Fall 2023 Clergy Retreat
Clergy are in a unique position. We sometimes find ourselves conducting funeral services for people we have known for decades - people we might have seen every week, or multiple times per week - people whose stories we know well, people we have come to love. How can we grieve losses like this, when our job is to create space for others to grieve?
And then there are other kinds of losses in ministry…people move away, or they simply disappear. Many of us have found ourselves “ghosted”, especially since the pandemic. People become angry and leave the church. Sometimes we witness the congregation itself dying.
This day retreat is an opportunity to name these losses, to lament them, and to help ourselves grieve in healthy ways.
We will offer small group sharing, presentations on spiritual and self-care practices, and opportunities for yoga, reiki, meditation, and (weather-permitting), walking the beautiful grounds of the Jesuit Retreat Center.
The $50 registration fee includes lunch. There is limited space for those who wish to spend the night prior to the retreat for an additional $100; please contact Kelly Brill (pastor@avonlakeucc.org) immediately if you are interested.
Retreat Leadership provided by:
The Rev. Dr. Kelly Brill is the Senior Minister at the Avon Lake United Church of Christ. She is passionate about supporting her colleagues in ministry, especially those experiencing burnout. She enjoys yoga, reading, walking, hiking, writing, and people who make her laugh.
The Rev. Dr. Luke Lindon is senior pastor of Medina UCC, Congregational who enjoys pop punk, geeky board games, and D&D. He is a husband, father, and a proud alum of Lancaster Theological Seminary.
The Rev. Brian A. Shields is a chaplain with Suncrest Hospice. After 14 years as a hospital chaplain and experiencing the compacted grief in our world due to the pandemic, Brian chose to change career paths and pursue hospice as a way to attend to humanity's grief. Brian enjoys sitting outside with nature, exercising, writing and meditation.
Anita Smith (RN, BSN, CEN) has 22 years of nursing experience in the Emergency Department, ICU, and mobile ICU for Level 1 trauma centers. She is a Reiki Master and Certified Yin Yoga instructor.