Ashes To Armor Retreat

02/24/2026

Ashes to Armor Spring 2026. What an incredible event!

02/20/2026

Bring a camp chair for fire pit time in the evening, weather permitting!

02/20/2026

See you tomorrow afternoon/ evening! Be sure to check in on time and remember to bring dinner or eat prior to check in! All three meals will be provided on Saturday and Breakfast will be provided on Sunday. God Bless! We cannot wait to meet you.

02/14/2026

Follow the link in our description to register! Don’t miss out.

02/08/2026

Speaker Spotlight- Samuel Thielman.

Dr. Thielman will be presenting “Importance of Addressing Critical Incident Stress”

Samuel Thielman, MD, PhD, is Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine. He previously served as the Director of Mental Health Services for the U.S. Department of State. Currently, Dr. Thielman works as a consultant whose clients have included Samaritan’s Purse and Open Doors He is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He also does clinical work at Biltmore Medical Associates in Asheville.

02/07/2026

Sign up today!

01/28/2026

Dates and times for the retreat!

01/22/2026

Register today!

01/12/2026

Registration is now open! Follow the link to join us at the retreat.

Ashes to Armor is a Christ centered retreat created specifically for first responders. This weekend is designed to provide rest, renewal, encouragement, and space to process the weight carried in both life and service, all within a supportive and faith focused environment. EVENT COST: $115 ($50 Regi...

01/11/2026

Speaker Spotlight!

Zack Cicillian.

After coming to faith in Christ at age 11, Zach sensed God's call to both the fire service and ministry as a teenager. He has served with Skyland Fire and Rescue for twenty years and is currently the Deputy Chief. For more than three decades, he has also served as a pastor, teacher, and evangelist, sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ as our only true hope.
Zach and his wife, Amber, have been married for twenty-one years. They have three boys - 18, 15, and 3; and have also been a foster family for four years. They believe their first calling is to their home and have sought to build life, careers, and ministry around that priority.

Coming from a broken home himself, Zach knows firsthand that growth often comes through struggle and grace. He credits God's mercy, a patient wife, and the discipleship of other godly men with shaping him as a husband, father, and follower of Christ. These experiences fuel his passion for the Ashes to Armor Conference, and he is excited to challenge men to live out their primary God-given roles as disciples of Jesus who love their wives sacrificially, lead their families faithfully, serve their communities courageously, and find their identity not in the badge but in Christ.

01/11/2026

Speaker Spotlight!

Mr. Carpenter will be presenting "Living a Christian Life as a First Responder".

Michael Hosea Carpenter is a devoted follower of Christ, husband to Alice celebrating 26 years-and a grateful father to two sons, Jesse, a firefighter in Gastonia, and Vance, a U.S. Army Infantryman stationed in Hawaii. Together, Michael and Alice cherish the calling of preparing their family for both this life and eternity and delight in time spent with their granddaughter, Mia Grace. Michael is a 32-year veteran of the fire service, serving as a Fire Captain for the City of Gastonia, a Deputy Chief with the Denver Fire Department, and a North Carolina Live Burn Instructor with Gaston College. He holds three associate degrees and has trained extensively through multiple leadership academies, bringing real-world experience to firefighters across diverse and high-risk environments.

Above all, Michael is passionate about sharing knowledge with humility and transparency, proclaiming God's love through teaching, leadership, and hospitality, while living with reverence, awe, and a deep desire to dwell in the presence of a Holy God.