Frequently Asked Questions

Quicklinks:

General FAQs

  • Barnabas offers three types of retreats or group bookings:

    1. Barnabas retreats, where our team runs a program, often with a designated facilitator or speaker, which may have a particular focus or theme. Summer weeks are designed for families while most of the Fall and Spring retreats are designed with adults in mind.

    2. Corporate groups, where senior leadership teams will come and run their own program while enjoying the fabulous ocean views and generous hospitality provided by our on-site team.

    3. Ministry groups (aka church or non-profit organizations). Barnabas hosts dozens of church or non-profit organizations every year, ranging in size from 20 to 80 people, coming for a couple of days to a whole week.

    For more information, please email us

  • Barnabas Landing is a Christian retreat centre, but you don’t have to be a Christian to come here. Our retreats do have Christian themes and are run by Christian Pastors and teachers. You are very welcome to join us, whatever stage you are at on your faith journey. You can explore our upcoming retreats here.

    We openly welcome private groups who book Barnabas for their own retreats, team building and private hospitality events. All we ask is that you come with an openness to the Christian values of Barnabas. We regularly host corporate and church/non-profit groups.

  • Jonny Lochhead is our Executive Director. Barnabas Landing was founded by Rob and Kathy Bentall in 1986. You can meet the whole staff team here

  • Barnabas is a non-denominational Christian retreat and conferencing centre. That means we are not affiliated to any particular church or church group. People and church groups from many different denominational backgrounds come to Barnabas. You are also very welcome if you are not a Christian.

  • The best way is to email us or call us on +1 (778) 200-3553 during our offices hours. Check out our Contact page for full details.

  • As we do not have a postal service on Keats Island, our mail goes to a PO Box in Gibsons, our local town. if you want to send us mail, please address it to:

    Barnabas Landing
    PO Box 309
    Gibsons, BC
    V0N 1V0
    Canada

  • While Barnabas serves guests throughout the day, our offices are staffed from 9:00am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday.

  • If you have questions about a Barnabas retreat, event or group booking, please call us on 778-200-3553 or email us.

Transport FAQs

  • Barnabas is located on the northern tip of Keats Island, just off BC’s Sunshine Coast, near the town of Gibsons. You can find us on a map here.

  • There are different ways to travel to Barnabas. Our transport recommendations vary depending on factors like the time of year and group size.

    Most guests travel with BC Ferries (Horseshoe Bay to Langdale) and then take a local water taxi or Barnabas boat to Keats Island. Some Groups choose to take a water taxi from Horseshoe Bay to travel directly to the Barnabas Dock. Others opt for a sea plane from YVR or downtown Vancouver direct to Barnabas Landing, which takes just 15 minutes.

    We ask that you discuss your travel plans with us before booking anything.

    Here is some specific guidance for the different types of guest we serve:

    Coming to a Barnabas Retreat?
    If you have booked to come on a Barnabas Retreat, we will advise you on transport options and timings. Look out for instructions in an email from us. If you have transport questions, please email or call us.

    Coming to Barnabas with a group?

    If you are part of a group coming to Barnabas, please contact your group leader if you have transport questions or requests.

    Coming for a meeting or just as a day visitor?
    Most day visitors coming from Vancouver take the BC Ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale on the Sunshine coast. You will then need a boat to transport you from Landgale to Barnabas. Please contact the Barnabas team member who is hosting you to ask about local boat transport options.

  • The answer is yes - and no! There are local float plane services (such as Harbour Air) who you can charter to pick you up from Downtown Vancouver or Vancouver Airport and fly you to our dock. The flight time is around 20 minutes to/from Vancouver airport. However, please note that float planes may not be able to land if the weather is windy or stormy.

    We ask that you discuss your travels plans with us first before making a private transport booking.

Summer 2025 FAQs

  • Booking will open early 2025. You can find more detailed information and the booking link on our Summer 2025 page.

  • All bookings for summer 2025 will be done online. This is a safe, secure and quick way to book your place at one of our summer family weeks.

    If you have problems booking online, you are welcome to call us and one of our office team will help you complete your online booking successfully.

  • Yes. You can go to our Benevolent Fund page for more details about our subsidized program. Our Benevolent Fund program is designed to help families who couldn’t otherwise afford to come to Barnabas. You can apply for yourself, or nominate a family that you think would benefit from a summer week at Barnabas.

    If you would like to help us offer more subsidized places to families, you can make a donation to our Benevolent Fund. Please contact us to find out more.

  • Check out our Summer 2025 page for dates and other information.

  • If you are interested in joining our Summer Staff, please go to our Summer Staff page.

    If you would like to apply for Rowing Club, please go to our Rowing Club page.

    If you would like to apply for a one-week volunteer position, please see our Volunteer page.

Group Booking FAQs

  • To get things started, please contact Evelyn in our office by email or phone.

  • We are already very busy in 2025, but we always do our best to accommodate your group’s requirements. Please contact us to explore further.

  • We regularly welcome leadership groups from Churches across BC and from ministry/non-profit groups from across Canada, including Alpha Canada, Arrow Leadership and many others. We’re delighted that many groups come back each year. You can see some of our ministry group guests here.

    From 2024 onward, we are also actively encouraging corporate groups to book Barnabas for board retreats, leadership team development and client hospitality.

  • The Grove is our dedicated conference room, with a capacity of up to 120 people. The Grove can be set up in theatre style, board style or classroom style. If has a 4K short-throw laser projector with a 120 inch screen, with full surround sound capabilities. We also have a BOSE PA rig with microphones, a keyboard, and whiteboard/flip charts available on request. We also have 5 comfortable guest lounges, perfect for breakout meetings and small group discussions.