Retreats at Camp Friedenswald are all about reconnecting – with yourself, friends new and old, nature, and with God – by disconnecting from the demands of day-to-day life.
Women's Retreat 2023
September 15–17
Theme: Spacious Places: Contemplative, Creative, Restorative Finding rest in stories, art making, being outside, connection and community
Join us for spirit-filled worship, relaxation among friends, trails to wander, and water to rest by. This annual retreat, planned by women from across Central District Conference of MC USA, seeks to provide a place of connection and gathering for women. It is open to ALL women, not only those affiliated with Central District Conference.
Karla Minter will be providing input during our times of worship and will incorporate spiritual practices that foster mindfulness. Karla is a spiritual director, contemplative retreat leader, biblical storyteller, pastor and movement-maker. After completing a foods and nutrition degree from Goshen College, Goshen, IN, she obtained a Master of Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1991. While working in public health, she launched a nutrition consulting business to improve the health of children with special health care needs. While consulting, she began taking courses at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary and completed a Master of Arts in Christian Formation in 2012. Karla entered spiritual direction training in 2011 and advanced training in 2016. She currently incorporates a spiritual direction lens into leadership, discernment, pastoring as accompaniment, the contemplative way, and presence within all of life. Karla and her husband Bill, live in New Paris, Indiana, and have two young adult children. She enjoys walking, biking, cross country skiing, reading, and quilting. Her greatest joy is to sit at a table with another person and ask, “How is it going?”
Brooke Rothshank will be facilitating two workshops focused on integrating art and gratitude. One will be making mini zines using pens and markers to write and illustrate answering the question, “What makes a good day? ” The second session will involve water color painting in response to prompts. There will be a focus and demos on pattern making and color blending. No painting experience is required. Brooke has been working as a studio artist since 2002. She is a painter/illustrator working in a variety of media including watercolor, oil, acrylic and egg tempera paint. More about Brooke’s work can be found here.
We are committed to ensuring that everyone who wants to participate in a Camp Friedenswald program can do so, regardless of financial ability. We offer scholarships to anyone who has the need for it. If you feel you would benefit from this opportunity, please indicate your need on the appropriate form when you register online. If you have further questions, please call 269-476-9744 or email [email protected].
Restoration Retreat
October 20–22
Connect with the land and life through a weekend retreat centered on restoring healthy relationships with all of creation. Take time to slow down, walk the paths, paddle the water, and simply be in community with all that is around you.
Sarah Werner will be leading four core sessions throughout the weekend. Each participant will receive a signed copy of her recent book, Rooted Faith: Practices for Living Well on a Fragile Planet. This book offers resources for Christians on how to connect their faith with the earth and better understand the earthy context in which the Bible was written (http://rootedfaithpractice.com). Sarah is the communications coordinator for Central District Conference, part of Mennonite Church USA and pastor of Olentangy Wild Church in Columbus, Ohio. She teaches ecotheology and environmental justice courses at PATHWAYS, a theological education program affiliated with the United Church of Christ. She has a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University and a PhD in Religion and Nature from the University of Florida. In her free time she enjoys hiking, birding, and nature photography.
If you see the need for restoration in our world and desire connection with others interested in the same, please consider participating in this weekend retreat. You will leave feeling more connected, inspired, and empowered to work for positive change in your community and the world beyond. This retreat is open to all ages. Interested individuals, families, youth groups, green teams, and small groups are all welcome.
Want to know more? Check out this schedule for the weekend.
We are committed to ensuring that everyone who wants to participate in a Camp Friedenswald program can do so, regardless of financial ability. We offer scholarships to anyone who has the need for it. If you feel you would benefit from this opportunity, please indicate your need on the appropriate form when you register online. If you have further questions, please call 269-476-9744 or email [email protected].