Shalom Retreat Center continues to thrive under live-in caretakers Chris and Carissa Shillito
Nestled in a verdant valley about five miles north of Mound City, Shalom Retreat Center has become an increasingly popular attraction for faith-based organizations and churches in eastern Kansas and western Missouri.
The 120-acre retreat has been a work in progress since its founding in 1985 by missionaries John and Grace Rieder, who sought to create a recharging refuge for other missionaries. It now features a newly constructed dining hall with plenty of windows that look out across fields and a group of small cabins for overnight visitors.
Up on the hill above the dining hall is a chapel that has recently been renovated, the result of one of the 14 remodeling projects that have been undertaken on the property since 2010. Including the guest house and cabins, Shalom now has 66 beds for overnight guests as well as space for tents for those who choose to camp out.
Chris and Carissa Shillito have been caretakers of Shalom for the past 15 years. The couple was living in the Kansas City area – Chris working for a nonprofit organization and Carissa working for the Kansas City Repertory Theater – when Chris was invited to a Shalom retreat in 2008.
While there, he learned that the Rieders, then in their early 90s, were looking and praying for a younger couple to take over Shalom. On the drive back home, Chris began to consider the possibility of leaving his job working for a non-profit and moving his young family.
“I think we’re going to be moving out there,” Chris remembers thinking to himself.
The Rieders made the transition easy for the young family. The older couple took the Shillitos around to area churches and introduced them to congregations that warmly welcomed them into the community and made adjusting to a rural lifestyle much easier.
The Shillitos were able to convince Shalom’s board of directors that they were the right family to continue the Rieders’ legacy. Chris and Carissa quickly began to meet the challenge of operating the retreat, and in doing so saw it grow.
Shalom now hosts gatherings from many different church groups, including retreats and youth camps. All of the activities are tied to the main goal of Shalom, which is to restore hearts, enrich lives, and inspire hope.
“It allows people to get away from everyday surroundings to connect with God and others,” Chris said.
“We’re not that big, so we have something different,” added Carissa. “It seems like the kids like being in the simplicity of nature or getting to connect with the people they’re here with. I really like that. It’s fun because we live here, too, and we get to connect with the people sometimes, which gives it kind of a family feel.”
Activities on the grounds include the pond for swimming, soccer goals, a ropes course, an obstacle course, a gaga ball pit, a basketball court, a nine-hole disc golf course, and walking trails.
One aspect of Shalom that has remained constant since its founding is its goal of accommodating missionaries and church groups, regardless of their ability to pay.
“[The Rieders] just had it as a free-will offering, what they could pay to come and stay,” Carissa said.
That goal is one the board and the Shillitos continue to honor.
“We have a suggested donation, but they are still welcome to come and pay what they are able to pay,” Carissa said.
Part of their ministry is continuing to host groups from inner-city churches and organizations at significantly reduced rates.
One of the benefits for the Shillitos and their four sons, who range in age from 11 to 18, is the opportunity to meet a diverse group of people who come to Shalom. Whether hosting family reunions, groups from the inner city or the suburbs, or church groups from different cultures – including Latino, Korean, and Hmong – their family gets to make connections with people they would normally not get to interact with.
“It’s cool to see different believers and get to see different services,” Chris said.
For more information about Shalom as a camp, retreat or a family event location, you can visit shalomretreatcenter.org or contact the Shillitos by email at info@shalomretreatcenter.org.