The NWC Ministerial Association Retreat for pastors, church ministry staff and spouses, will be held October 3-5, 2016, at the beautiful, historic Chase on the Lake Resort situated on beautiful Leech Lake near the heart of downtown Walker, MN.
Chase on the Lake features The 502 restaurant, the Copper Door full service spa, an indoor pool, sauna and fitness center, as well as a 2-lane bowling alley. The hotel offers easy access to the Paul Bunyan and Heartland hiking/biking trails and is only two blocks from many unique specialty shops and restaurants. Two championship golf courses (Tianna Country Club and Longbow Golf Club) are also nearby. For a look at this beautiful setting visit chaseonthelake.com.
Cecilia Williams is passionate about connecting the ministries of the local church to the physical, social, and spiritual realities and concerns of the communities in which they are planted, as well as the communities to which they are called. She believes that God has anchored the church as a “catalyst of hope” for Kingdom advancement, community transformation and positive social change. Williams currently serves as Executive Minister for the Love Mercy Do Justice (LMDJ) mission priority of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC).
Cecilia is no stranger to our Conference. A resident of Minneapolis, she served as Associate Pastor at Sanctuary Covenant Church for more than four years before taking a position in our denomination as Director of Ministry Initiatives in the former Department of Compassion Mercy and Justice. In June of 2015 she was appointed as Executive Minister of the new Department of Love Mercy, Do Justice. Prior to her ministry service at Sanctuary, she served as program coordinator and director for a number of nonprofit institutions as well as graduate teaching at Bethel Theological Seminary, where she also served as an interim director for multicultural affairs, and as associate dean for intercultural student programs and services at Bethel University’s College of Arts and Sciences.
Sunday, October 2:
Early arrival option for anyone interested.
6:00 Church Planters dinner followed by meeting: For more info contact Mike Brown (mike@northwestconference.org).
Monday, October 3:
9:00 Church Planters gathering until Noon
10:30 Ministerial Association Officers meeting
Noon Registration and Check In
1:30 Session #1 with Cecilia Williams
2:30 Connections
3:30 R & R Time (Spiritual Direction available by appointment)
6:00 Dinner
7:30 Worship & Session #2 with Cecilia Williams
Tuesday, October 4:
8:00 Breakfast
9:00 Worship & Session #3 with Cecilia Williams
10:00 Break
10:30 Connections
11:30 NWC Update
Noon Lunch followed by Free Time (Spiritual Direction available by appointment)
6:00 Dinner
7:00 Worship/Communion
Wednesday, October 5:
8:00 Breakfast
9:00 Worship & Session #4 with Cecilia Williams
10:30 Retreat Concludes
The cost of the Ministerial Association Retreat is $40/attendee.
NEW IN 2016: Attendees must register separately for the retreat program fee, AND meals/lodging.
Chase on the Lake offers two lodging choices: hotel style rooms and two bedroom condotels featuring separate living and sleeping spaces along with fully furnished kitchens. All-inclusive cost for two night’s lodging, five meals, coffee breaks, meeting rooms and recreation at Chase on the Lake is $186.82 per person (double occupancy/two nights) per hotel room or suite; $226.82 per person (double occupancy/two nights) per condo.
See registration form, which will be emailed to you after completing online event registration, for other lodging and meal package options.
The fall retreat is important in our lives together as a Conference ministerium as well as for personal growth and renewal. Recognizing that some of our members and churches face real financial hardships, there are resources available to ministerium members in need. We invite anyone in need of assistance, to contact NWCMA treasurer, Sandy Norris, (612) 721-4893 or sandy@northwestconference.org. The deadline for applying for assistance is September 1, 2016.
The Northwest Conference Spiritual Directors Network will offer pastors and their spouses an opportunity for spiritual direction on Monday at 3:30 and 4:30 PM and Tuesday during free time at 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00, and 5:00 PM. We welcome you to experience spiritual direction for the first time and/or to sit with a spiritual director as he/she guides you in discerning God’s direction for a specific concern or decision. You can sign up for a session when you check in at the retreat.