Many of us are seeking ways to balance the frenetic pace in our work and private lives. We look for respite and a place to rejuvenate ourselves.
As an important part of staff, faculty, and administrative development, opportunities for reflection and renewal (sometimes referred to as “Formation” or “Circles of Trust”) have been broad and deep at Century for many years.These employee development opportunities are available to all staff, faculty, and administrators in short experiences (Pauses for Reflection), One-Day Retreats, Two-Day Retreats, and Three-Day Seasonal Retreats. All these offerings invite participants to create together trustworthy spaces in which everyone can hear the inner voice of wisdom in themselves and in others.Too often that inner voice is lost in the rush of everyday activities, at work and at home. A retreat is nourishment for the spirit.
Registration can be done through the STARS system or with the assistance of Marianne Wygant in Employee Development (651-779-3905).
Pauses for Reflection – These are one to two hour on-campus experiences where participants are introduced to the Touchstones, the guidelines for interaction in a retreat setting.Through activities using poetry, music, art, and/or story, participants learn to listen, patiently and quietly, and to share when they wish, with full confidence that their thoughts and words will be honored.
One-Day Retreats – As in a “Pause,” participants begin with the Touchstones and use poetry, music, art, and/or story to attend to the voice of wisdom in themselves and in others. The retreat is theme based with small and large group work as well as time for solitude, and the activities invite participants to stretch themselves as they explore both metaphor and paradox. The aim of the work is to help us approach our lives and our work with renewed passion, commitment, and integrity.
Two-Day Retreats –These retreats have the same elements as one-day retreats, but the additional time lets us delve more deeply into the theme and spend more time with experiential activities. More time is also devoted to the experience and the value of silence as well as to the art of asking open, honest questions. This extended experience helps us to live an undivided life as we learn to bring “role and soul” together.
3-Day Seasonal Overnight Retreats –This deeper and longer experience is intended for those who have participated in at least one Pause or retreat. To date, we have followed a seasonal series that will conclude in January 2009 with the theme of “Sounds and Silences of Winter.”In addition to the experiences that mark a two-day retreat, we include a Clearness Committee, a Quaker tradition of coming together in community to help a person “name and claim his or her deepest truth,” as Parker Palmer expresses it.
Century Facilitators include Dianne Del Giorno, Judy Evenson, Randy Fane, Larry Litecky, and Jane Nicholson.
Note: Focused retreats are available upon request.
