This retreat will provide an opportunity to welcome the new year in worshipful silence. Free to mark the passage of the previous year in our own individual ways, we will also be held in the warmth of community as we witness the transition together. Spending time in the coziness of woodstoves, in the natural peace of our land, in the stillness of a window’s winter view, we will allow the silence to open us to whatever we most need to hear. This weekend retreat will follow an extended four-day format, starting Thursday evening.

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How we can be informed readers of ancient scriptures? In this workshop we will discuss issues such as the origin and structure of the Hebrew Bible; the Torah and Talmid and the underlying understanding of "truth" in these ancient documents; the Hebrew notion of God; evolving ethics, ritual, sexuality and understanding of sin and suffering; and the evolution of the role of scripture itself in our understanding of religious life.

Together we will explore our experiences and intentions for living our Quaker faith as educators. What brings us to this work? What feeds us as we do it? How do we renew ourselves? How can we support each other? The weekend will include time for group sharing and reflection as well as time on your own.

(Note: this program will run concurrently with Introduction to the Hebrew Bible.)

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Jenny Rowe came to Quaker education in Monteverde, Costa Rica as a parent and teacher, then director of the Monteverde Friends School (K-12). She is now director of the small, alternative Community School for students grade 7-12 in central New Hampshire.

What songs strike a deep chord within you? What songs articulate key issues in your life? This weekend will provide an opportunity to have fun, build community with each other and grow closer to God. We will use songs as a vehicle for sharing about how the Spirit is moving and working within us. We will sing, play, dance, and share on that journey together. We will primarily use Rise Up Singing, Worship in Song, and English Friends' Sing in the Spirit.

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Jay Marshall has served as dean of Earlham School of Religion since 1998. In his role as dean, he conducted a study of vitality among Friends, resulting in the book, Where the Wind Blows. Jay grew up among FUM Friends in North Carolina Yearly Meeting, where he was recorded as a minister in 1985.

Gather with other Quaker families for a weekend of inspiration, support and community as we reflect on raising Quaker children in an often unFriendly culture. Our time together will feature a Saturday workshop for parents, family activities in the evenings, and a children’s program on Saturday reveling in the beauty of Woolman Hill. Our special guest will be Pat Weitzman, a Wellesley Friend, developmental psychologist and parenting coach, and mother of two teens. Our parent workshop will be built around Pat's sense that if the Quaker Testimonies are woven into the core of our family relationships, our children will be in the best position possible to meet whatever culture presents. Pat gathers with us not so much as an expert but as a Quaker parent facing the same challenges. We’ll balance the search for family-by-family solutions with the broader, bolder dream of creating “a Quaker cultural alternative."

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This is an opportunity to explore through writing the spiritual, physical, emotional and playful balance in all parts of our lives. In the safety of the group we will explore our sense of balance, writing from our hearts. With opportunities to share our writing (always optional), we may find additional support in the deep listening within the group. Molly welcomes both experienced journal keepers and newcomers to this weekend.

(Note: this program will run concurrently with Getting Outdoors.)

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As a full-time resident on the hill, Mark knows the local landscape through and through. Explore the wonders of the woods, learn about herbs and wild edibles, hear the messages of the forest in outdoor worship, and spend time with other wonderful people who share a love of the natural world. Our annual outdoors program is a perennial favorite, especially for those of us who just can’t stand sitting still!

(Note: this program will run concurrently with Journaling Towards a Balanced Life.)

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