past events : Clergy Cafe Retreat to Goshen

“Your Guardian-Lord Is God, who created the heavens and the earth in six Days, and is firmly established on the Throne (of authority). He draweth the night as a veil o’er the day, each seeking the other in rapid succession. He created the sun, the moon, and the stars, all governed by laws under His Command. Is it not His to create and to govern? Blessed be God, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the Worlds!” ~Quran S. VII, v. 54

Tuesday, May 27, 2008 - Wednesday, May 28, 2008
overnight

Clergy Café Retreat
May 27-28, 2008

Retreat Schedule begins at Rieth Village. Participants may arrive on their own, or arrange with Faith in Place for carpooling. Goshen is about 120 miles east of Chicago, south of South Bend, Indiana.

Tuesday, May 27:

Arrive 11:30
Introductory walk and tour of Rieth Village

12:30 lunch

1:30-3:30 – conversation with Rieth Village agroecologist and a representative of Niches Land Trust about local food, organic agriculture, and the viability of the local food economy, particularly if conservation easements play a role.

3:30-5:00 – time for a walk, including an optional walk with a local naturalist

5:00 – carpool into Goshen for a visit to their year-round farmer’s market and adjacent organic bakery.

6:00 – dinner at Goshen restaurant

8:00 – back to Rieth Village for optional night hike, stargazing, quiet time, sleep

Wednesday, May 28

Early morning free time
9:00 – breakfast

10-12:00 – conversation about how urban and rural congregations might work together to create a Congregationally Supported Agriculture model that could help rebuild the local food economy

12:00 lunch


* Rieth Village is a "green" facility rated at the platinum level by the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED rating system. Only 42 buildings in the country have attained this rating. Sustainable strategies include recycling of rainwater to flush toilets, passive solar design and roof overhangs, solar and wind power, use of recycled materials and more.
* Two of Rieth Village's three cottages are designed for student housing. Each cottage contains four bedrooms with four bunks in each room, and a shared bathroom for every two rooms. Each cottage has a kitchenette and common room/living room area. We can house a total of 32 people for short periods, but if you bring a dozen people, there should be two at most per room.
* The cottages have large windows overlooking a wetland and prairie restoration. Think dormitory crossed with State Park Inn, not Holiday Inn.


For more information about the location of the retreat see: http://www.goshen.edu/merrylea/

To participate in the retreat, register by contacting Faith in Place.




For more information, please contact Clare Butterfield:
ph: 312-733-4640