Virginia Mennonite Conference Ministry Retreat

Session Titles

Session I – Friday, February 28, 2020 – 7-9 pm
Compassion Fatigue – How Our Bodies Keep Score

Session II – Saturday, February 29, 2020 – 9 am-12 noon
Costs of Leadership – Institutional Harm & Healing

Session III – Saturday, February 29, 2020 – 1:30-4:00 pm
Communities of Care – Igniting Spiritual Renewal

Facilitators

Dr. Carolyn Stauffer has been the Co-director of EMU’s Biomedicine program and currently teaches in the university’s department of Applied Social Sciences. She has several decades of experience in mental health and trauma work. Dr. Carl Stauffer teaches in the Center of Justice and Peacebuilding at EMU and is the Co-director the Zehr Institute. Carl is an ordained minister through Virginia Mennonite Conference and is also the Academic Director of the Caux Scholars program.

Carl and Carolyn together work in God’s adventure zone of crossing boundaries and borders. Called to a ministry of reconciliation, they describe themselves as ‘bridge-spanners’ within a divided world. As missionary kids, both Carl (Southeast Asia) and Carolyn (the Middle East) grew up across cultures and amidst war and conflict. Following Carl’s ordination to ministry in 1988, the Stauffers spent 6 years in inter-racial church-planting and community organizing in Richmond, Virginia followed by 16 years in South Africa serving with MCC in peacebuilding and trauma recovery work. While in South Africa, the Stauffers were elders in two multi-racial churches. Now, as university professors they regularly thank God that the globe shows up in the classroom. The Stauffers carry a deep desire to serve this generation in reaching its fullest potential in Christ. Their guiding life theme comes from Acts 13:36 – “David served the purpose of God in his generation!”

Schedule

Friday, February 28
Lodging: Holiday Inn in Christiansburg
6:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. Registration & Fellowship, Christiansburg Mennonite Fellowship, 40 Farmview Road, Christiansburg VA
Please bring a snack to share.
7:00 p.m. – 9 p.m. Announcements & Worship

Session I: “Compasion Fatigue: How are Bodies Keep Score”, Carl and Carolyn Stauffer

Saturday, February 29
9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Coffee at Christiansburg Mennonite Fellowship
9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Worship

Session II: “Costs of Leadership: Institutional Harm and Healing”, Carl and Carolyn

12 Noon Lunch (Christiansburg Mennonite)
1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Worship

Session III: “Communities of Care: Igniting Spiritual Renewal”, Carl and Carolyn

Evening Free time

Sunday, March 1
Check out of hotel rooms
10:30 a.m. Worship at Christiansburg Mennonite Fellowship

Registration

Cost: $50 per person; $100 per couple. Register here.

Participants will also pay for their hotel rooms ($120 plus tax per room per night), and Saturday evening supper. All breakfasts are cared for by the hotel. Please bring a snack to share on Friday evening.