Oasis ‌ ahhh ‌ Over 25 years of creating community as we educate and resource people in contemplation and spiritual direction.
2015-2016 Program Guide
What’s Inside… "My spiritual journey has been deepened by this program. As I face mid-life it has given me the opportunity to develop a part of me that I always knew was there - but never gave myself the freedom to explore."
~ Catherine Campanaro
A Word from Our Executive Director ....................... 3 A Few Books from Our Director of Training and Program................. 4-5 YEAR-LONG PROGRAMS NEW! Contemplative Leadership ............................... 6 Spiritual Direction for Spiritual Guides ....................... 7 New Local Groups Model for Deepening Year for Direction Ministries ............... 8 Breath and Prayer........................................................ 9 Journey Into Silence .................................................. 10 DAYS OF RETREAT A Mindful Approach to Stress Reduction .................. 11 As A Little Child........................................................... 12 HOPE Through the Seasons ....................................... 13 Way of Peace: Iona Community (with Kirkridge) ..... 14 Retreat with John Philip Newell (with The Wheelhouse) ......................................... 15 An Enneagram Introduction ...................................... 16 Advanced Enneagram: Beyond the Basics ................. 17 Poetry as Prayer: David Whyte ................................. 18 Wisdom of Rhythm: Men’s Retreat ........................... 19 Toward a Deepening Spirituality of Work ................. 20 Thomas Merton Retreat Day...................................... 21 The Contemplative in the Garden ............................. 22
Southwest Pilgrimage: Casa del Sol (Aug 2015) ........ 23 Celtic Pilgrimage to the Isle of Iona (Oct 2016)......... 23 Sharing Your Story, Giving a Nudge ......................... 24 Keeping Connected .................................................... 25 Calendar .............................................................. 26 Information/Registration Page .................................. 27
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Oasis Ministries for Spiritual Development 419 Deerfield Road, Camp Hill, PA 17011
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From the Executive Director
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From Where I Sit: Musings from Rev. Cindy Garis We are always in transition, however, I often sense that at this time there is a need for space for transformation. Over and over again, I am reminded that Oasis is what people need at this time. .. Room to deepen and grow… space to reflect and question… ways to find meaning and connection. More and more we hear of how meditation and silence heal the body and reduce the effects of stress in our lives. “It is worth the six hour drive! “ Anissa Glaser-Bacon, one of our participants, noted in this year’s evaluation. This is a pretty impressive statement, but just one of many that we have heard in recent years. We share numerous comments throughout the Program Guide and on our website, along with the great 2015-2016 offerings, but here are a few more that surfaced that indicate to me the “for such a time as this” aspect of Oasis Ministries (while many are from the spiritual direction training program, I think they speak to the excellence and quality of all that Oasis offers): “Oasis has been a gift for my soul! Before I began the program I thought the things I would learn would help me to be a better pastor. What I discovered instead is that participation in Oasis has not only given me tools I can use in ministry, it has also been the refreshment my soul needed to continue in ministry…including the invitation to ‘return again’ to who I am.” ~ Penny Hogan “The SDSG Oasis Program not only forms one for spiritual direction practice but offers a journey of personal transformation and life-changing opportunity. I re-created, in God’s grace, my professional identity and ministry as a result of this program.” ~ Hugh Brown “The Spiritual Director for Spiritual Guides program with Oasis Ministries is an experience steeped in the rich holiness of God’s presence in every second of time and molecule of matter.” ~ Barbara Hutchinson “I have been at this ‘God-thing’ for most of my life. So by now I’ve experienced small groups, retreats, Bible study, all kinds of prayer, worship, even seminary! But the stillness, silence, and attentiveness I’ve been invited into through the SDSG program is the most important Christian practice I’ve ever experienced. They have become foundational to my life—my marriage, parenting, friendships and vocation.” ~ Jean Holmes These are just a few of the many wonderful reflections people have shared about Oasis Ministries. As I read them again they remind me of why I feel Oasis people are some of the neatest people I have ever met. I hope you have your own supportive comment to share. If you have not experienced Oasis yet, perhaps this is the year for you to find out why “Everyone deserves to treat themselves to an Oasis.” (Deirdre Whitfield) Blessings on your journey,
From Our Director of Training and Program
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A Few Good Books from Glenn Mitchell I recently learned that my home congregation closed its church library. They spread out on tables for the taking the last of the books and ended the life of the library. Growing up in the parsonage across the parking lot from the church I can remember as a kid slipping into the library on hot summer days to take a break from play and the heat. It was always quiet and cool in the library and I’d be alone for a time with the smell and the lure of books. These books were different from the books I read in school. They held no chapter exercises to be completed for homework. They weren’t about dates and details that I had to memorize for a quiz. There was more a sense of mystery in their pages. As I held these books with their titles about God I felt what I recognize now as a draw or a tug on my spirit. I don’t think I actually read that many of these books but I do know I caught something in that library. Being among those books in the deep quiet whetted my appetite for books that address what matters, books that lift up what it means to walk through life awake and alive to God’s presence. My love of spiritual reading has its roots in that church library. I mourn its closing. As we give shape to our training programs we pay attention to books that help break open the way it is in the contemplative life and in the work of spiritual direction. We offer as a part of our programs what we think are “essential reads” as well as books we “recommend” for those desiring more on a particular theme. We honor the place and the role of reading in the formation of contemplatives and spiritual directors even as we continue to lift up the mystery at the heart of life that lies beyond words, beyond books, beyond knowledge. We recognize that even on the apophatic path it sometimes takes a good book to stir us with words so that we can open to what is beyond those words in the mystery of life or the mystery of another human being. I give thanks for those books that our programs have gathered together into the libraries of so many participants over the years. I hope your library remains “open” and continues to draw you deeper into God and into the life and work that is yours. And now, “a few good books” for your life and library: This is the centenary year of Thomas Merton’s birth. A number of books have been published to help celebrate this 100th year. Two good ones are: --At Play in Creation: Merton’s Awakening to the Feminine Divine by Christopher Pramuk. (Cistercian Publications, 2015). Pramuk is a theologian who did a scholarly work some years ago on Merton and Sophia. He is also a poet and a musician and his recent work is alive in language and spirit as he explores in conference style the feminine face of God’s presence alive in the world and singing through the words and presence of Merton. This book confirmed something deep (Continued on page 5)
From Our Director of Training and Program
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(Continued from page 4)
in me that has always felt the tug of God in creation, in contemplation and through the feminine. --We Are Already One: Thomas Merton's Message of Hope: Reflections to Honor His Centenary (1915–2015) edited by Gray Henry and Jonathan Montaldo. (The Fons Vitae Thomas Merton series, 2014) This is an excellent collection of testimonies from 108 individuals on the impact of Thomas Merton on their lives. Story after story speaks to the way Merton touched and awakened something in them. The energy gathered in this one volume gives grand testimony to why 100 years after his birth and 47 years after his death he remains one of the 20th century’s greatest voices on the contemplative life and what it means to be a human being. --This Day: Collected and New Sabbath Poems, 1979-2013, by Wendell Berry. (Counterpoint Press, 2013). Wendell’s Sabbath practice of walking the land of his and Tanya’s farm, while open to a poem, has over time brought forth quite a number of poems that have been collected in This Day. Berry’s voice, in its many forms, is one of the clearest prophetic voices in America today and that voice is rooted in the place he has loved and tended for over 50 years. His poems continue to remind us not to spiritualize the spiritual life—our life in the Spirit is grounded in place. A good summer read would be This Day in one hand and Pope Francis’s encyclical on the environment in the other. But first the fireflies in the far field. Whatever books end up in your hands this summer, may your reading awaken your aliveness and return you to your joy. --Glenn Mitchell, Director of Training and Programs
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Did you know? This Program Guide is designed so that each page can be copied and used as a flyer or half-page insert in your church bulletin. Keep Calm and Share On!
New Program! - Princeton Location
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Retreats Kirkridge Retreat Center Bangor, PA Monthly Gatherings The Adams House Princeton Theological Seminary
Understanding that the contemplative way is to infuse life with an awareness of God, this program is for persons seeking to enhance this awareness through classical disciplines and other creative practices while also learning how to lead others into the contemplative life ‘back home’. These emphases of personal spiritual formation, transforming as a contemplative leader and hands-on group leadership training will permeate the program. There will be presentations on a variety of practices, reflection on contemplation and leadership, along with much experiential learning. This will be coupled with opportunities in a peer group to learn the means of developing methods, enhancing skills, building confidence, and receiving feedback for leading contemplative programs in one’s own community. PROGRAM INTENT The intent of Contemplative Leadership is three-fold: deepening contemplative living (personal transformation) growing contemplative leaders (leadership formation/transformation) equipping teachers of contemplation (leading groups in contemplation) Leadership: Rev. René Colson Hudson, Rev. Dale Selover, and Rev. Andrew Barton (More complete bios online at www.oasismin.org/ContemplativeLeadership.htm) OPENING (2-night) RETREAT at Kirkridge 12:00p.m. (begins with lunch), Monday, October 12, 2015 through 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 14, 2015 MONTHLY SESSIONS in Princeton 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Thursdays Nov. 12, Dec. 10, 2015 Feb. 11, Mar. 10, Apr. 14, 2016
CLOSING RETREAT at Kirkridge 10:00 a.m., Thursday, May 12, 2016 through 2:00 p.m., Friday, May 13, 2016
Visit www.oasismin.org/LeadDeeply.htm for more program details and to download a brochure. You may also request a brochure by calling (717) 737-8222 or emailing betsykeller@oasismin.org.
Local Group Options Available!
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Spiritual Direction for Spiritual Guides Expanding Attention and Intention SDSG, now in its 25th season, is a two-year training program in contemplative prayer and spiritual direction. During the two years, participants will experience and learn to practice the disciplines of contemplative prayer and the art of contemplative spiritual direction. Through both years, participants will discover the richness of contemplative community, the intimacy of small group interaction, and the depths of contemplative prayer. Our “Classic Track” format is well refined over 25 years to provide a learning environment offering participants an intimate community, strong teaching and quality supervision. We also recognize that for a variety of reasons related to schedules and distance, participating at this level can be challenging for some. We began last year an alternative track that addresses these challenges. We call it our “Hybrid Track” and it creates a local option for community and learning while maintaining access to the teaching and the content of the program. Wherever we have at least four interested participants in an area a cohort can be formed, a leader provided and five of the yearly meetings will take place Questions? Be in touch with Rev. Glenn Mitchell, Director of Training and Program for Oasis
Location: Kirkridge Retreat Center 2495 Fox Gap Road, Bangor, PA 18013
Year I Dates
Year II Dates
OPENING RETREAT 10:00 a.m., Thursday, October 8, 2015 through 3:00 p.m., Friday, October 9, 2015
OPENING RETREAT 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, October 6, 2015 through 3:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 7, 2015
MONTHLY SESSIONS (Thursdays) 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Nov. 5, Dec. 3, 2015 Jan. 7, Feb. 4, Mar. 3, Apr. 7, 2016
MONTHLY SESSIONS (Wednesdays) 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Nov. 4, Dec. 2, 2015 Jan. 6, Feb. 3, Mar. 2, Apr. 6, 2016
CLOSING RETREAT 10:00 a.m., Thursday, May 5, 2016 through 3:00 p.m., Friday, May 6, 2016
CLOSING RETREAT 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, May 3, 2016 through 3:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Visit www.oasismin.org/SDSG.htm for more program details and to download a brochure. You may also request a brochure by calling (717) 737-8222 or emailing betsykeller@oasismin.org.
New Program Format in Celebration of 10 years!
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Deepening Year for Direction Ministries In celebration of its 10th year, Deepening Year for Direction Ministries (DYDM) offers a new format for its established program. The peer group dimension of the program is now carried by local groups scattered throughout our region, while the teaching function is consolidated into three retreats during the year. This model:
Reduces the number of trips to our training site at Kirkridge to three Provides local peer groups led by experienced spiritual directors Preserves the teaching core of the program while offering it in 7 days of retreat Opens the possibilities for four spiritual directors anywhere to form a participant group
Format Details Retreat Days. As we have for ten years, DYDM will open and close with a two-day retreat in our beautiful Pocono Mountain setting at Kirkridge Retreat Center, Bangor, PA. DYDM will also gather at Kirkridge for a two-night, three-day mid-winter retreat in February. Local Small Groups. In the “off” months—between large group gatherings, participants will meet in small groups led by an experienced spiritual director. These meetings will last for three hours and will include presentations and supervision in a peer process along with time for sharing, Location! Kirkridge Retreat Center 2495 Fox Gap Road Bangor, PA 18013
Download a copy of the Deepening Year for Direction Ministries brochure on-line at www.oasismin.org/DYDM.htm or request one by calling 717-737-8222 or emailing betsykeller@oasismin.org
Our initial plans are to offer to five local sites (with more possible): * Lancaster, PA w/Jo Ann Kunz * Trenton, NJ w/Ruth Workman * State College, PA w/Glenn Mitchell * Harrisburg, PA w/Melissa Stock * Bloomsburg, PA w/Ruth Zeiders
Dates* OPENING RETREAT 10:00 a.m., Monday, September 21, 2015 through 3:00 p.m., Tuesday, September 22, 2015 WINTER (2-night) RETREAT 10:00 a.m., Monday, February 15, 2016 through 3:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 17, 2016 CLOSING RETREAT 10:00 a.m., Monday, April 18, 2016 through 3:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 19, 2016 * Visit website to learn more about monthly gatherings.
Grow in contemplation… by breathing!
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Breath and Prayer Exploring the Intimacy of Presence “... God is suddenly as available and accessible as the very thing we all do constantly -- breathe.” ~ Richard Rohr
Every moment of existence is suffused with the life and creative force of God. Every breath, every heartbeat is prayer. Created in the image of God, our purpose is to grow into awareness of this intimacy, this energy. Breath and Prayer invites us to explore this intimate knowing of Divine Presence. These experiential days provide support to help us "move the 'stuck,' needy energies that keep us trapped in our egoic selves, at the mercy of our inner demons." (C. Bourgeault) Breath and Prayer offers: Devotional Practice Inner Transformation Contemplative Community
Dates: Opening Retreat: September 2-3, 2015
Participants Bring: Soft willingness to test tender edges Hospitable attentive hearts Openness to Holy Mystery Breath practice and centering prayer/ meditation bookend the day. No previous experience required. All are welcome!
Ruth offers her gift of creating a deep community and bringing a group of strangers together who quickly become a family. In the safety of this community, we can finally breathe. And in our full exhale is the most beautiful prayer. ~ Erin Shrader
Breath and Prayer, for me, is like taking a day to weed and tend to my inner garden. ~ Cindy Baugher
at St. Cyril Spiritual Center (Danville, PA)
Monthly Gatherings: October 7, 2015 November 4, 2015 December -- no gathering January 6, 2016 February 3, 2016 March 2, 2016 April 6, 2016 May 4, 2016
Leadership: Ruth Zeiders has a practice in Spiritual Direction, Reiki, and TriYoga in Bloomsburg, PA. (more bio online) Monthly Gathering Location: St. Matthew Lutheran Church 123 N. Market Street Bloomsburg, PA 17815
Download a copy of the Breath and Prayer brochure on-line at www.oasismin.org/Breath-Prayer.html or request one by calling 717-737-8222 or emailing betsykeller@oasismin.org
You know you need these days of quiet
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Journey Into Silence This series of quiet retreat days offers community and support for a contemplative journey down a sacred path. A typical day together will hold a gentle rhythm of prayer in common, sharing, brief input from leaders, and about three hours for silence and solitude. Participants in any stage of the spiritual journey are welcome, though it should be understood that this program is geared for those who are comfortable with prolonged silence and have an openness to the Christian Wisdom tradition, including centering prayer, chant, and lectio divina. Individuals will be invited to share their response to the readings when we gather. For some of us, the program will provide a sacred container for what we don’t have time or support for at home. Each of us longs to be connected with others who are seeking a larger view. As the months pass, we trust that graced spiritual friendships will nurture the participants in deepened Love and new ways of seeing.
The Journey into Silence is a journey into mindfulness. A journey into beauty. A journey into compassion. A journey into life.
~ Roy Stetler Dates : Meeting dates are 3rd Saturday of the month. September 19, 2015 October 17, 2015 November 21, 2015 Program Location: No gathering in December January 16, 2016 Wittel Farm February 20, 2016 1753 Mill Road March 19, 2016 Elizabethtown, PA 17022 April 16, 2016 May 21, 2016 Leadership: Roland and Melissa Stock Melissa and Roland began leading various aspects of prayer ministry in the 1980's. They are trained spiritual directors and share a love of contemplative spirituality. (view more bio details on-line at www.oasismin.org) Visit www.oasismin.org/JourneyIntoSilence.htm To register (or receive more information), please contact Betsy Keller at 717.737.8222; betsykeller@oasismin.org
Getting reacquainted with the holy vessel you are
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A Mindful Approach to Stress Reduction “Space is the opposite of stress.” Stress is an inevitable reality of modern life. But it is possible to discover how to live well with stress. The corresponding suffering can be reduced significantly through various techniques. Learn about the physiological responses and consequences of chronic stress together with some of the antidotes to daily stress. The presenter will highlight a stress reduction program (Mindfulness) in use at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center since 1979 as well as exploring what stress is and how it impacts our health. Participants will take away techniques practiced in the day. Weather permitting, we will be on the wrap-around porch, enjoying the gifts of the trees and creation as we rest, renew and breathe together. Leadership: Rev. Cindy Garis, M. Div., Executive Director for Oasis Ministries, serves Oasis as her primary call to ministry (since 2005), encouraging all to a deepening spiritual life. (Complete bio online) When: Friday, August 21, 2015 10:00a.m.-3:00p.m. Where: Atlast Cottage (The home of Vicki and Don Kensinger) 215 Brown Ave. Mt. Gretna, PA 17064
“Oasis expanded and refined my prayer life.” ~ Cheryl Regis
Retreat Fee: $50-$75 (as you are able) Please bring a brown bag lunch.
www.oasismin.org/SummerDe-Stress.htm To register (or receive more information), please contact Betsy Keller at 717.737.8222; betsykeller@oasismin.org
Enjoy this day to become like a child...
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As a Little Child Retreat Day To be a human being is to be a child of God. ~ M. Bartolo-Abela Setting a child in their midst, Jesus told his closest friends – If you want to really get what I’m all about, become like this. Is it possible Jesus meant what he said? As A Little Child will invite us to consider Jesus’ invitation. What is it about children that makes them so special? How can we actively re-embody the gifts of childhood? What is the cost of this invitation? What is to be gained? What are practical ways to nurture the child within? Participants will find the day to be a spacious time of opening, pondering and practicing the art of playful curiosity. Leadership:
Kelly Chripczuk is a 2014 graduate of Oasis’ Spiritual Direction for Spiritual Guides program. She has a Master of Divinity degree and is a licensed pastor who is learning to take herself less seriously. Kelly offers Spiritual Direction in Boiling Springs, PA where she lives with her husband and four children. She regularly writes reflective essays and poetry at afieldofwildflowers.blogspot.com.
Laura Boggess is the author of Playdates With God: Having a Childlike Faith in a Grown-up World, the story of how an invitation to play opened her eyes to wonder. She writes and edits for TheHighCalling.org and shares stories about faith, family, and chasing after God at lauraboggess.com. Laura has a master’s in clinical psychology and spends her days working in a medical rehabilitation hospital in a little valley in West Virginia, where she resides with her husband and their two children. Location: Carlisle Brethren in Christ Church 1155 Walnut Bottom Rd, Carlisle, PA 17015 When: Saturday, September 26, 2015; 9:30a.m.-4:00p.m. Retreat Fee: $50-$75 (as you are able) Learn more at www.oasismin.org/AsALittleChild.htm To register (or receive more information), please contact Betsy Keller at 717.737.8222; betsykeller@oasismin.org
Prayerfully walking through grief
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HOPE through the Seasons To live is to love. To love is to lose. To lose is to live. -- Dan Moseley All of life involves loss, some big and some small. How we intentionally embrace the small losses helps prepare us for the larger ones. Just as we journey through the seasons of nature, we too can journey through the seasons of life knowing that the losses of fall can lead to the darkness of winter with transformation and the new growth of spring waiting around the corner, leading us into the fullness of summer. HOPE through the Seasons is an opportunity to learn about losses and move some of the pain from the inside to the outside all while being held in God’s loving embrace. Our time will be spent sharing in small and large conversational groups, creative expression, music and nature. Each gathering will be lead by Jackie Naginey Hook, M.A. and Zack Maser. For more information, please visit: www.oasismin.org/ HopeInGrief.html. HOPE through the Seasons is a cooperative offering of Oasis Ministries and the WheelHouse, an outreach ministry of the State College Presbyterian Church. When: Saturday, November 7, 2015; 9:30am - 3:30pm OR Saturday, April 9, 2016; 9:30am - 3:30pm Where: Harrisburg Brethren in Christ 2217 Derry St, Harrisburg, PA 17104
Oasis has really been an oasis in my life, restoring, refreshing, and replenishing me. --Peace Lee
Retreat Fee: $50-$75 (as you are able) Learn more at www.oasismin.org/HopeInGrief.html To register (or receive more information), please contact Betsy Keller at 717.737.8222; betsykeller@oasismin.org
With Our Ministry Partner: Kirkridge
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The Way of Peace in the Iona Community October 15, 2015 – One-day Retreat at Kirkridge The Iona Community is a place of peace, justice and prayer. We are committed to helping the poor and the homeless, for making peace within our own souls and within the world, and finding ways of walking with the Spirit in our own communities. Family Groups are seen by many Iona Community members as the core of the Community. Every member has to belong to a Family Group on a geographical basis. Many Associate members also belong to FGs. Each group meets regularly to worship, to share news, concerns and joys, and to discuss Community matters on which groups have been consulted.
This day at Kirkridge is a day with Spirit: a time to walk in the woods, a time of prayer, to look at the way of Iona, and hear a way of peace we at Iona work with. Come spend a day with the Iona community, and our way of peace and prayer. Join us for a day of exploring the Spirit in our individual and community lives. All are welcome! We look forward to journeying with you! Leadership: Led by Katherine Rennie who has been an Iona community member for 9 years, having previously been Associate member for 5 years. She has worked for the Community on Iona as a volunteer and as a resident member of staff. She is a former member of the Council of the Community. She is a retired solicitor and mediator, and now works with asylum seekers in Glasgow and is a local preacher on the Methodist circuit. When: Thursday, With support from: October 15, 2015; Rev. Matilda Chase: Staff Member, Iona Community USA 9:30am—3:30pm Rev. Dr. Kathleen L. Roney: Member of Iona New World Foundation, coordinator Iona Mid-Atlantic Group Rev. Cindy Garis: Executive Director of Oasis Ministries
Price: $65 includes lunch
To register (or receive more information), please contact Kirkridge directly
Kirkridge Retreat Center 2495 Fox Gap Road Bangor, PA 18013 Phone: 610-588-1793 • Web: http://kirkridge.org/ Email: kirkridge@kirkridge.org
With Our Ministry Partner: The Wheelhouse
OTHER EVENTS WITH J. PHILIP NEWELL
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Enneagram instruction ...
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An Enneagram Introduction: The Basics The Enneagram is a method for spiritual and psychological self-awareness. It presents nine ways of experiencing ourselves. Each type has a core issue with the relationship between its gift and its vulnerability. By identifying our primary type we are able to appreciate our unique gifts while recognizing the way it inevitably becomes distorted. The goals of this workshop are:
To provide a basic introduction to the Enneagram as a system.
To define the nine types and help the participants identify their own type.
To explore the implications for spiritual growth for each type.
The Wagner Enneagram Personality Style Scales (WEPS) will be offered to each participant and taken on the day of the workshop.
Leader: Jo Ann Kunz, M.A., serves as a Senior Pastor at a non-denominational Christian church located in Lititz, PA. She teaches spiritual formation/spiritual direction at both Eastern University and Evangelical Theological Seminary, as well as being a certified Enneagram trainer. Jo Ann has been part of the faculty of Oasis Ministries since 2001.
When: Saturday, February 27, 2016; 9:00a.m.—3:30p.m. Where: Hosanna!, 29 Green Acre Road, Lititz, PA 17543 Retreat Fee: $50-$75* (as you are able) *plus an additional fee for the Enneagram Assessment Tool Bring your own lunch, snacks and drinks provided. Learn more at www.oasismin.org/Enneagram.htm To register (or receive more information), please contact Betsy Keller at 717.737.8222; betsykeller@oasismin.org
...to help you go deeper
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The Enneagram: Beyond the Basics The Enneagram: Beyond the Basics is a daylong learning opportunity for those with a rudimentary knowledge of the Enneagram who desire to deepen their understanding of this ancient spiritual self-awareness method. This workshop will invite participants to explore the Enneagram’s wisdom in facilitating personal and interpersonal shadow and integration work (especially helpful at midlife), identifying life-giving responses during times of both stress and relaxation, offering invitations to style-specific prayer modalities, and increasing awareness of relational dynamics, particularly relating to celebration, compassion, and forgiveness. Familiarity with the fundamental dynamics of the Enneagram is necessary for this workshop. An Enneagram Introduction: The Basics satisfies this prerequisite. Those who have attended other introductory Enneagram workshops are also welcome. Leader: Jo Ann Kunz, M.A., serves as a Senior Pastor at a non-denominational Christian church located in Lititz, PA. She teaches spiritual formation/spiritual direction at both Eastern University and Evangelical Theological Seminary, as well as being a certified Enneagram trainer. Jo Ann has been part of the faculty of Oasis Ministries since 2001. When: Saturday, March 19, 2016 9:00a.m.—3:30p.m. Where: Hosanna!, 29 Green Acre Road, Lititz, PA 17543
Retreat Fee: $50-75 (as you are able) Bring your own lunch, snacks and drinks provided.
Register with betsykeller@oasismin.org or 717-737-8222
What participants said after an Advanced Enneagram with Jo Ann: “I liked the presenter’s style...very engaging and obviously very knowledgeable.” “Jo Ann was excellent. The study of the Enneagram and the usefulness of this tool in direction has been my interest area for years. This was very insightful for me as well as for beginners.” “ Jo Ann’s preparedness and accommodation for all levels of familiarity with the Enneagram material made this one of the best I've ever attended.” “She did a good job capturing the spirit and character of the styles and centers.”
Annual Poetry as Prayer Retreat Day
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Poetry as Prayer:
David Whyte Poems of Transformation In any season of transformation, in any time of change whether it is with work, relationship or deep in your self, there is a David Whyte poem for your pocket, one that you can carry with you rubbing the words up against your life until something of its courage and hope soaks through to your spirit. There is a certain boldness in Whyte’s work that offers life a measure of fresh understanding as well as the energy needed to take the next step. His work is savvy psychologically and philosophically. He asks good questions and he writes of the places in life where our living gets stuck, stretched, and transformed. In both his poetry and his prose he has established a place at the crossroads of wonder and work exploring the intersection of the soulfulness of the individual and the corporate nature of much of our common life. His most recent collection of poems is: River Flow: New and Selected Poems, 1984-2007 (Many Rivers Press, 2012, paperback) and in prose: Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words (Many Rivers Press, 2015) Join Glenn Mitchell and a vibrant community of seekers for this annual exploration of how poetry becomes prayer in the fabric of our lives. Leadership: Glenn Mitchell, M.Div., is Director of Training and Program for Oasis Ministries. He is the lead presenter/facilitator for Spiritual Direction for Spiritual Guides. Glenn has led a variety of retreats around the country on themes of prayer, spirituality, spiritual direction, nature and spirituality and the interplay of art and spirituality. He has a practice of spiritual direction and retreat leadership based in State College, PA. When: Friday, April 1, 2016, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Where: Lititz Church of the Brethren 300 West Orange Street Lititz, PA 17543 Retreat Fee: $65-85 (as you are able)
Visit www.oasismin.org/PoetryRetreat.html
To register (or receive more information), please contact Betsy Keller at 717.737.8222; betsykeller@oasismin.org
A Retreat Uniquely Tailored for Men!
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The Wisdom of Rhythm: A Men's Retreat on Belonging Our modern hunger to belong is particularly intense. An increasing majority of people feel no belonging. We have fallen out of rhythm with life. The art of belonging is the recovery of the wisdom of rhythm. - John O'Donohue Friday, April 22, 2016 (6:00 PM) to Saturday, April 23, 2016 (4:00 PM) Join Joel Blunk and percussionist Jim Donovan for a men's retreat to consider your rightful place in the family of things. Why are you here? Why is it so easy to feel out of sync with your best self? How might we as men listen more carefully to our hearts, the hearts of one another, and the heart beat of the universe calling us forward? These and similar questions will guide our time together which will include storytelling, solitude, council, drumming, and time in nature. Come ready to:
stand shoulder to shoulder with other men experience the healing power of rhythm and drumming reconnect with the natural world and what is most natural in you know again that you belong
Joel Blunk is Dean of the Men4Directions program for Oasis Ministries (oasismin.org) and a wisdom elder and weaver with Illuman (illuman.org). As an associate pastor of the State College Presbyterian Church in Central Pennsylvania, Joel directs the WheelHouse, an outreach ministry focusing on second half of life spirituality (scpresby.org). Joel is a musician, storyteller, and leader of rites of passage and nature-based experientials intended to nurture wholeness and authenticity. Jim Donovan is an Assistant Professor and Chairman of Fine Arts at Saint Francis University. He is a professional musician, recording artist, writer, teacher and lecturer. He is the former drummer and one of the founding members of the multiplatinum band Rusted Root. He is also the author of Drum Circle Leadership and regularly leads workshops, trainings and retreats that teach people how to lead creative group music-making as a way to enhance wellness and social connection. (jimdonovandrums.com). Price: Location: $135-$165 (as you are able) Krislund Camp & Conference Center 189 Krislund Drive Visit www.oasismin.org/Mens_Retreat.htm Madisonburg, PA 16852 To register (or receive more information), please contact Betsy Keller at 717.737.8222; betsykeller@oasismin.org
Beyond the tension
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Toward a Deepening Spirituality of Work Human beings often have a love-hate relationship with work. Even when we play, we can turn it into something that feels like work. On the one hand, we want to take responsibilities seriously but, on the other hand, we know that we were created for more than endless activity. How do we live in that tension? This retreat day provides space to explore that question. Together, we will attempt to come to a deeper spiritual understanding of work and how it can express our true identities and callings without consuming, addicting, or damaging us (or others). The day together will include times for dialogue, personal reflection, teaching, and fellowship in an unhurried, safe, and comfortable environment. Leadership:
The retreat is led by Jo Ann Kunz and Tony Blair, both of whom work in multiple contexts, including shared leadership of the Hosanna! congregation. Jo Ann is also a faculty member for Oasis, Evangelical Seminary, and Eastern University, in addition to maintaining a thriving spiritual direction practice. Tony is president and faculty member at Evangelical Seminary. They lead this retreat as “recovering workaholics” who are themselves seeking to live in the grace of a balanced life. “Oasis feels like When: Saturday, May 21, 2016 coming home” 9:00a.m.—3:00p.m. Where: Hosanna!, 29 Green Acre Road, Lititz, PA 17543
~ Pat Deeney
Retreat Fee: $50-75 (as you are able)
www.oasismin.org/SpiritualityOfWork.htm
Bring your own lunch, snacks and drinks provided.
To register (or receive more information), please contact Betsy Keller at 717.737.8222; betsykeller@oasismin.org
REGISTER EARLY! Retreat is limited to 18 and fills up!
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Merton Retreat Day A Repeating Event with New Explorations Come join us for a day apart with the works of Thomas Merton in the beautiful setting of Still Waters, a retreat center along the banks of the Conodoguinet Creek. Thomas Merton (1915-1968), Trappist monk, writer, poet, contemplative, was one of the most influential Christian voices of the 20th century. We will explore his contribution in a contemplative and active way, and experience the ways in which his life and work still speak to us. Leadership: Sanford Alwine, a spiritual director in Carlisle, PA, and co-director of Still Waters Retreat Center, along with Glenn Mitchell, the Director of Training and Program for Oasis Ministries, who has led a variety of retreats around the country on themes of prayer, spirituality, spiritual direction, nature and spirituality and the interplay of art and spirituality. He has a practice of spiritual direction and retreat leadership based in State College, PA. When: Friday, June 3, 2016 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
I have been soaked in the Spirit, steeped in the study of contemplative practice and spiritualities and filled up with Love at this Oasis! ~ Maria Cirillo-Lein
Where: Still Waters Retreat Center 501 W. Slate Hill Road, Carlisle, PA 17013 Retreat Fee: $75-$95 Lunch is provided. Space is limited to 18. Register early!
www.oasismin.org/Merton.htm
To register (or receive more information), please contact Betsy Keller at 717.737.8222; betsykeller@oasismin.org
Get ready for summer!
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The Contemplative in the Garden Through many centuries and cultures, gardens have been sacred places for reflection and meditation. Join Oasis teacher and devoted gardener Nancy Bieber as she opens her country home and garden for a day of retreat. Come and explore the spiritual gifts of the garden. Be open to its abundant variety as we actively engage our senses, as we make space for silence and stillness, as we use our creativity and imagination. Reflect on the paradox of wildness within a boundary that is at the heart of all gardens. Being attentive to the large and small miracles around us will bring a renewal and rest for our bodies and spirits. The rhythm of our day will include pauses for prayer in the midst of activity, individual retreat time, and group reflection and sharing. Leadership: Nancy L. Bieber, M.A., M.S., has been on staff at Oasis Ministries for eighteen years. In 2008, she guided the creation of the Contemplative Living program and provided its leadership for the next seven years. She presently serves as a lead teacher for the Spiritual Direction program. Nancy is a clinical psychologist whose ministry has called her to spiritual direction, retreat leadership and teaching. She is the author of Decision-Making and Spiritual Discernment: The Sacred Art of Finding Your Way. A Quaker and a graduate of Shalem Institute, Nancy finds joy in her garden, in traveling with her husband Larry, and spending time with their four granddaughters. When: Friday, June 24, 2016 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Where: The Bieber Home 566 Stehman Church Rd. Millersville, PA 17551 Retreat Fee: $50-$75 (as you are able)
“The staff of Oasis is challenging and kind, very dedicated to nurturing new spiritual directors and promoting the contemplative in a less than friendly culture. The staff loves the students and the people they are or may be directing. They uphold high ideals.� ~ Gary Jacabella
www.oasismin.org/ContemplativeGarden.htm To register (or receive more information), please contact Betsy Keller at 717.737.8222; betsykeller@oasismin.org
Spiritual Pilgrimages窶年ot Your Average Tour
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6 nights on Iona Look for details at: www.oasismin.org/pilgrimages.htm
Sharing Your Story, Remaining Connected “I like to describe my Oasis experience as the most enriching thing I've done in the second half of life. The gifts of living continue to flow in awareness of God in all things.”
Sharing Your Story, Giving a Nudge We love hearing from people who have been through our programs. You offer great accounts of transformation. Additionally, we know you are the best resource we have in getting the word out about the great work that God is doing through Oasis.
Page 24 “Oasis has provided me the opportunity to be with a community of people who are caring and authentic, who really seem to live in the Spirit of God.“
So, here are 3 invitations for you: Hold Oasis in prayer. More specifically, choose 3 pages in this Program Guide and pray over those programs. Now write down the names of the people that God brings to mind… share this guide or a brochure with them or drop them an email saying that you thought of them. “God has no hands now on earth but yours…” (Teresa of Avila) Share your favorite Oasis story… or your review of Oasis (www.greatnonprofits.org). We’d love to have record of your favorite “...ahhh…” moments. What difference has Oasis made in your life? How does Oasis make a difference in the world? Share your story at www.oasismin.org/25thAnniversary.html#ShareMyStory Reflect on why you support Oasis. We asked our supporters, “Why do you give to Oasis?” Here are some of the amazing reflections we’ve heard:
I give to Oasis because I believe in its mission. The SDSG program has been life-changing for me and I want other people to have the opportunity to experience Oasis' programs.
I love the way Oasis invites one to go deeper into their walk with God. They seem to sense whatever path that takes someone, it is a journey made for them and very special. Also they will be there with you through that journey. The main reason I give to Oasis is that I want to show thankfulness. I give to Oasis because it's the organization that comes closest to my hungers for good human relationships, spiritual growth, and nurture for the well-being of all people.
Help Us to Sustain Connections— Become a Ministry Maker TODAY! Ministry Makers are people like you who have said, “I want to support and bring stability to Oasis on a monthly basis, please charge my credit card for {$$} each month.” You choose the date and the amount (it can be changed or cancelled at any time.)
You can become a Ministry Maker for as little as $10 a month. Simply call 717-737-8222 or visit www.oasismin.org/MinistryMaker.htm
Explore a slide show of all responses and share your reason at www.oasismin.org/Support.html
Sustaining Ministry—Partnering with Oasis
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Keeping Connected through Developing Partnerships Some ways we are keeping connected through developing partnerships: Partnering with Individuals * Resources to help find a spiritual director * On-line community—find us on Facebook, sharing regional gatherings * Gatherings, dinners, reunions Partnering with Congregations * Oasis retreats held in your church, see how at www.oasismin.org/Partners.htm * Custom designed retreats for your faith community * Collaborative efforts to bring in special speakers * Pulpit supply, sharing Oasis on a Sunday morning, mission moments Partnering with Judicatories/Denominational Governing Bodies * Tailored retreats for clergy renewal, as well as spiritual direction for clergy * Displays and conference workshops Learn more at * Ministerium gatherings
www.oasismin.org/MinistryPartners.html
What’s your idea for how Oasis can sustain connections and become a partner in your community and on your personal journey?
“Oasis has been like a raft in the moving water of my life. It held and supported me through these last two years as I experienced with eyes wide open and all senses awake this time in my journey. Life, like the water can be sweet, flowing and gentle, then sometimes with little or no notice turn rough, turbulent and dark. My Oasis connections held me close and gave me the gift of support knowing that no matter what happened I could always trust in the knowledge of the love I felt and the care that was a constant. The teams of teachers, my peers, the lessons and the pertinent and deeply gratifying and soulful reading assignments all contributed to the blessing I call Oasis. I am as thrilled today, now as I graduate as I was on the day I decided to enroll in this SDSG Program. Oasis has been the most positive, enriching and life-affirming gift ever and for that I am eternally grateful.” ~ Diana Barbera
Calendar
August 2015 16-22: On Retreat at Casa del Sol (p.23) 21: Summer De-Stress: A Mindful Approach to Stress Reduction (p.11) September 2015 2-3: Breath and Prayer Opening (p.9) 19: Journey Into Silence Opening (p.10) 21-22: DYDM Opening Retreat (p.8) 26: As A Little Child (p.12) October 2015 6-7: SDSG II Opening Retreat (p.7) 8-9: SDSG I Opening Retreat (p.7) 7: Breath & Prayer 12-14: CL Opening Retreat (p.6) 15: Iona Community (Kirkridge) (p. 14) 16-18: J.P. Newell (Wheelhouse) (p.15) 17: Journey Into Silence November 2015 4: Breath & Prayer 4: SDSG Year II Session 5: SDSG Year I Session 7: HOPE through the Seasons (p.13) 12: CL Session 21: Journey Into Silence December 2015 2: SDSG Year II Session 3: SDSG Year I Session 10: CL Session MERRY CHRISTMAS! January 2016 6: Breath & Prayer 6: SDSG Year II Session 7: SDSG Year I Session 16: Journey Into Silence February 2016 3: Breath & Prayer 3: SDSG Year II Session 4: SDSG Year I Session 11: CL Session 15-17: Winter DYDM Retreat 20: Journey Into Silence 27: Intro to Enneagram (p.16)
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March 2016 2: Breath & Prayer 2: SDSG Year II Session 3: SDSG Year I Session 10: CL Session 19: Journey Into Silence 19: Advanced Enneagram (p.17)
HAPPY EASTER! April 2016 1: David Whyte Poetry Day (p.18) 6: Breath & Prayer 6: SDSG Year II Session 7: SDSG Year I Session 9: HOPE through the Seasons (p.13) 14: CL Session 16: Journey Into Silence 18-19: Closing DYDM Retreat 22-23: Wisdom of Rhythm (Men’s Retreat) (p.19) May 2016 3-4: SDSG Year II Closing Retreat 4: Breath & Prayer (closing) 5-6: SDSG Year I Closing Retreat 12-13: CL Closing Retreat 21: Journey Into Silence (closing) 21: Spirituality of Work (p.20) June 2016 3: Thomas Merton Retreat Day (p.21) 24: The Contemplative in the Garden (p.22)
Looking Ahead… October 2-14, 2016—Celtic Pilgrimage to Iona with Rev. Cindy Garis and Rev. Dr. Kathleen Roney. Look for details at: www.oasismin.org/pilgrimages.htm
Information/Registration
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Name: ____________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ Phone #:____________________________ Email:______________________________
Please contact me about: Journey Into Silence Breath and Prayer Spiritual Direction for Spiritual Guides Deepening Year for Direction Ministries Contemplative Leadership Please register me for the following Event(s): Event Name/Date of Event _____________________________________ Event Name/Date of Event _____________________________________ Event Name/Date of Event _____________________________________
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If paying by check, please make it payable to OASIS MINISTRIES, and send it along with this page to the address below. If paying by credit/debit card, please complete the following: Visa/MC/DISCOVER#_______________________________________ Exp. Date: _______________ 3-digit Sec. Code (back of card) __________ Signature:_______________________________________________ My email (we will send confirmation of processing): ____________________________ I’d like to make a contribution to support the work of Oasis! See enclosed check or please charge my account at the above information in the amount of $________and use it towards: Wherever the needs are greatest Multiplying the Ministries (Endowment fund) Sanford Alwine Scholarship Fund “Green Space for the Soul” Campaign—25th Anniversary Other (please specify) _____________________________ Oasis is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Contributions are tax-deductible.
Contact us at 419 Deerfield Road, Camp Hill, PA 17011 phone 717.737.8222 ; email: oasismin@oasismin.org or visit www.oasismin.org.
We do this by: Providing training in spiritual direction Educating in mindfulness and prayer practices Offering retreat opportunities for groups and communities
OUR MISSION: Oasis Ministries fosters a contemplative community that invites people to experience God in their daily lives.
Program Guide 2015-2016 Volume 27, Issue 1
419 Deerfield Road Camp Hill, PA 17011
... a life changing experience in growing closer in communion with God ~.Debbi Roldan
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 667 Harrisburg, PA