Where do I go?
We’ll gather at Brethren Woods, located at 4896 Armentrout Path, Keezletown, VA 22832. You can find written directions to Brethren Woods here. When you arrive, take the first left towards Pine Grove. We’ll have a Welcome Table in Pine Grove with printed maps and schedules, as well as lodging info. If you’re arriving in time for a meal, keep driving past the turn off for Pine Grove. Follow the signs for Woodland Retreat, which is where all our meals will be. This is also where you can drop off any food items you’re bringing for meals.
What can I expect?
The theme for our weekend is ‘RESToration.’ We’ll have some structured ways to lean into this theme on Saturday morning, and we also encourage you to welcome this theme’s invitation throughout the weekend. Consider turning off, leaving behind, or at least mostly ignoring your phones and screens. Bring lawn chairs, hammocks, blankets, or whatever else might help you to rest and relax. Pay attention to what you need throughout the weekend–go for a walk, seek out quiet alone time, ask someone to help or sub in for you if you’ve volunteered for too much, seek out the company of others when it feels restorative. There is, of course, a lot of energy that goes into a retreat weekend, but we hope you can find pockets of rest and restoration!
What should I bring?
- If you’re coming to the Friday evening hot dog roast: a finger food to share and roasting sticks (we’ll provide plates and napkins)
- Snacks and games to share (indoor and outdoor games)
- Sunscreen, bug spray, a water bottle
- Rain jackets and umbrellas
- Swimsuits if you and/or your kids want to swim on Saturday afternoon.
- If you’d like to join the yoga group on Saturday morning, bring a yoga mat if you’ve got one
- Bike if you’d like to join a road ride on Saturday afternoon
- Instruments for impromptu jams and/or to plan in worship on Sunday am
- Lawn chairs and/or blankets (we won’t have the rockers that we had at Highland!)
- Linens for overnight lodging.
- Any food items you signed up for…
What food did I sign up to bring, or what food can I still sign up for?
Thanks to everyone who has already signed up to bring food! There are still some open slots on the links below, so if you haven’t signed up for anything yet, please check those out! You can also use the links if you need a reminder of what you signed up to bring.
**There will also be the chance for everyone to help with clean-up throughout the weekend. Meal clean-up volunteers will be assigned on the basis of birthdays. If you’re eating a meal and your birthday falls on one of the following, remember to head to the kitchen after you eat to help clean up!
Saturday breakfast clean up: Nov-Dec bdays
Saturday lunch clean up: Sep-Oct bdays
Saturday dinner clean up: June, July, August bdays
Sunday breakfast clean up: April-May bdays
Sunday lunch clean up: Jan, Feb, March bdays
What’s the schedule for the weekend?
- Friday p.m.: arrive from 5:30 p.m. onwards. Check in at Pine Grove for lodging info and print outs of a map and schedule. Drop off shared snacks & games at Pine Grove, and food items to the kitchen at Woodland Retreat.
- 5 pm: Set-up for meal tents
- 6 pm: hot dog roast at the ampitheater by the pond (if it’s raining we’ll cook them in Mt. Lodge, which is the building above the pond). **Bring a finger food to share & roasting sticks. Hot dogs (veggie and meat), buns, condiments, and plates provided.
- Throughout the evening: conversation, snacks, and games, outdoors and @ Pine Grove.
- Saturday
- 7:30-8:30 am- Breakfast
- 8:45: Parents can drop children under 5 with nursery workers in the lower level of Linville Creek, one of the lodging cabins next to Woodland Retreat
- 9-11:30 am- Morning Sessions
- 9: Welcome, Orientation, Inter-generational activity @ Pine Grove
- Youth @ High Ropes Course
- 9:30 am: Adults: Rest Panel; Children 5-11: activities @ Mt. Lodge
- 10:45 am: Rest breakout groups, including: rest via yoga; rest via guided meditation; rest via art; rest via scripture study
- 11:15 am: lunch prep with mentors & mentees
- 12-1:30 pm- Lunch
- 1:30-4:45 pm- Games, play, hikes, free time. Opportunities for comforter knotting, swimming*, canoeing**, board games, biking, and more. During this free time, parents of children under 11 must be present while their children are playing by the pond.
- *Swimming: the pool will be open from 1:30-2:30 for children under 11 and their parents, and from 2:30-4 for youth.
- **Anyone is welcome to use canoes on the pond from 1:30-3:30. Children under 12 must have adult supervision. Everyone must wear a life jacket.
- 5 pm- Dinner
- 6:30 pm- Talent Show
- Sunday
- 8 am- Breakfast
- 10 am- Worship (outdoors @ the ampitheater by the pond, weather permitting)
- 11:30 am- Group Photo
- 12 pm- Lunch
- 1 pm- Clean up and depart
What should I pay?
Retreat is free! But if you’d like to make a contribution to help offset retreat costs, you can do so via this online giving link, or by making a check out to Shalom with the memo line reading ‘Retreat 2024’. |
