CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY
OF ADULT EVENTS
For a printable version of this listing click here.
Click on the event of interest to take you directly to detailed information or scroll down through all the events to find the one(s) that interest you.
Event Title - Starting Date
2009-2010 Listings:
Spiritual Practices Certificate Series
various dates
A series of experiential workshops to explore and enrich your spiritual life. To obtain the certificate participants must attend all six programs in this year’s series. They are marked in the program listing below and include body prayer, soundmaking, mindfulness meditation, care for creation, practices of Islam and labyrinth & mandalas.
*Register by January 25 for the series. (Space is limited so register early!) Workshops can be taken individually.
Cost: $130 for the Certificate Series or $25 per workshop, except labyrinth walk is $35 because it includes supper. The full amount is due at time of registration.
More detailed information about these individual workshops is available in our chronological listing below or click here to download a printable flyer.
To register click here.
Creative Community: Exploring Expressive Arts
Theme: Spirit Moved Over the Deep
Mar. 1, Mon. 9:30am-4:30pm
Spend time being creative in a beautiful, sacred and safe place for the sake of personal expression and spiritual growth. By exploring paint, sound, movement, sculpture and writing participants will discover hidden treasures within themselves that give way to the creation of beautiful and deeply personal works of art. The theme for the day indicates that we will focus on movement and body prayer as a way to express and understand ourselves more deeply. Connect with the rhythms of the universe as we explore how powerful movement can be.
Leadership: Diane Blanchard when challenged to summarize her life in five words, Diane wrote: Played. Taught. Preached. Listened. Loved. At the beginning was play and returning to that experience is freeing her up to risk creativity, and learn about incorporating it into her life and ministry. Her recent sabbatical leave was spent in Haliburton pursuing a Fleming College Certificate in Expressive Arts. Diane enjoys her three young adult children and ministry with the Carlisle-Kilbride pastoral charge.
Kellie McComb is a Diaconal Minister in the United Church and Expressive Artist who believes when we connect with our creativity we connect with the Divine presence of God at work in our life. She has studied Art Therapy at St. Stephen's College focusing on the healing gift creativity brings. Kellie also enjoys the spiritual practice of mandalas using a variety of media, stained glass, and jewellery making.
Robin McGauley is an Expressive Artist, Silversmith and Ordained Minister with the United Church of Canada whose spiritual journey led her to creativity and the arts. She leads with gentleness and playfulness to create a safe environment for participants to explore and learn from their own inner creator. She has a passion for creating powerful community experiences as well as for team building. Robin works in the purple office as a Program Coordinator at Five Oaks.
Cost: $65 – art supplies & lunch included
Click here for a printable flyer of this program
To register click here.
Rhythm at the Heart: Spiritual Practice of Soundmaking (Spiritual Practices Series)
Mar. 1, Mon. 7-9:30pm
Thousands of years ago our ancestors discovered that rhythm is at the heart of everything: vibrating cells, a mother’s heartbeat, night and day, running streams and rolling waves, changing seasons, living and dying. Modern body/mind research confirms that being human is a combination of experience and biology and that the human spirit can be awakened, revitalized or calmed through the expression of simple pattern, pulse and sound. We pay homage to our African and Aboriginal forefathers and mothers for they taught “the way of sound”. This workshop will be dedicated to the expressive art of soundmaking, a term coined by Gary Diggins. Soundmaking is the process of making available user-friendly instruments for the expressed purpose of generating a sense of well being for ourselves but more importantly for another. The workshop will use voice, movement, drums, bells and bowls to allow us to experience the "excitability" and "meditative" qualities of soundmaking.
(psst... it's really, really fun.)
Leadership: Stephen Hudecki is a musician and therapist who runs programs called Ancient Arts in Modern Times throughout the Golden Horseshoe in schools, churches, corporations and hospitals.
Cost: $25 for workshop or $130 for Series
Click here for a printable flyer
To register click here.
Day Away
Mar. 3, Wed. 9am-4pm
Are you in need of spiritual nourishment? If so, this is the day for you. Come and spend a day away from the noise and busyness. The day begins with a short time of worship and community building led by Five Oaks spiritual guides. The rest of the day is for you to spend time reflecting with the Spirit, through silence, journaling, meditation, walking the labyrinth, by the river, or tending other practices that help you seek God’s presence. You may even choose to spend the day on silent retreat. The day closes with communal worship. Spiritual accompaniment with a Five Oaks spiritual guide is available on this day to assist you in deepening your relationship with the Divine. Time with a spiritual guide is optional. Please indicate when you register if you wish to meet with a spiritual guide during the Day Away.
Cost: $45 (includes lunch); $60 (includes lunch & spiritual accompaniment for one session). Please register by February 25.
The maximum number of people for a Day Away is 8, so please register early!
Also, it is extremely important that you arrive on time (9:00am sharp) for the Day Away so that the sacred space that is created through the opening worship can be honoured.
Note: Day Away is for individuals to experience a day on retreat. If an established group wishes to experience such a day together please contact Robin McGauley, Coordinator of Adult Programs, to make these special arrangements
Click here for our Spiritual Accompaniment flyer
To register click here.
Keeping the Faith in a Culture of Consumerism
Mar. 8-10, Mon. 12:30 with lunch-Wed. 12:30 with lunch
This program with John Bell will incorporate lectures, workshops and group discussion to take seriously three realities: God, Money and the Western World. We will look at how scripture deals with money, why it is often the last issue Christians talk about, and how we enable the next generation to move from the consumerist mentality which has enabled the West to bring the rest of the world close to the point of extinction.
Leadership: John Bell was born in, resides in, and belongs to Scotland. He is a liturgical composer who writes co-operatively with colleagues in Glasgow; he has a deep interest in music from non-European cultures and a passion for song of the Assembly. Though his primary vocation is as a preacher and teacher, he spends over half his time working in the areas of music and liturgy, both at conferences and in small parishes, and his work takes him frequently into Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.
With his colleagues, he has produced over 15 collections of songs and octavos, and a wide range of liturgical materials, particularly for use by lay people, and he oversaw the production of a substantial hymnal for the Church of Scotland which, in North America, goes by the title Hymns of Glory, Songs of Praise (Canterbury Press). John manages to survive without the benefit of a wife, car, cell phone, camera, or ipod.
Cost: $365 ($395 after February 8) includes tuition meals and accommodation. Please register by March 1
Click here for a printable flyer of this program
To register click here.
Therapeutic TouchTM: Level 3
Mar 19-21, Fri. 7pm-Sun.4pm
Therapeutic Touch (TT) is a safe gentle complementary healing art which is having a world-wide impact by profoundly enhancing the quality of nurturing care from birth to death. Therapeutic Touch is a contemporary interpretation of several ancient healing practices. It is a consciously directed process in which the practitioner uses the hands as a focus for healing. TT is administered with the intent of enhancing and supporting the flow of energy through the body, thus helping people change their energy in the direction of wholeness and wellbeing. It is a safe healing method practiced by people throughout the world. One can use it for self, family, friends, even animals and plants. A growing formal research base indicates that Therapeutic Touch often induces a rapid relaxation response, reduces stress and anxiety, changes perception of pain and enhances body’s natural restorative ability. Therapeutic Touch is holistic in its approach, affecting body, mind, emotions and spirit.
In this Level 3 program, participant will:
- integrate and expand knowledge from Level 1 and 2
- bring own practice to deeper levels of understanding and expertise
- learn more about chakras and their relationship to autonomic nervous system and endocrine system
- start looking into the role of emotional field in healing
- gain insights about healing self and others
- formulate a plan for ongoing self-healing and personal growth
At the end of the weekend participants will receive a Certificate of Completion which is approved by the Therapeutic Touch Network of Ontario. This certificate can be used toward becoming a Therapeutic Touch practitioner – although one does not need to be a recognized practitioner in order to do Therapeutic Touch.
Visit www.therapeutictouchontario.org for more information on Therapeutic Touch.
Leadership: Jitka Malec has been practicing Therapeutic Touch since 1993. She teaches Therapeutic Touch at Fanshawe College in St.Thomas, in other institutions on request and privately. TT is a very important part of her life.
Regina Sheere recognizes that, for her, the common sense approach to healing and life - being in touch with the rhythms of the earth - have motivated her to become a recognized practitioner of Therapeutic Touch. She is a member in good standing with The Therapeutic Touch TM Network of Ontario.
Cost: $390 ~ includes tuition, meals & accommodation
Please register by March 5
Click here for a printable flyer of this program
To register click here.
Stones Would Shout!
Mar. 22, Mon. 7-8pm
A special Five Oaks program offered free of charge to groups and individuals, to share Five Oaks stories, facts & future vision. Please register (individually or as a group) for this presentation.
Examples of groups that have recently enjoyed the presentation are:
- Trinity United Church in Elmira
- St. Andrew’s United Church UCW group from Brantford came to Five Oaks for lunch, tour and presentation
- Applewood United Church in Mississauga during their annual Outreach Sunday service, with a fundraiser lunch afterwards to benefit Five Oaks
As Margaret Boutnikoff, Outreach Committee Chair from Applewood United Church describes, “Comments about (this) presentation have been excellent. Andrea Buttars led a lively question and answer period following the presentation. We were so pleased to learn more about Five Oaks and support this important ministry.”
All are invited to this special program free of charge.
Please register individually or as a group by calling 519-442-3212. (On-line registration is not available.)
Connecting to Ourselves through Mindfulness Meditation (Spiritual Practices Series)
Mar. 29, Mon. 7-9:30pm
Mindfulness is a moment-to-moment awareness that, with cultivation, may bring a new kind of wisdom and connectedness to our lives. It is not a quick fix, but rather a practice that may move us in the direction of healing and peace as we learn to listen to ourselves and live in deeper connection with our lives and those around us. This evening's workshop will offer a window into the practice of Mindfulness Meditation and what it means to ‘live mindfully’.
Leadership: Lorna MacQueen is the ‘Minister of Faith formation for Discipleship’ on the Hamilton Conference staff. She has twenty-six years experience in Pastoral Ministry, training in Interim Ministry and in Spiritual Direction and spirituality. She was excited by her discovery, a number of years ago, of Kabat-Zinn. Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your body and Mind to face Stress, Pain and Illness: New York: Delta, 1990. She experienced this book as an opening up of the practice of Mindfulness Meditation and living mindfully to the novice in meditation. Drawing this meditation into the Christian practice has been a meaningful journey she has shared in a number of contexts.
Cost: $25 for workshop or $130 for Series
Click here for a printable flyer
To register click here.
Work Camp
Apr. 6-8, Tue. 10am-Thurs. 3pm
As Bev Oaten, founding Director of Five Oaks, declared “work is a privilege and an opportunity to learn devotion and humility.” Join Tom Hunt, Richard Yake and John Buttars for any part of our annual 3 day work camp. Projects may include painting, indoor/outdoor spring cleaning or lumberjack duty. The rhythm for each day will be marked with breaks for chapel prayer and, of course, delicious meals. After a day of hard work we will gather in the evenings to explore the theme A Rule of Life with John Buttars offering leadership. Meals and overnight accommodation are provided by Five Oaks – our gift to you.
To register click here.
Day Away
Apr. 7, Wed. 9am-4pm
Are you in need of spiritual nourishment? If so, this is the day for you. Come and spend a day away from the noise and busyness. The day begins with a short time of worship and community building led by Five Oaks spiritual guides. The rest of the day is for you to spend time reflecting with the Spirit, through silence, journaling, meditation, walking the labyrinth, by the river, or tending other practices that help you seek God’s presence. You may even choose to spend the day on silent retreat. The day closes with communal worship. Spiritual accompaniment with a Five Oaks spiritual guide is available on this day to assist you in deepening your relationship with the Divine. Time with a spiritual guide is optional. Please indicate when you register if you wish to meet with a spiritual guide during the Day Away.
Cost: $45 (includes lunch); $60 (includes lunch & spiritual accompaniment for one session). Please register by March 31.
The maximum number of people for a Day Away is 8, so please register early!
Also, it is extremely important that you arrive on time (9am sharp) for the Day Away so that the sacred space that is created through the opening worship can be honoured.
Note: Day Away is for individuals to experience a day on retreat. If an established group wishes to experience such a day together please contact Robin McGauley, Coordinator of Adult Programs, to make these special arrangements
Click here for our Spiritual Accompaniment flyer
To register click here.
Licensed Lay Worship Leaders/Lay Preachers Program
Apr. 9-11, Fri. 5:30pm with supper-Sun. 12:30 with lunch
Many people, as a part of their faith journeys, are called upon to courageously step forward to lead worship. This program will help participants develop skill in worship preparation and in the writing and delivery of sermons. This particular weekend will focus on Hebrew and Christian Scriptures.
This is one of four weekend courses offered at Five Oaks to fulfill the requirements for certification as a Licensed Lay Worship Leader with the United Church of Canada. The four weekend courses that make up the Licensed Lay Worship Leadership program offer an introduction in the areas of biblical interpretation, theological reflection, inclusive language, preaching, spirituality, church history and ethics. Reading and written assignments, including writing liturgy and sermons, will be completed between weekends.
This program is open to anyone who is interested in exploring their skills and abilities as a worship leader. A person does not need to commit to taking all the units or to seeking licensing as a lay worship leader to attend.
Please click here for more extensive information on the Licensed Lay Worship Leaders program.
Leadership: Peter & Olga McKellar, Robin McGauley, Maggie Plant and others.
Cost: $300 ($330 after March 5) ~ includes tuition, meals & accommodation
This program fills up very quickly. Please register early.
To register click here.
Practicing Forgiveness to Heal the Planet (Spiritual Practices Series)
Apr. 19, Mon. 7-9:30pm
In her recent book Sea Sick, Alanna Mitchell explains how the global ocean - 99 per cent of the planet’s living space - is undergoing vast chemical changes because of human’s behaviour. Put simply, some of the carbon dioxide we are putting into the air by burning fossil fuels is being absorbed by the ocean. At risk is the very structure of life in the ocean and therefore, on the planet as a whole. In this time of ecological crisis what would a spiritual practice of care for creation look like? How do we begin this spiritual task of responding to what we’ve done to the planet? In this workshop Alanna Mitchell will share what is happening to the ocean and then invite us to forgiveness, focusing on the need for forgiveness among our species as a whole before we can get on with the work of healing the planet. This, Alanna believes, is the ultimate spiritual task, one that is extraordinarily powerful.
Leadership: Alanna Mitchell is a Canadian author and journalist who writes about global science issues. She specializes in investigating changes to the earth's life-support systems and travels the world in search of scientists at the centre of what's going on. Her second book, Sea Sick: The Hidden Crisis in the Global Ocean, was published in many countries in 2008 and 2009. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) and the Reuters Foundation named Mitchell the best environmental journalist in the world in 2000 after an international competition. The prize was a fellowship at Oxford University, which Mitchell took up in the Hilary term of 2002, studying with the eminent ecologist Norman Myers. Mitchell also won the 2008 Atkinson Fellowship in Journalism, a $100,000 prize, to conduct a new course of study on the intersection of neuroscience and education. Raised in Saskatchewan by an artist mother and a biologist father, Mitchell now lives in Toronto with her second husband, James Patterson, and their two children.
Cost: $25 for workshop or $130 for Series
Click here for printable flyer
To register click here.
Youth Ministry in an Intercultural World (Neos Youth Ministry Training Program)
Apr. 23-25, Fri. 7:30pm-Sun. 12:30 with lunch
In the Canadian context we all live side by side with people from many different countries and backgrounds and we value many traditions. Our youth often encounter cultural diversity in schools and certainly in their interaction with various media – music, television and the internet. We have typically referred to this as ‘multiculturalism’. What if we were to use the word ‘intercultural’ instead? “Intercultural” means mutually respectful relationships among and between cultures. The truth is youth long for meaningful relationships – so how might we enable and support our youth in meaningful ‘intercultural’ interactions and encounters? In a culturally diverse world, what are effective strategies for youth ministry? What can interculturally inclusive youth ministry look like? Come and explore what intercultural ministry might mean when working with youth, the implications of a changing cultural context and, of course, gather plenty of tools for ministry with youth.
Leadership: Adele Halliday is an innovative educator, facilitator and writer. A creative and joyful person, Adele constantly seeks balance and renewal in the busyness that surrounds her. She loves to laugh, loves life, and loves to build diverse communities. Adele has offered leadership at events for people of all ages in many parts of the world, and is a strong advocate for justice. Adele holds an M.Ed. in comparative, international, and development education and is the program coordinator for intercultural engagement and education with The United Church of Canada.
Cost: $250 ($275 after March 26). Includes tuition, meals and accommodation
Click here for printable flyer
To register click here.
Guided Silent Retreat
Apr. 23-25, Fri. 7pm-Sun. 3pm
Join with others to nurture your spirit through prayer, meditation, rest, the outdoors and scripture. The retreat will begin with community building and worship leading into silence. Spiritual guides are available as desired throughout the retreat to listen and reflect with you on your spiritual needs. Silence ends with lunch on the last day of the retreat. The retreat closes with communal worship.
While silence will be maintained throughout the retreat, including mealtimes, other groups may be using parts of the Five Oaks campus. Total quiet, therefore, cannot be guaranteed.
Leadership is offered by Five Oaks Spiritual Guides
Cost: $295 ~ includes meals & accommodation
Please register by April 2
Click here for Spiritual Accompaniment flyer
To register click here.
Creative Community: Exploring Expressive Arts
Theme: And God Said “Paint is Good”
May 3, Mon. 9:30am-4:30pm
Spend time being creative in a beautiful, sacred and safe place for the sake of personal expression and spiritual growth. By exploring paint, sound, movement, sculpture and writing participants will discover hidden treasures within themselves that give way to the creation of beautiful and deeply personal works of art. The theme for this day indicates that the focus will be on exploring with paint. We will not be offering art instruction, but rather encouraging participants to follow their own intuition and use various art materials to express ourselves and encounter ourselves more deeply. Reflecting on what we have created will offer insights into what we have longed to encounter in our lives.
Leadership: Diane Blanchard - when challenged to summarize her life in five words, Diane wrote: Played. Taught. Preached. Listened. Loved. At the beginning was play and returning to that experience is freeing her up to risk creativity, and learn about incorporating it into her life and ministry. Her recent sabbatical leave was spent in Haliburton pursuing a Fleming College Certificate in Expressive Arts. Diane enjoys her three young adult children and ministry with the Carlisle-Kilbride pastoral charge.
Kellie McComb is a Diaconal Minister in the United Church and Expressive Artist who believes when we connect with our creativity we connect with the Divine presence of God at work in our life. She has studied Art Therapy at St. Stephen's College focusing on the healing gift creativity brings. Kellie also enjoys the spiritual practice of mandalas using a variety of media, stained glass, and jewellery making.
Robin McGauley is an Expressive Artist, Silversmith and Ordained Minister with the United Church of Canada whose spiritual journey led her to creativity and the arts. She leads with gentleness and playfulness to create a safe environment for participants to explore and learn from their own inner creator. She has a passion for creating powerful community experiences as well as for team building. Robin works in the purple office as a Program Coordinator at Five Oaks.
Cost: $65 – art supplies & lunch included
Click here for printable flyer
To register click here.
Day Away
May 5, Wed. 9am-4pm
Are you in need of spiritual nourishment? If so, this is the day for you. Come and spend a day away from the noise and busyness. The day begins with a short time of worship and community building led by Five Oaks spiritual guides. The rest of the day is for you to spend time reflecting with the Spirit, through silence, journaling, meditation, walking the labyrinth, by the river, or tending other practices that help you seek God’s presence. You may even choose to spend the day on silent retreat. The day closes with communal worship. Spiritual accompaniment with a Five Oaks spiritual guide is available on this day to assist you in deepening your relationship with the Divine. Time with a spiritual guide is optional. Please indicate when you register if you wish to meet with a spiritual guide during the Day Away.
Cost: $45 (includes lunch); $60 (includes lunch & spiritual accompaniment for one session). Please register by April 28.
The maximum number of people for a Day Away is 8, so please register early!
Also, it is extremely important that you arrive on time (9:00am sharp) for the Day Away so that the sacred space that is created through the opening worship can be honoured.
Note: Day Away is for individuals to experience a day on retreat. If an established group wishes to experience such a day together please contact Robin McGauley, Coordinator of Adult Programs, to make these special arrangements
Click here for Spiritual Accompaniment flyer
To register click here.
Luke’s Jesus & Sabbath Economics
May 7-8, Fri. 9:30am-Sat. 5:30 with supper
“Sabbath economics is an unfamiliar notion to First World churches in large part because it has been marginalized by biblical interpreters, whose silence has helped to legitimate the very debt system that the Bible denounces.” Found in the introduction to Ched Myers’ book, The Biblical Vision of Sabbath Economics, this quote offers insight into what participants in this program will explore. How might Sabbath economics be placed at the centre of a new ethos and cosmology? Focusing on a series of texts from the lectionary (Year C) we’ll look at the personal and political implications of the economy of grace as told and shown by Luke’s Jesus. Participants may find it helpful to read Ched Myers’, The Biblical Vision of Sabbath Economics (2001), obtainable through www.bcm-net.org. Copies will also be available at the retreat.
Leadership: Ched Myers is a 5th generation Californian living in the Ojai Valley watershed north of Los Angeles. He is an activist theologian who has worked in social change movements for more than three decades. Throughout North America and abroad Ched is sought after as a popular educator who animates scripture and issues of discipleship, peace and justice, and as a lecturer by seminaries, denominational conferences and activist organizations. Ched received degrees from the University of California at Berkeley in Philosophy and from the Graduate Theological Union in New Testament Studies.
Cost: $345 ($380 after April 9)
Click here for printable flyer
To register click here.
Common Life Community Gathering: Experience & Discern
May 9-10, Sun. 4pm-Mon. 8pm
Do you long for a supportive Christian community to learn with, journey with and be accountable to? The Common Life Community is designed to address spiritual challenges of our time with five related practices:
- Engagement for Justice
- Attending to the Spirit
- Dedication to Learning
- Commitment to Community
- Retreat
The focus of Common Life is the formation of small groups that intentionally commit to explore and learn about these five practices. Participants in the groups prayerfully support and hold one another accountable to living out these practices in their daily lives and as a community.
This retreat will help you decide whether or not to commit to participating in a Common Life group. By engaging with the Common Life community in this their annual gathering you will get a sense of the profound impact that this community has for all of those involved and discern the benefits for your own spiritual life. You will explore how to live out discipleship, meet others who are searching spiritually, encounter a diversity of spiritual practices, enjoy intentional personal time and encounter deeper engagement with the sacred place that is Five Oaks.
This year’s Common Life Retreat will feature the leadership of Ched Myers, a popular educator who animates scripture and issues of discipleship, peace and justice. In this way we will delve deeper into the Common Life practices of Engagement for Justice and Dedication to Learning. Those who attend this retreat to discern will enjoy additional leadership offered by members of the Common Life Community.
Cost: $175 ~ includes tuition, meals and accommodation
Click here for a printable flyer of this program
Click here for the Common Life Community flyer
To register click here.
Day Away for those Living with Malignant Disease
May 12, Wed. 9am-4pm
Every illness has a personal and a spiritual dimension. These dimensions are often unrecognized or ignored by the health care system. The non-medical dimensions of illness are especially important to those with malignant disease and to their family members. To journey into the valley of malignant disease is to experience many polarities of human emotions: hope and despair, courage and hopelessness, joy and sorrow, God’s presence and God’s absence. Those who journey this path experience all these emotions, as do those who are companions on the same journey.
This day away will provide the environment where one can consider the spiritual aspect of living with malignant disease. The environment will be the peace and natural beauty of the Five Oaks property. There will be opportunities for sharing as well as times of silence and contemplation. Companioning with a spiritual guide will be available.
This day away is designed for both those with malignant disease and for their closest companions.
Leadership: Five Oaks’ Spiritual Guides
Cost: $60 – includes lunch
Please register by May 5
Click here for a printable flyer of this program
To register click here.
Spiritual Practices of Islam (Spiritual Practices Series)
May 17, Mon. 7-9:30pm
Islam, the faith of 1.2 billion followers in the world, has usually been seen in the West in light of oil and turmoil. However, there is a strong spiritual component to Islam and these practices are usually embodied in the teachings of Sufi mystics like Jelaluddin Rumi. This workshop will present some spiritual practices like the call to prayer, meaning of Muslim prayer, chanting and meditation.
Leadership: Author of THEIR JIHAD…NOT MY JIHAD, Raheel Raza is an award winning writer, professional speaker, diversity consultant, documentary film maker and interfaith advocate. Raza bridges the gap between East and West, promoting cultural and religious diversity. She has appeared in print, on television and radio to discuss diversity, harmony and interfaith. In a presentation to Members of Parliament and international diplomats at the House of Commons, Raza received a standing ovation for her speech called "Celebrating our Differences".
Cost: $25 for workshop or $130 for Series
Click here for printable flyer
To register click here.
Day Away
June. 2, Wed. 9am-4pm
Are you in need of spiritual nourishment? If so, this is the day for you. Come and spend a day away from the noise and busyness. The day begins with a short time of worship and community building led by Five Oaks spiritual guides. The rest of the day is for you to spend time reflecting with the Spirit, through silence, journaling, meditation, walking the labyrinth, by the river, or tending other practices that help you seek God’s presence. You may even choose to spend the day on silent retreat. The day closes with communal worship. Spiritual accompaniment with a Five Oaks spiritual guide is available on this day to assist you in deepening your relationship with the Divine. Time with a spiritual guide is optional. Please indicate when you register if you wish to meet with a spiritual guide during the Day Away.
Cost: $45 (includes lunch); $60 (includes lunch & spiritual accompaniment for one session)
Please register by May 26.
The maximum number of people for a Day Away is 8, so please register early!
Also, it is extremely important that you arrive on time (9:00am sharp) for the Day Away so that the sacred space that is created through the opening worship can be honoured.
Note: Day Away is for individuals to experience a day on retreat. If an established group wishes to experience such a day together please contact Robin McGauley, Coordinator of Adult Programs, to make these special arrangements.
Click here for the Spiritual Accompaniment flyer
To register click here.
Centering on the Solstice with Labyrinth & Mandala (Spiritual Practices Series)
June 21, Mon. 5:30pm with supper-9:30pm
Walk the path towards your own center through the reflective and creative exercises of mandalas and the labyrinth. Learn to meditate with mandalas, centering symbols of oneness which are based on the circle and have been part of human spiritual expression throughout history and across many cultures. Experience the process of creating your own mandala in response to walking the labyrinth. Join us in exploring the light within as we drink in the light of solstice.
Leadership: Marybeth Leis Druery creatively expresses her commitment to a world where we value and care for each other — through her art and through her work with Student Open Circles, bringing together a diversity of McMaster University students to discuss life, spirituality, and social justice and to make a difference through volunteering at social agencies throughout Hamilton. She offers individual spiritual companioning and is a trained Spiritual Director through the Jubilee Program. www.ContemplativeArt.co.nr
Robin McGauley is an Expressive Artist and an Ordained Minister with the United Church of Canada whose spiritual journey led her to creativity and the arts. She leads with gentleness and playfulness to create a safe environment for participants to explore and learn from their own inner creator. She has a passion for creating powerful community experiences as well as for team building. Robin trained with Lauren Artress to become a Veriditas Certified Labyrinth Facilitator and as such has led many labyrinth workshops and experiences at Five Oaks and in congregational settings. Robin works in the purple office as Coordinator of Adult Programming at Five Oaks.
Cost: $35 for workshop (includes supper) or $130 for Series
Click here for printable flyer
To register click here.
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