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In this busy world, it is important that our spiritual foundation is renewed regularly following the spiritual disciplines of worship, prayer, study, fellowship and service. Here are resources to assist us in our commitment to pursuing spiritual formation and godly living.
Workshops for districts and conferences: General Board of Discipleship, www.gbod.org, Nashville TN: Family, Life Span and Latino Ministries Team. Most requested seminars include: 1) Ways congregations can support families in faith; 2) Faith Formation in the home; 3) Making God Real for a New Generation: Helping Children and Youth Grow in Faith; 4) Faith Formation through the Life Span; and 5) Children in Worship. For information call 1-877-899-2780, ext. 7170 or email mnorton@gbod.org. Retreat Spaces: www.mepkinabbey.org/home.htm = Mepkin Abbey was founded in 1949 in the Low Country of South Carolina by 29 (Roman Catholic) Trappist monks coming from the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky. Our life is wholly ordered to contemplation. We dedicate ourselves to the worship of God through a hidden life within the monastery. It is a life of solitude and silence, assiduous prayer, joyful penance, and work. The monks of Mepkin Abbey welcome many kinds of visitors. People come because they have heard of our beautiful environment, our life of prayer, work, and study, because of the quiet and peace they can find here, or because they are curious about our life and mission.
Monastery of the Holy Spirit = 2625 Highway 212 S.W., Conyers, GA 30094-4044. Phone: 770-483-8705. Fax: 770-760-0989. monastery@trappist.net. Have you ever just wanted to “get away from it all”? ...Put the world behind you and just commune with God. If so, the Monastery of the Holy Spirit is the perfect haven where you can rest, study the word of God, pray, put your thoughts in a journal, and learn about the monastic life. Here you may Retreat, Rest, Reflect, and Renew. We offer a Sacred Space for persons seeking to encounter God in solitude, in stillness, in the beauty of nature, in the healing rhythm of the contemplative lifestyle in the presence of a praying Community. Day visits; private and group retreats; midweek and weekend retreats offered. Finding good materials and new ideas is a challenge for every church. Here are some ideas to consider.
Spiritual Formation and Prayer:
www.mathewsumc.org= see the Prayer Labryinth that Mathews United Methodist Church in Greenwood, SC has built. "Walking a labryinth can lead to a meditative state and an intergration of the body and spirit as walkers follow one path to the center and out again." Pattern from Exploring the Labyrinth by melissa West (Broadway Books, 1-800-733-3000).
www.upperroom.org/emmaus/ = The Walk to Emmaus is a spiritual renewal program intended to strengthen the local church through the development of Christian disciples and leaders. The program's approach seriously considers the model of Christ's servanthood and encourages Christ's disciples to act in ways appropriate to being "a servant of all."
www.ccemmaus.com = Host community for York County and Charlotte, NC area.
www.womenoffaith.com = Two day annual women's conference in Charlotte, NC with great music, guest speakers and Christian dramatist.
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