New Year's Eve Retreat

Welcome the New Year in a quiet wooded space and reflective atmosphere.  Slow down the pace of life, restore balance, and deepen relationships.

Join us.  The beauty of nature.  Tasty, healthful meals.  Experience a healing and contemplative environment with time apart and thoughtful discussion.

Cost is $90 and includes lodging, dinner on Saturday, and brunch on Sunday.  To register call 763-689-3540.  Theme description and sample schedule can be found below.

Our Theme -- A Time For Every Season

New Year’s Eve provides opportunity to reflect on “time” as we cross the threshold from one year to the next. We most often use this word “time” to speak of quantity – “time flies,” “wasting time,” “time to get going” and we work with time as we make our schedules and appointments, when we watch the clock, punch time cards, and engage in time management.

The Greeks understood that time was too complex to be contained in one word, so they had two words: chronos and kairos. The former being more linear, successive, and measurable, whereas the latter spoke of time’s value and significance of the moment. kairos time is expansive and eternal in the midst of the now. We may have experienced kairos time when something happened and “time stood still” for us.

How might your 2012 be experienced not just as a series of days and weeks (chronos) but as experiences of significance, value, expansiveness, and awareness of spirit (kairos)?

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE (Everything is optional)

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2011

4:00 p.m.         Arrival, settle into rooms, greet friends, walk the paths, rest,

                         enjoy a cup of tea/coffee, or hot chocolate in the dining room

4:38 p.m.         Sunset

5:30 p.m.         New Year’s Eve Dinner

6:45 p.m.         Welcome and Orientation

                        Opening Reflections and Conversation: “A Time for Every Season”

8:00 p.m.         Time for informal conversations, rest, journaling, art alcove

                        Group options may include:

                        Winter Campfire  

                        Night Walk (may include walk out/onto Lake)

                        Puzzle

                        Labyrinth Walk (with theme of evening)

10:00 p.m.       New Year’s punch and hors d’oeuvres served in the dining room

                        Join around the table for conversation and community.

                        Games and Fun

11:30 p.m.       Celebration and Reflection 

Midnight!       It’s a new day and a new year!!

SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2012

7:54 a.m.         Watch the sunrise on the New Year (or watch the black under your eyelids)

8:00 a.m.         Quiet Sit (Welcome the new day and year with 20-minute quiet sitting)

8:30 a.m.         Coffee, Tea, coffee cake, and fruit bowl

10:00 a.m.       New Year’s Day Brunch

11:00 a.m.       Celebration of New Year, Sharing, and Blessing

12 Noon          Depart at your leisure – feel free to use the buildings and grounds

                        until mid-afternoon at ARC