Southwest Regional Gathering
Radical Presence: The Ground of Spiritual Leadership
A Five-Day Residential Conference & Retreat
"The silence has been medicine for the soul. It was enriched by the teaching beforehand which focused on the presence of God. The silence, the slower pace, the gentleness, the joy-all of this was a gift to me." (A Regional Gathering Participant)
In 2004 Shalem began hosting gatherings around the country to provide an opportunity for spiritual deepening and community building among kindred souls, both for those new to Shalem and for those who have been through our programs.
Our intent for the Southwest Regional Gathering is to support those who share in the vital vocation of spiritual leadership and to facilitate regional networking for further ongoing support. Those who attended a previous Regional Gathering will find in this new offering both fresh insights and reinforcement for the contemplative grounding of their leadership.
Participants will be joining clergy and laity from a variety of denominations and communities in this region who hunger for a deeper spiritual life and who assist others in listening to the Spirit.
This five-day residential conference and retreat begins with a workshop on the heart of spiritual leadership led by Shalem's Founder and Senior Fellow, Tilden Edwards, with a focus on the contemplative promise for our lives and communities. The workshop will lead into a time of retreat for direct listening to the guidance of the Spirit. There will also be time for sharing experiences and insights and networking with other participants.
We pray that our time together will help "seed" all of life with contemplative awareness and deepen Love's way in the world.
All who share a desire for Spirit-led leadership are welcome!
A Regional Gathering is for you if you...
Are new to Shalem and want to explore and share a contemplative vision for our world and seek an introduction to contemplative leadership and grounding for a deeper spiritual life, or
Know Shalem from programs you've taken in the past and are looking for renewal, reunion, and re-grounding, or
Seek to nurture and sustain your own spiritual life and deepen your spiritual grounding as a leader in your congregation or other communal setting, or
Welcome a forum for prayerful probing, collegial sharing and meditation, or simply
Are eager to make connections with other kindred souls in your region.
| Date: | Monday, February 9 - Friday, February 13, 2009 |
| Place: |
Oblate Renewal Center 5700 Blanco Road, San Antonio, TX 78216 |
| Leaders: | Tilden Edwards, Carole Crumley, Mary Tom Hefte, Jackie Halstead and others |
| Cost: | $775 ($465 tuition and $310 room and board) |
Tilden H. Edwards, Jr. is Shalem's Founder and Senior Fellow, an Episcopal priest, author or editor of seven books on the spiritual life (including one on group spiritual formation), and leader of introductory and continuing spiritual formation/exploration groups at Shalem for 25 years.
Carole Crumley, Shalem's Senior Program Director, is an Episcopal priest and Director of Shalem's Clergy Spiritual Life and Leadership: Going Deeper Program. She is a widely respected leader of ecumenical retreats, groups, and conferences, and a seasoned pilgrimage guide to sacred sites throughout Europe and the Middle East.
Mary Tom Hefte, actively involved with the United Methodist Church, is a spiritual director, a leader of prayer, spirituality groups and retreats, and a graduate of Shalem's Spiritual Guidance Program.
Jackie Halstead chairs the Department of Marriage and Family Therapy at Abilene Christian University. She is a graduate of Shalem's Leading Contemplative Prayer Groups & Retreats Program and is currently in Shalem's Spiritual Guidance Program. She is also a Lay Cistercian associated with Gethsemani Abbey and a frequent speaker on topics relating to spiritual formation and contemplative prayer.
Bill Dietrich, Shalem's Executive Director, a Quaker, has been a spiritual director and program leader for many years.
Tim Schumacher, a former teacher and graduate of Shalem's Personal Spiritual Deepening and Leading Contemplative Prayer Groups & Retreats Programs, is a lay Oblate with a Catholic religious community in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Registration
To register online for this event, please click here.
To register by mail, download our Short Program Registration Form (PDF).
Or contact Program Registrar, Kit Turen This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , (301-897-7334 ext. 200)
For directions to Oblate Renewal Center, please click here.