Ebenezer Retreat Center

Introduction

Welcome to the Ebenezer Retreat Center. Just 90 minutes southwest of St Louis, in the foothills of the Ozarks, this beautiful and newly constructed retreat center offers unparalleled quiet and natural beauty. High on a wooded hill, it sits on 50 secluded acres overlooking a quiet valley and bordering a creek that runs into the nearby Meramec River. This 5,000 sq. ft. multifunctional facility is ideal for small groups of up to 20 adults who want to get away together. Whether for a one-day Board Meeting, a week-end Elders Meeting or a week-long Pastor’s Retreat, Ebenezer may be your perfect location.

Availability and Cost

Ebenezer is the permanent home of the L’Abri Retreats, an extension of the Rochester L’Abri Fellowship in Rochester Minnesota. Therefore, the Center is occupied in the months of January, May and October of each year. However, it is available throughout the rest of the year to like-minded ministries and especially for Pastor’s groups. It is not commercially available. Rather, it is available on a case-by-case basis. The cost is an all-inclusive $500 per week that can be pro-rated for shorter periods. With no caretaker on site, the Center is designed for easy latch-key use and has a large, fully equipped kitchen for self-catering.

Accomodations

Depending on the breakdown of couples and singles, the Center can comfortably accommodate up to 20 people in a variety of combinations.

• There are two large dormitory-style rooms for single men and women, each with its own bathroom complex.
  
• The men’s dorm sleeps seven (with three bunk beds)
  
• the women’s dorm sleeps six (with two bunk beds).
  
• A single room with a full bed
  
• A large couple’s room with its own en-suite bathroom, queen bed and extra twin bed
  
• A large family room with its own en-suite bathroom, large queen bed and two twins in a pull-out divan.
  
• There is also a separate one-bedroom apartment with its own bathroom, dining room and kitchenette, with its own private entrance.
  

All are fully fitted with linens and bedding readily to hand. The building is fully heated and air-conditioned and comfortably appointed.

Facilities

The split-level building features a large Great Room with cathedral ceiling and massive central fireplace, perfect for cozy group meetings. Behind the fireplace is the library with a substantial theological collection and a quiet spot for study. The Great Room is sunlit with floor to ceiling glass windows. Step outside onto a large, furnished stone patio or warm up at the nearby firepit. Both are inviting outside gathering places.

Upstairs is the main kitchen, which is a popular hangout, and the dining room with a large table for gathering at meals. Next to these is a beautiful ceder screened porch looking out over the treetops and the valley below.

Surrounding Property

The 50-acre hilltop property is bounded by fences on three sides and the creek in the valley below. There are several short trails with varying degrees of fitness levels. They wind through the woods and extend down to the creek. The large, spring-fed Meramec River, popular for fishing and floating, is a short ten-minute walk away and there is also a public boat ramp and a canoe/kayak/tube rental location. A 10-minute drive brings you to the beautiful Meramec Spring Park with its trout hatchery and rural museum. Steelville, with local stores and gas stations, is a 15-minute drive.

Practical Matters

The facility is latchkey. You will receive comprehensive, easy-to-follow instructions for opening up and closing down so that you can get quick access and be up and running in a short time.

• It is a self-catering rental. You will need to bring your own food and prepare your own meals. However, the center is fully equipped, with basic supplies provided.
  
• Please leave the building the way you found it. Take care of all laundry and cleaning. There is a fully equipped laundry and several fully equipped cleaning closets.
  
• You will need to carry out all your trash with you when you leave. Large trash bags are supplied.
  
• There is no Wi-Fi in the building, but cell phone reception is good and most folk are able to manage by setting up local ‘hotspots’ through their phones.
  
• There is a HiFi system and a PowerPoint projector for showing films but no television. Most people like the quiet.
  

Summer in the Missouri Woods

Depending on the season you visit, there will be bugs in the woods - principally ticks and chiggers - and so if you wander off the paths, you will need suitable clothing. We recommend long socks and trousers that can be tucked into the socks, and sturdy walking shoes. Always check yourself after a walk.

Directions

From St. Louis, the Ebenezer Retreat Center lies some 90 miles to the Southwest. Unfortunately, there is no public transport available. When driving, leave St. Louis going West on I-44. Exit at Cuba, taking Hwy 19 South to Steelville. Just before entering Steelville, turn right onto Route 8 (not terribly well marked!) and go West. After about 4.5 miles, just after the top of a rise, take Thurman Lake Road to the right, marked for Scott's Ford. There is a large yellow sign on the right advertising "Adventure Canoe Rentals." Drive for several winding miles until you begin to go downhill. On your left you will see a steel farm gate that opens to a rough unfinished track that goes down a steep ravine. Half a mile further on Thurman Lake Road and you will hit the Meramec River and know you have gone too far. You should allow 1hr40 for the trip.

For GPS location, the street address is 212 Thurman Lake Road, Steelville, MO 65565, though be aware that GPS sometimes takes you to the wrong gate. Our gate is further down on the left.

The Driveway

The long driveway is steep and rough and really only suitable for 4x4 vehicles. Most folk park at the gate and then walk in or get a ride in with those with 4x4 vehicles. To facilitate access and get supplies in, at least one person in the group should have a 4x4 or AWD vehicle.

If you do have a 4-wheel drive vehicle, you can take the track down and up the other side of the ravine and then along the ridge to the building. The building is not visible from the main road. If your car is not 4-wheel drive, then park just inside the gate at the top of the ravine and walk in or call for a ride.

Contact

For further information or to make a booking, please contact Jock McGregor at jockmcg2001@gmail.com or telephone (507) 285-5081