Winter Retreat 2009

This past weekend was the 2nd Annual "All Church Retreat".  I don't know what the actual count of participants was, but I do know that at dinner on Saturday we had 51 dinner plates counted out, and all but about 5 of them were used!

The retreat theme was "The Joshua Generation" and the tone-setting theme was based on a premise very close to a sermon preached by Rev. Beth's husband. I'll let you read (or listen) to it and find the connection to both America on the weekend of January 16-19, 2009 and to First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn at this time in our search for an installed Pastor.

The retreat was held at The Grail at Cornwall-on-Hudson in the lower Hudson valley.  Nature was on our side for some fun outdoor winter activities, and a fresh blanket of snow fell Saturday night for some fresh sledding on Sunday!

We overflowed the The Phoenix and sent (what turned out to be) the Holy Rollers bocce players next door to Jogues Retreat.  This was nice because the Carriage House was also a good location for the Confirmation class to meet Saturday evening.

The Confirmation Class met for 3 sessions; each morning there was a fire-side meditation lead by a member of the Many Mansions ministry; communal Hymn singing and prayers in the evening; Saturday afternoon a group visited the Nature Center; and there was GREAT food, sledding and tobogganing a' plenty!

Confirmation Class talked and learned about the Story of Joseph, Brokenness, and started getting to know Jesus a bit better, too.

More photos are on Facebook...