch it (or rewatch it!) at your leisure. We are unable to offer refunds.

  • Yes, of course! You can register as an affiliate & earn commission when your friends or business besties buy their ticket, or you can share the link to this page to give them all the info.

  • This retreat is designed for Christian business owners, although anyone is welcome to join us. Whether you are a product- or a service-based business, the sessions are designed to help you think through the year ahead in light of the year that has passed.

  • As soon as you register, you’ll be added to our Retreat Community space so you can connect with other attendees and share your questions and thoughts with other like-minded business owners. There is also a questionnaire for you to fill in so you can get the most out of the event.

    The rest of the resources will be provided as part of the live event on Wednesday, 11th January 2023 - and will be available afterwards alongside the replay.

  • Your ticket includes 30 days' access to the replays, after that, the content will be taken down.

  • The Retreat is open to anyone to join! We’ve had people from over 30 countries join our virtual events over the past 3 years.

    If you’re in a timezone that doesn’t work for the live session on this occasion, you can access the replays and ask your questions in the Retreat Community in a way that works for your schedule.

 

“Sing a new song to the LORD, for he has done wonderful deeds. His right hand has won a mighty victory; his holy arm has shown his saving power!” 

Psalm 98:1, NLT