The weather was a bit warmer than usual for this time of year in the Western North Carolina mountains. But not too warm to relax by the fireplace, sipping hot chocolate and enjoying the many rich traditions that bring us back to this special place year after year.
St. Luke’s Annual Parish Retreat at Kanuga draws a diverse crowd — young, old, parents, grandparents, grandchildren, couples, singles, 8 o’clockers, 9 o’clockers and 11 o’clockers. This year’s retreat encouraged us to meet our church “brothers” and “sisters” outside of our normal “tribes.”
This year, rather than facing forward to hear a guest speaker, we spent a lot of time facing one another. A number of clergy and parishioners led workshops on various subjects, including golf, fly fishing, knitting, photography, astronomy, line dancing, memorizing the stories of Genesis through song, faith in film, tai chi and interpreting dreams. There was even a class entitled “The Big Necessity,” which took parishioners on a tour of the waste water facilities at the Kanuga conference center.
The subject matter was almost as diverse as the members of our parish, and provided a great opportunity for people to meet, to reconnect, to deepen relationships — all while learning from each other. The photos here are just a few of the highlights from our 2009 Parish Retreat at Kanuga.
Mountain highway on the way to parish retreat.
Picking up name tags.
Playing checkers in the library at the lodge.
The Parson’s Pickers.
Golf w/ Bill Nicholson.
Fishing for minnows.
Children’s nature hike.
Naturalist Carlton Burke and his animals are a big hit with the kids (and grownups).
Children’s music and dance workshop.
This year’s dance theme: “From Flappers to Rappers.”
Dancing in the fireside lounge.
King of the dance floor.
To view more even more photos from our 2009 Parish Retreat at Kanuga, click here. If you have any photos of your own you’d like to share on this blog, an essay or short video, please email any files or links to: stlukeskanuga@gmail.com
Recently, we’ve been looking forward to cooler weather. which leads to thoughts of fall, which leads to thoughts of St. Luke’s Parish Retreat at Kanuga — a cozy lodge and conference center in the North Carolina mountains.
Whether you come with a car load of grandchildren, a spouse, a partner, or simply bring yourself — you are a vital part of our parish family. And this year’s retreat will be a great opportunity to reconnect with old friends and make new ones. It’s a chance to stroll through the trees surrounding a peaceful lake, to watch children play in the fall leaves — to talk, laugh and relax by the giant fireplace in the lodge.
Our parish retreat traditionally falls on the weekend before Thanksgiving and makes a relaxing transition from hectic fall schedules to preparing for the holidays. So, dig out your sweaters and jackets and mark your calendars for the weekend of Nov. 20-22.
St. Luke’s is offering a 15 percent discount for all who return their completed forms and payment by Oct. 15. And if you’re a “first timer” — that is, you’ve never been to the Parish Retreat before — you qualify for a 50 percent discount! So, no need to wait any longer. You can download the registration form right here!
P.S. This year’s retreat will focus on the skills and talents of our fellow parishioners. If there is a special activity you’re interested in sharing with a small group, please email: megmccallum@bellsouth.net
“A weekend of wonderful tales.” That’s how Rev. Pat Grace described the theme of St. Luke’s 2008 getaway to the Kanuga conference center in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina.
This year’s retreat featured nationally renowned storyteller Sheila Kay Adams and concluded with a big 1950s-style dance. For highlights, click on the video below.
Strumming a banjo, Adams sang traditional Appalachian ballads and told tales handed down from her Scottish and Irish ancestors — often engaging members of the audience to illustrate her points.
Imagine what St. Luke’s could be 10, 20, 100 years from now. At our 2007 Kanuga retreat, dozens of parishioners crafted their ideal church of the future with markers, tape and cardboard building blocks. Watch the video to see what ideas we came up with.
Kanuga 2007 also featured a presentation by Jungian analyst Jerry Wright and live music performances by singer and songwriter Fran McKendree.
“Opening the Book of Nature” was the theme of St. Luke’s 2006 Kanuga retreat. Environmentalist Allen Johnson spoke about the impact of mountaintop removal mining. Parishioners ventured into the North Carolina wilderness to find the Holy Spirit at work in nature, in ways we often overlook.
The weather was a bit warmer than usual for this time of year in the Western North Carolina mountains. But not too warm to relax by the fireplace, sipping hot chocolate and enjoying the many rich traditions that bring us back to this special place year after year.
