Event Details
Event Date
Event Date: Friday, February 16, 2024 -through Monday, February 19, 2024
Event Time
Event Time: All day
All events are Eastern Time
Event Description
Join us for an online spiritual retreat to explore our experience of the Light, held by Friends General Conference.
Encountering God is a key experience of our Quaker faith. What can Early Friends teach us about finding Truth? Where does encounter happen? How do we open ourselves to the gift of direct relationship?
This Presidents’ Day weekend, join Quakers and newcomers as we explore these themes through online worship and workshops, offline spiritual practices, and various opportunities to learn from each other.
This online retreat is a new experimental “unconference” inspired by the spirit of FGC’s keystone program, the Gathering.
What to Expect at FGC’s First “Unconference”
Structured Offerings
Join pre-planned Zoom sessions, including worship, workshops, sacred text / Bible study, plenaries, small groups (Seed Groups), and more!
Building Our Retreat Together
Following the model of an unconference, we’ll create parts of the agenda together. Each day you will have opportunities to join or convene impromptu peer-to-peer sessions on the theme of encounter. A peer-to-peer session could be a time for sharing spiritual practices, meeting together in affinity groups, grappling with spiritual questions, discussing Quaker history, or whatever topic participants are led to explore. All sessions are welcome.
Intentional Offscreen Time
There will be plenty of time away from the screen for movement, art, journaling, spiritual practices, one-on-one conversations, rest, and going deeper into the theme of encounter. We invite you to prioritize your personal spiritual needs during the retreat.
Tentative Schedule (more details coming soon)
Interested in Convening a Peer-to-Peer Session?
Participants will have the opportunity to add sessions to the agenda each day. Is there a conversation you’d like to share with likeminded Friends? A topic you’ve been exploring that feels alive and timely?
Examples of possible peer-to-peer sessions:
- Gardening as a spiritual practice
- Let’s talk about Margaret Fell!
- Responding to the Urgency of Climate Change
- Mutual Support for Quakers in the “Sandwich Generation”
- How do you center down in worship?
- Roundtable Discussion of Questions from Quaker Newcomers
- and more!
The topics for the peer-to-peer sessions will be decided during the event and participants may join whichever sessions they choose. Learn more about attending an unconference and preparing to convene a session.
Join Us!
Registration will open in November 2023. Join the Spiritual Deepening mailing list to be notified when registration opens.
Add to Calendar Links
Location Details
Virtual
