Friday, March 16, 2012
|
Weekened Writers Workshop: In Spring our Thoughts Turn to Writing
|
Facilitator(s):
| Katerina Whitley
|
|
| We gather at beautiful Valle Crucis to receive inspiration and to inspire one another by sharing our stories. We are indeed people of the story, and this story has expanded since we started writing together in 2007. A core group of spiritual women who love to write meets regularly, but we welcome those others who want to join us. All you need is the desire and ability to express your inner self through the written word. If you are interested, please send your favorite writing to katewhitley@charter.net. She will respond to you. We honor the Word and words, and we respect one another's gifts in fellowship and joy.
Katerina Whitley is a biblical storyteller and dramatist who makes her home in Valle Crucis. She is the author of many books including a new cookbook on Greek Cooking.
|
|
Cost:
| $200, includes 2 nights lodging, all meals and program
|
|
 |
|
Friday, March 16, 2012, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
|
Program Day: Tumbling Downwards, Fumbling Upwards: Embracing Grief and Loss
|
Facilitator(s):
| The Rev. Jeanne Finan
|
|
| Sooner or later we all experience some type of loss in our lives--the loss of a loved one, the loss of our health, a job, a marriage, the future as we planned and imagined it to be. Lent is a time to courageously face the wilderness and to rekindle the hopes that will bring us to resurrection. Using story, poetry, scripture, and prayers, as well as time for quiet reflection and exploring the surrounding beauty of Valle Crucis, this day offers a window into our own holiness in the midst of the holy season on Lent.
The Rev. Jeanne Finan is an Episcopal priest who serves at St. John's Episcopal Church in Asheville, NC. She also leads retreats, offers spiritual direction, writes and celebrates the spiritual journey we all travel and share.
|
|
Cost:
| $35, includes lunch
|
|
|
|
Friday, April 13, 2012, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
|
Program Day: Teresa of Avila: Reformer, Contemplative, Free Sprit
|
Facilitator(s):
| The Rt. Rev. G. Porter Taylor, Bishop of the Diocese of Western North Carolina
|
|
| Some of us have a firm direction for our lives. A few of us have a firm direction for our world, but a very few are able to incarnate the vision that God gives them for their lives and the world. Teresa of Avila is such a person. A mystic, a poet, a reformer of the Carmelite tradition, she is one on the two women named by the Roman Catholic Church as "Doctor of the Church." Teresa reformed the Carmelites and established 14 convents over all of Spain by personally walking through that vast country. She wrote numberous books about the mystical path and had as her confessor, St. John of the Cross.
Teresa has much to teach us in our time about perseverance in the face of hardship as well as aligning one's will with the divine will. She is a saint of courage and a fierce lover of Christ. The program will include a biographical presentation as well as an exploration of her particular spirituality. One of her poems gives a taste of her wisdom.
Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things pass away;
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
He who has God
Finds he lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.
|
|
Cost:
| $35, includes lunch
|
|
|
|
Friday, May 4, 2012, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
|
Program Day: Begin the New Year with Practices that Support the Opening of the Heart
|
Facilitator(s):
| Sandra Smith, M.Div, Certified Enneagram Consultant
|
|
| “What is the greatest obstacle to your deepest prayer?” How do you consistently block yourself from living and loving fully? We have a plethora of material on spiritual practices from centering prayer to meditation, to walking the labyrinth to breath practices. However, when we add personality type into the mix, we discover that some practices work to continue our “automatic mode” while other practices help us wake up.
This workshop will explore specific practices for the nine Enneagram types that help loosen the grip of our ego structure so we live more fully who God created us to be.
Sandra Smith is a certified Enneagram teacher in the Palmer/Daniels Narrative Tradition and is on the faculty of the East Coast Enneagram Intensive training program. She has an M.Div from Candler School of Theology, Emory University. She makes her home in Asheville.
|
|
Cost:
| $45, includes lunch
|
|
|
|
Monday, May 21, 2012, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
|
Program Day: With our Labyrinths
|
Facilitator(s):
| Tom Eshelman
|
|
| Have you heard about labyrinths and want to know more? Now is your chance! In this day long retreat you will learn about the fascinating history of this ancient tool of walking meditation and prayer as you spend the day walking our indoor and outdoor labyrinths.
Please wear comfortable clothes and walking shoes and bring a journal. There will be lots of handouts and plenty of time for questions.
Tom is the Executive Director of the Conference Center and has been facilitating labyrinth workshops for 15 years.
|
|
Cost:
| $35, includes lunch
|
|
|
|
November 25 - December 2, 2012
|
Advanced Intensive Centering Prayer Retreat
|
Facilitator(s):
| Becky Hannah, Joan Ricci Thome - Worship leader - The Rev. Bob Cook
|
|
| This retreat is designed for those who would like a more prolonged experience of
centering prayer and who are interested in entering into the more profound levels of spiritual practice in an atmosphere of silence, solitude and community.
Centering prayer is a silent form of prayer that directs a person’s attention toward
God. It is a prayer form with ancient roots in the mystical and monastic tradition of the Christian faith. The retreat is intended to help persons develop and sustain a regular centering prayer practice. In addition to several Centering Prayer periods offered daily, you will also have opportunities for contemplative worship, individual meetings with retreat leaders, walks and hiking around the Conference Center grounds, access to two labyrinths, as well as time for solitude and reflection.
Due to the length of this retreat each participant should have an established practice of Centering Prayer for at least a year. This retreat limited to the first 20 registrants. No commuters or partial retreats.
The retreat leaders are Becky Hannah, (828-667-2799), co-coordinator
of Contemplative Outreach of Western North Carolina, Joan Ricci Thome, presenter of contemplative prayer retreats at the Oratory and St. Francis Prayer Springs, and the Rev. Robert Cook, retired Episcopal priest. Joan and Becky have both been trained to present centering prayer by Contemplative Outreach, the organization founded by Father Thomas Keating as a spiritual network committed to living the contemplative dimension of the gospel in everyday life. Please fell free to call
Becky if you have any questions about the retreat.
|
|
Cost:
| $505, includes 7 nights lodging, all meals and program
|
|
|
|
December 3 - 6, 2012
|
Advent Retreat 2012 - Mary, the Reed of God
|
Facilitator(s):
| Emily Wilmer
|
|
| Drawing on the book The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander (British 1901-1945) participants are invited to reflect on the images of a reed flute, bird nest and chalice as metaphors for Mary, Mother of Christ, how Mary can inform our experiences as modern people, and how we, like Mary, are invited to be Christ-bearers in the world. Using these images along with prayer, poetry, music, art, small group and personal reflection time undergirded by the gift of silence and rest, we will prepare ourselves for the season.
The facilitator, Emily Wilmer, offers spiritual direction, workshops, and retreats throughout the USA and the United Kingdom. She currently is co-steward with her husband; the Rev. David Keller, of Oasis of Wisdom, An Institute for Contemplative Studies, Practice and Living located in Asheville NC. (www.oasisofwisdom.net). She completed the two year course in individual spiritual direction at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation in Washington, DC and trained with Lauren Artress in San Francisco in the facilitation of the labyrinth as a spiritual tool.
Come away to the mountains of Western North Carolina for this 3 day retreat in preparation for the season of Advent. All participants will have a private room (unless a roommate is requested). You will have full access to the beautiful grounds and our beautiful mountain and valley at Valle Crucis with our extensive trails, creeks and waterfalls. You can also walk our indoor and outdoor labyrinths or just rest and enjoy one of our many rocking chairs or a chair in front of the fireplace.
|
|
Cost:
| $285, includes 3 nights lodging, all meals and program
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| |
|
Class Size - We are committed to keeping our class size small as we believe it is in the small group environment that learning and spirituality flourish. Because class sizes are kept small, classes fill quickly. Early registration is encouraged!
Price and Room Policies - Listed prices for programs include room, board, tuition, and materials. Most accommodations are double, triple, or quadruple occupancy. If you prefer a single room, we will try to accommodate you though we cannot guarantee this until check-in when the final availability of single rooms can be determined. Please notify VCCC in advance if you have any medical needs such as diet or disability accommodations. We are unable to accommodate pets or provide childcare. Smoking is not permitted in any building.
Meals - We serve home-cooked, nutritious meals. The fare is hearty. Our kitchen staff will try to accommodate any special dietary needs if they receive 14 days prior notice. If you have any dietary questions, please give us a call.
Timing - Unless otherwise noted, conferences begin with registration and check in at 4:00 pm on opening day, followed by dinner at 6:30 pm They close after the 12 noon lunch on the closing day. To assist our housekeeping staff, we request that you complete your check out prior to lunch on closing day.
To Register - A non-refundable, nontransferable deposit of $50 is required for each course except for single-day programs when a nonrefundable payment in full is required. Please mail your check with the completed registration form. We appreciate the fact that sometime things may come up in your busy life that may prevent your attending one of our programs for which you have paid a deposit. In that case we will consider your deposit a donation to our ongoing ministry of hospitality.
Directions - You will receive directions to the conference center with your registration confirmation. We are easy to find and are located just 9 miles outside of Boone, NC (2 hours from Winston Salem; 2-1/2 hours from Charlotte).
Commuters - A limited number of spaces are available in each program for commuters not requiring lodging. The fee does include three meals per day as mealtime is an important part of the program's fellowship. Those who choose to commute are encouraged to make a commitment to full participation in all meals and community activities.
Scholarships - If you wish to apply for a limited number of scholarships which are offered for some of our programs, please call for more information.
|
|
 |
| |
|
We have posted a registration form on this website for your convenience. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. You may download Adobe Acrobat Reader free of charge from Adobe's website at www.adobe.com/prodindex/acrobat/readstep.html.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
