“Sister Care” retreat is coming to Virginia
by VMC Staff
Sisters seeking spiritual renewal and a fun getaway will get both at “We are God’s Beloved Daughters,” the Mennonite Women of Virginia Fall Retreat Sept. 21-23 at Eagle Eyrie Baptist Conference Center in Lynchburg, Va. Guest speakers Carolyn Heggen and Rhoda Keener will present “Sister Care: Equipping Women for Caring Ministry.” Early registration deadline is Aug. 31, with final registration due Sept. 10.
Sister Care seminars explore claiming identity as God’s beloved, caring for self and others, compassionate listening, and transforming loss and grief. The seminars are a ministry of Mennonite Women USA. Keener is co-director of Mennonite Women USA. Her background includes mental health and teaching in various settings. Co-editor of She Has Done a Good Thing: Mennonite Women Leaders Tell Their Stories, Rhoda is a member of Marion Mennonite Church and lives in Shippensburg, Pa..
Heggen is a psychotherapist specializing in trauma recovery. A frequent speaker and workshop leader on personal and communal healing, personal boundaries, gender issues and PTSD, she is the author of Sexual Abuse in Christian Homes and Churches. Carolyn lives in Corvallis, Oregon, and is a member of Albany Mennonite Church.
Beautifully set in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Eagle Eyrie is a new site for the retreat that features hotels and lodges. Lodges include kitchens; many have screened porches with mountain views.
The weekend also features worship, music and ample opportunity for fun and fellowship. Saturday afternoon options include hiking, music making, knitting, Zumba, silent meditation and journaling, a scavenger hunt and “Healing from Within…Your Kitchen Cupboard,” which explores the health benefits of specific foods and spices. A talent show is scheduled Saturday night.
Registration brochures and posters have been mailed to congregations. Questions and scholarship requests may be directed to Kathy Zehr Rhodes, retreat committee chair, at (540) 843-0763. Brochures are available here.
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Rhoda Keener and Carolyn Holderread Heggen, guest speakers at Mennonite Women of Virginia’s Fall Retreat.
Photo courtesy of author.