….Another gift [of winter] is the reminder that times of dormancy and deep rest are essential to all living things. Despite all appearances, of course, nature is not dead in winter – it has gone underground to renew itself and prepare for spring. Winter is a time when we are admonished, and even inclined, to do the same for ourselves.
….Winter clears the landscape…giving us a chance to see ourselves and each other more clearly, to see the very ground of our being.
Excerpted from Seasons, by Parker J Palmer
Come, experience a range of gentle, respectful options to notice the life that wants to live in you: inviting it to rest in preparation for the certainty of spring, to be savored, and to offer its wisdom.
This nourishes your power from the inside out. Recharge for now, and grow practices that keep you fresh for the long run because our communities have much to do in these challenging times.
- If community builders burn out, then “the way things are”
- So how about putting on your “oxygen mask” to catch your breath?
Who’s it for?
Anyone who’s engaged in building up their community or hopes to do so – however you define it, in any setting, paid or unpaid. Such communities can be found in neighborhoods and social movements, classrooms and congregations, ballfields and clubs, associations and networks, workplaces and beyond.
- We who give so much to others may want to recharge personally or professionally.
All are welcome! This series is convened by Neighborhood Connections & the Neighbor Up Network, known for bringing people together across lines of difference. January 2025 is the 21st monthly edition.
Any prior experience needed?
- None! No advance preparation either. Come as you are, who you are.
- Each mini-retreat stands alone. And for those who can attend more than one, these build upon each other.
- There are always newcomers. Please invite others to consider it?
How will we spend our time on the mini-retreat?
- We have a framework with a variety of whole-group, small group, and solitary activities. We’ll have time to tend to “the heart of the community builder.”
The respectful Courage & Renewal approach we’ll be using is seen here.
- This invites the noise – the static – within us & around us to subside so each one there may hear more of our own inherent gifts, hopes & wisdom, in good company.
- You’re not there to take care of anyone else but yourself.
- Everything here is an invitation, not a demand.
We’ll share poetry, images and stories from a wide variety of traditions, including perhaps from the lives of those present. Art supplies are available for those who enjoy using those to explore their reflections.
Each month we tap different themes rooted in NE Ohio’s geographic seasons.
Who’s facilitating?
The Center for Courage & Renewal and its facilitators do not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, height, weight, physical or mental ability, veteran status, military obligations, and marital status.
