Trips start long before the vans leave the parking lot and don’t end when the vans return. Learn tangible ways to prepare a group and connect your congregation to the whole experience before, during and after a trip around the world, a trip around the block, or anywhere in between.
Come experience the power of prayer shawl ministry and learn how to start this ministry in your particular setting. You will share in the spiritual practice of knitting a prayer shawl and explore how this craft can increase your prayer life and benefit your congregation and the wider community. Basic knitting knowledge required.
Explore ways to accompany those who are struggling with chronic or serious illness, hospitalization, being home bound or terminally ill. Discover how creativity, spiritual practices, the arts, and recreation can be used in pastoral care.
Whether you are learning the basics or improving your skills, join us to build your own beautiful stained glass creations. If a beginner, you will learn to cut glass, apply lead or foil, and to solder in order to create one-dimensional panels or tiffany stones. Persons with prior experience in working with stained glass will be able to create more intricate pieces, including larger panels, three dimensional boxes, or kaleidoscopes. Everyone will leave with sensational finished pieces, improved skills, the fun of creative expression, and resources to continue this artistic expression. Class limited to 14. Additional class fee $45.
Can you feel the beat? In this course we will get “hands on” with various hand drums and other rhythm instruments. We also will talk about the fellowship of drum circles, mission aspects of music, and the theology of music and music leadership. This course is for people with or without music leadership experience. If you have a drum, bring it with you. If you don’t, we will have drums to share. Come and enjoy some bangin’ and sangin’!
It’s time! It’s time to incorporate all that we are into the experience of worship! So, how do you do that in real life setting with real life people who may or may not think it is time? Come learn how to shepherd your congregation into deeper and broader expressions of worship in the local setting.
Come join us for outside play in God’s creation using group initiatives, team building concepts, ropes course activities, and “big space” games. This class will explore ways to use the outdoors in any setting. You’ll bring the adventure home with resources and ideas for your youth group, rec program, and maybe even a session meeting.
You’ll have a different variety pack workshop each day.
If you are looking for creative ideas to use with congregations and families to help celebrate the seasons of the Christian year, this is the class for you. Get and help create practical worship, education, arts, and fellowship event ideas for Advent through Christ the King Sunday.
Do you need handy resources in your pocket when time is of the essence? Playtime on a Dime will give participants “more than fifty” quick and easy games for a variety of ages in a variety of settings with a minimal amount of required equipment. Let’s learn, grow, and play together.
A warming world reminds Christians to live, play, and worship with God’s creation in mind. We will re-use and recycle materials to create musical instruments, crafts, and recreation equipment for use in worship and a wide variety of programmatic settings. Go home with great ideas for the local church.
Learn to lead effective and faithful group process and how to be an effective small group leader. You’ll develop skills in how to read a group and respond to group dynamics as you facilitate group building, committee meetings, educational events, and other small group gatherings.
Do you know someone whose ideas seem to catch on? They seem able to generate energy, momentum and change…...sometimes deep change. How do they do it? Is it personality, process, the idea or a bit of all three? If you are willing to transform your ideas, communicate persuasively with your audience and overcome inertia for positive change, come to this worksho
Fulfill scripture as we dance our way through a variety of dance styles that are sure to please those you work with back home. Big Circle Barn Dances, a few sure-fire International Dances, Novelty Dances and liturgical folk dance will all be taught with teaching techniques included. All left-footers are welcomed.
We will explore how one of the greatest games ever played teaches us about ourselves, other people, the lessons of life and God. We will examine these jewels through movie clips, excerpts from books, and meaningful conversations on the tee boxes, fairways, greens and 19th hole. Bring your clubs and a willingness to grow in mind, body and spirit. Class limited to 16. Additional class fee $20
Knitting is officially a craze, and no wonder: it’s relaxing, it’s best done in community, and it’s a fun way to give beautiful gifts. Intro to knitting will teach you the basics you’ll need to cast on, knit some rows, and forge ahead into a first project. You can come to this class without any previous experience, and leave without feeling intimidated by the esoteric vocabulary of knitting! The only thing you’ll need to invest in: a pair of needles, size US 7.
Come experience the excitement of cooking in the wonderful Dutch over. This three-legged cast iron pot is an amazing cooking device. We will cook main dishes and of course, desserts. We will also eat what we cook. Yum! Yum!
As leaders in our faith communities, we are called to claim time for practices of Sabbath-keeping and spiritual nurture. We just gotta do it! We are also called to help our faith communities keep Sabbath time themselves. Experience new ways to rest, renew, and rejoice in the Spirit through prayer, art, Bible study, and the outdoors.
Technology provides many different, new mediums that can help give us a glimpse of the divine. How do we discern what technology is most useful in our limited-budget church settings and how do we utilize it in creative ways? Join us as we “geek out” for God and figure out how to
use penny-pinching apps and gear in our ministry, worship, and education programs.
Create a timeless one-of-a-kind mirror that reflects your personal style. We will use a wooden base and attach textured fabrics and colorful papers to your design to complete a unique work of art. Class limited to 12. Additional class fee $30
From birth til death, there are significant times we want to ‘mark’ in some way. There are rituals and practices and ways of acknowledging God’s lively work in our lives for everyday, gatherings, time away, meals, significant milestones, loss of a pet, ...any part of what we call ‘family’ and life together. From the simple to the deeply moving, from the daily to the once-in-a-lifetime, this course will experiment with and develop ways to MARK time and significant events in our lives.
How do you build a community using games, music, movement, laughter, and interaction? We will explore the skills needed to move a group from being individuals to being the body of Christ. You will walk away with events for different time slots – how to lead 15 minutes of rec., an hour program, or a weekend retreat.
Give new life to your old conference or sports T-shirts by transforming them into a beautiful new quilt. Recycle your memories into a lifetime treasure. Sewing experience required; bring your own machine and iron. Course leader will contact you regarding a supply list. Class limited to 10. Additional class fee $10
In this class we will fuse and slump glass into beautiful creations. Participants will learn how to fuse glass into bowls, plates, jewelry, wind chimes, and so much more. Whether you are just wanting to create something for yourself or want to start a glass studio back home, we will help equip you with the knowledge to do so. Class limited to 16. Additional class fee $45
Come join us for a fun-filled week of learning to use simple hand tools and a few safe power tools. Participants will use a shave horse and drawknife, coping saw and bench pin, hand drill and drill press to make hiking sticks, Celtic crosses and your choice of a Nine Man Morris game board or a Fox and Geese game board. Class limited to 12.
From the parlor to the woods, from the table to the gym, from sitting down to running around–let’s play games! This course will cover it all. We will play in all kinds of ways and discover ways to adapt to your own personal settings.
There is great power in a good story! Drawing upon scripture and personal experiences, participants will learn practical ideas for weaving stories into classroom settings, congregational gatherings, family events, and sermons. Develop your storytelling skills and learn to use them in your ministry setti