Thanks to all of you who attended C4SO’s 2019 Clergy Retreat!
We had more than 150 attendees join us at this year’s Clergy Retreat in the beautiful Santa Cruz Mountains! We are grateful to the Mt. Hermon Retreat Center for hosting us, to our speaker James Bryan Smith for encouraging us to rest and reprioritize our calendars, to our worship leader Brenton Brown for providing Spirit-led musical worship, to the Very Rev. Rob Patterson for coordinating the worship services, and to all of our Breakout Session speakers for providing opportunities to deepen our spiritual formation in Christ.
Speakers
Grounds
Nestled among the towering redwoods and just six miles from Monterey Bay, the Mt. Hermon Retreat Center provided both relaxation and natural beauty.
Worship Services
We shared regular times of prayer, worship, and Examen together each day. It was a joy to come together and worship and pray as one body!
Breakout Sessions
Led by C4SO clergy and lay leaders, our optional Breakout Sessions on Wednesday allowed attendees to dive deeper into an area of spiritual formation.
Spiritual Formation and Contemporary Issues with Jin Cho, Shawn McCain, Teesha Hadra, and Leon McKenzie
Theology as the Grounding Orientation for Spiritual Formation with Cliff Warner and Emily McGowin
Spiritual Formation and the Anglican Tradition with Paul Donison and Toni Brown
Spiritual Formation and Leadership with Patrick Wildman and Trish Nelson
Spiritual Formation and the Family Life of Ministers with Ben and Deb Sternke
Spiritual Disciplines in the Life of a Minister with Rob Patterson and Courtney Towery
The Person and Work of the Spirit in Formation with Bishop TJ and Rees Johnston
The Spirituality of Ministry with Kris and Karyn McDaniel
Ordination Service
At a beautiful Ordination Service on Thursday evening, Bishop Todd ordained the Rev. JR Rozko to the priesthood and the Revs. Teesha Hadra, Kyle Fleet, Brad Swope, Peter White, and William (Billy) Steen to the Diaconate. He also received the Revs. Aaron Buttery, Jordan Senner, and Jon Yeager as transfer clergy into the diocese. Thanks be to God!
Deanery Dinners
On Tuesday evening, each of the Deaneries gathered for a meal and time of fellowship and connection.
Lunchtime Conversations
On Wednesday and Thursday, we gathered for optional lunch conversations around areas of affinity including Ordination, NextGen Leadership, Chaplaincy and more.
Matthew 25 Initiative
Christine Warner, Director of the Matthew 25 Gathering, shared how the Matthew 25 Initiative helps churches reach the poor and needy in their communities and has funded 75 new projects and ministries since 2015. Apply for a Matthew 25 grant to help kick-start your ministry.
NextGen Leadership
The Rev. Aaron Buttery, C4SO’s NextGen Leadership Associate, introduced the NextGen Leadership Team and shared his vision to create opportunities for students to be empowered and released into active leadership in their communities. Contact Aaron about NextGen opportunities in your community.
What People Are Saying
The childcare provided was amazing. What a gift!
I appreciated the relaxed feel of the retreat.
My favorite part was connecting with the diocese at large, worshiping together, and listening to Todd.
We had such a rich experience. Everyone we met was so kind, helpful, interested. Theologically and spiritually, we felt so aligned.