Here is a glimpse into the wonderful programs we’ve offered on the hill in the past:
2022 PROGRAMS
EXTENDED WORSHIP
with Michael Wajda and Jean Rosenberg
May 14, 2022 (Saturday 9am to 3pm)
NURTURING FAITHFULNESS
(September 2022 through May 2023), in partnership with New England Yearly Meeting, Beacon Hill Friends House, Hilary Burgin and Marcelle Martin.
WALKING WITH THE BIBLE Virtual Series
(October 2020-June 2021)
Peter Blood-Patterson, with guest leaders
CO-SPONSORED WITH BEACON HILL FRIENDS HOUSE
Guest Presenters:
Sunday, October 4: CARL MAGRUDER
Sunday, November 1: ADRIA GULIZIA
Sunday, December 6: COLIN SAXTON
See a Pendle Hill Pamphlet compiled from the sharings of these three presenters!
Sunday, January 10: ANDREW WRIGHT
Sunday, February 14: KATIE BRESLIN
Sunday, March 14: REGINA RENEE WARD
Sunday, April 4: DR. RANDY WOODLEY
Sunday, May 2: BENIGNO SANCHEZ-EPPLER
Sunday, June 6: LYNETTE DAVIS
SPIRITUAL PRACTICES FOR RENEWAL
with Marcelle Martin and Philip Maurer
April 15-17, 2022 (Fri-Sun)
During this weekend retreat, we will experiment with a variety of approaches to prayer and meditation, including thanksgiving, intercession, healing prayer, mindfulness meditation, Centering Prayer, Grand Silence, meeting for worship, and prayer with images, music, and the body.
Click on the title for more information.
2019-2020 PROGRAMS
WINTER FLOWERING: IN TOUCH WITH YOUR WHOLE SELF
Annual Year-End Silent Retreat
Joe Garren
December 29, 2019-January 1, 2020 (Sunday to Wednesday)
We are whole when we stop, look and listen with the winds, the stars and the hills. And we are strengthened when we do this together. We will celebrate and be part of the season’s simple wonders, starting again in a new direction within the Eternal cycle of creation.
Each person may engage in whatever combination of solitude and community time feels comfortable.
Activities are indoors and outdoors.
HOW TO DESIGN NATIVE HABITATS
for POLLINATORS, PEOPLE and the PLANET
co-sponsored with Greening Greenfield
Dr. Desiree L. Narango, Connor Stedman, and others
March 6-8, 2020
Hear from experts, work collaboratively on design projects, and enjoy the beautiful natural setting of Woolman Hill. Learn about and apply design approaches that will encourage pollinator and bird populations and the health of your backyard, your town, and your planet!
NURTURING FAITHFULNESS, August 2019-May 2020
Marcelle Martin and Hilary Burgin, core teachers;
Janet Hough, Anne Pomeroy, elder/mentors;
LVM Shelton and Jay O’Hara, guest teachers
Nine-month program with three residencies (by application)
NF is a multi-generational faith and leadership program designed to help Friends in New England explore ways to meet God more deeply, hone methods of discernment, reach for fuller faithfulness, and ultimately bring these gifts and strengthened abilities home to their local meetings and beyond.
2018-2019 PROGRAMS
Click on the links for more information on each of the following events!
LEAVING EVERYTHING AT THE DOOR
Annual Year-end Silent Retreat
Aggie Mitchkoski
December 28-31, 2018
LISTENING CIRCLES FOR BUILDING RELATIONSHIP
AND TRANSFORMING CONFLICT
Heather Cook and Karen Reixach
January 25-27, 2019
COUPLE ENRICHMENT
Debbie & John Humphries
February 8-10, 2019
PARTNERS IN SPIRIT
A Quaker Mentoring Retreat (by application)
with Hilary Burgin, Nia Thomas and Friends
February 15-17, 2019
WRITING AS A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE
Emily Savin
March 8-10, 2019
EXPERIMENTS IN QUAKER WORSHIP: FORMS WITH LIFE!
Kristina Keefe-Perry and Jonathan Vogel-Borne
March 15-17, 2019
HANDWORK, HEARTWORK
Allison Randall
March 29-31, 2019
EXPLORING PRAYER AND MEDITATION
with Marcelle Martin
May 24-27, 2019 (Fri-Mon)
PAST 2017-18 PROGRAMS
SWEET SOUNDS OF SILENCE
Annual Year-End Silent Retreat
with Sheila Garrett and Margaret Cooley
December 29, 2017 – January 1, 2018
This four-day gathering will be a gentle-flowing communion in silence, a chance to reflect on the year past and the year ahead. This retreat is an invitation into a simple spaciousness, a time to re-ground, to re-center and to step gracefully into a new year.
HANDS TO WORK, HEARTS TO GOD
A Knitting and Spinning Retreat
with Beth Gorton, Gini Barker, Heidi Babb and Friends
March 2-4, 2018
Knitting is a form of centering; if you don’t know what needs you to knit it, centering and letting go of your pre-conceived ideas will let rise the person, cause or item that needs your energy. There will be plenty of support, knitting needles, and oodles of yarn. AND there will be spinning wheels, drop spindles and fleece available – and lots of help…
PARENTING THROUGH THE LENS OF QUAKER FAITH AND PRACTICE
EXPLORING THE MISSION AND WORK OF THE QUAKER PARENTING INITIATIVE
with QPI facilitators Harriet Heath, Melinda Wenner Bradley, Emma Richter and Martha Smith
March 9-11, 2018
How does parenting fit into one’s spiritual journey? How can a meeting help support children and families and the children’s spiritual journeys? This weekend is designed to reflect on what we offer Quaker parents. We will spend time sharing experiences of raising Quaker children, discussing the needs of parents in our meetings, reviewing current programs and envisioning next steps. Come with curiosity, leave with new ideas, skills and F/friends!
LOVE IS ALL AROUND
A Singing Weekend with Peter & Annie Blood-Patterson
April 27-29, 2018
Celebrate & rejuvenate with song! A music weekend with Annie & Peter is like no other. They weave magic into the fabric of their workshops, teaching and leading songs out of their songbooks, Rise Up Singing and Rise Again. This is a time to sing songs that inspire and renew, songs that open up the hearts of those present as well as songs that are just plain fun! The pace is easy-going with space for relaxing and sharing.
PAST 2016-2017 PROGRAMS
BUILDING PASTORAL CARE SKILLS TO SUPPORT MEETINGS
Fran Brokaw and Lori Martin (SAGE), November 4-6, 2016
ANNUAL CONTEMPLATIVE NEW YEAR’S RETREAT
CONNECTING WITH SPIRIT
THROUGH OUR INNER CREATIVE SPARK:
REFLECTING INTO THE NEW YEAR WITH ART & SPIRIT
Michelle Brimage, Sheila Garrett and Sadelle Wiltshire
December 29, 2016-January 1, 2017 (Thursday-Sunday)
SAY THE WRONG THING
STRATEGIES FOR RACIAL JUSTICE AND AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY
Amanda Kemp, January 20-22, 2017
DEATH, THE FINAL STAGE OF GROWTH
Daphne Clement and Linda Lyman, February 3-5, 2017
REVOLUTIONARY ROOTS
Peter Blood, February 24-26, 2017
Mid-17th century England was swept by dramatic changes: sharp religious and political conflict, rising hopes, charismatic leaders and popular grassroots movements – in short a world much like the one we live in today. What can we learn from the first generation of Friends about how we might approach worship, belief, and life with others, in our own day and time?
OUR LIFE IS LOVE
AN EVENING WITH MARCELLE MARTIN
April 12, 2017 (Wednesday), 7:15-8:45pm
Friends are welcome to join in midweek worship 5:30-6:30pm,
followed by a simple finger food potluck/brown bag dinner at 6:45pm.
TURNING TO THE INDWELLING PRESENCE OF THE DIVINE
Marcelle Martin, April 14-16, 2017
The spiritual Power that the First Friends experienced set their hearts on fire, bonded them to one another, and sent them into the world with great energy and courage. This happened after they first learned to still their minds, drop into their hearts, and together wait in silent expectation. Turning to the indwelling presence of God may be even more difficult in our busy, distracted age than it was in theirs. In this weekend workshop, we’ll take guidance from early Friends and accompany each other in making that inward turn.
NOTE: This workshop is also a chance to get a glimpse into the “Nurturing Worship, Faith and Faithfulness” program being offered August 2017-May 2018 through Woolman Hill (more info below).
PAST 2015-2016 PROGRAMS
JOURNEY TOWARD WHOLENESS
A Circle of Trust® Two-Part Series
(developed by Parker Palmer and the Center for Courage & Renewal)
Valerie Brown
Part 2: Embracing the Power of Paradox
November 5-8, 2015 (Thursday – Sunday)
SUPPORT ACROSS GENERATIONS FOR ELDERS (SAGE)
BUILDING A NETWORK TO SUPPORT NEYM MEETINGS
Anita Paul, Fran Brokaw & Lori Martin
December 11-13, 2015
ANNUAL YEAR-END SILENT RETREAT:
COME ‘ROUND RIGHT
Labyrinths, Mandalas and Other Meditative Practices to Help Us Untangle
Ann Armstrong & Karen Armstrong Hurton
December 31, 2015 (Thursday) – January 3, 2016 (Sunday)
RISE AGAIN
A WEEKEND OF JOYFUL SONG
with Annie & Peter Blood-Patterson
February 12-14, 2016
A singing weekend to celebrate and learn songs from Annie & Peter’s new book!
RENEWAL AND RESOURCES
A SPRING WEEKEND WITH OUR
FIRST DAY SCHOOL COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE
Beth Collea & Melinda Wenner Bradley
co-sponsored by NEYM’s Quaker Youth Education Committee
March 18-20, 2016
FINDING GOD IN THE VERBS
CRAFTING A FRESH LANGUAGE OF PRAYER
Jennie Isbell & Brent Bill
April 1-3, 2016
PAST 2014-2015 PROGRAMS
THE MYSTIC’S EXPERIENCE
OUR RELATIONSHIP AND COMMUNION WITH THE DIVINE
Elaine Emily, Joe Garren and Rebecca Mays
May 1-3, 2015, with an optional additional day
LISTENING WITH THE EYES
PHOTOGRAPHY AS A CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE
Peter Nutting
April 17-19, 2015
KNITTING FOR OTHERS
Beth Gorton, Virginia Barker & Friends
April 17-19, 2015
Cracked Open Series
INWARD ACTIVISM AND OUTWARD PRAYER
Daniel Snyder
February 20-22, 2015
Cracked Open Series
CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION: CRISIS OR OPPORTUNITY?
New York Yearly Meeting Committee on Conflict Transformation
January 9-11, 2015
BE STILL AND KNOW
Annual year-end silent retreat
Nina Weyl
December 26-29, 2014 (Friday through Monday)
PEACE IN ONESELF, PEACE IN THE WORLD:
MINDFULNESS FOR EDUCATORS, TEACHERS,
PARENTS, AND ALL WHO WORK WITH YOUTH
Richard Brady and Nicholaes Roosevelt
October 23-26, 2014 (Thursday through Sunday)
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For more information about the series “CRACKED OPEN: Going deeper into the why, what and how of our Quaker Practice,” click on “Cracked Open Series.”
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PAST PROGRAMS (2013-2014)
2013-2014 SEASON OVERVIEW
(Season flyer here)
JOURNEY TOWARD AN UNDIVIDED LIFE
Part 2 in a Two-Part Series on Circles of Trust®: “Embracing the Power of Paradox”
(developed by Parker Palmer and the Center for Courage & Renewal)
Valerie Brown
October 24-27, 2013 (Thursday – Sunday)
Cracked Open Series
EXPERIMENTS IN HOLY CONVERSATION:
CONNECTING WITH THE SPIRIT THROUGH PRAYER,
LISTENING AND EXPECTANT WORSHIP
Betsy Blake and Margaret Cooley
November 1-3, 2013
TURNING TOWARD THE LIGHT
annual WINTER SILENCE retreat
with Woolman Hill staff
December 27-30, 2013 (Friday through Monday)
Cracked Open Series
CORPORATE DISCERNMENT IN MEETING FOR BUSINESS
Nancy & David Haines
January 17-19, 2014
MINDFUL MORTALITY
Rob Spencer
February 28-March 2, 2014
&
KNITTING FOR OTHERS
Beth Gorton, Virginia Barker & Friends
February 28-March 2, 2014
WRITING OUT OF THE PRESENCE
Ellen Michaud
March 13-16, 2014 (Thursday through Sunday)
Cracked Open Series
NOTICING GOD’S NUDGES IN OUR LIVES
THE SACRED ART OF INDIVIDUAL SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT
Nancy Bieber
March 28-30, 2014
COUPLE ENRICHMENT
Mary Kay Glazer & Mark Moss, Carol & Peter Letson
April 4-6, 2014
SUMMER SOLSTICE:
CELEBRATING SPIRIT, NATURE and PHYSICAL WORK
June 21, 2014 (Saturday, with options for overnights Friday and/or Saturday)
Join us for a day of spiritual retreat, physical labor, and appreciation of the natural world. We’ll have sessions to inspire us in our spiritual journeys, including “Seeking the Spirit through Nature, Poetry and Painting” led by Victoria Dickson, and “Worship, Poetry, Song and Qigong” led by Martha Lang and Lisa Waldman. And we’ll have sessions for digging our hands into the earth or engaging in other physical tasks around the Hill. We’ll end the day with a solstice bonfire. Come for the whole day, or just part. Or come for overnight Friday and/or Saturday!
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PAST PROGRAM SEASON (October 2012- June 2013)
(Season brochure here)
GET DOWN TO WORK
ANNUAL FALL WORKDAY
October 8, 2012 (Monday, and optional Sunday overnight)
Not quite a ‘program’ but a great free way to spend time on the hill!
Cracked Open Series
DEEPENING WORSHIP
Colin Saxton, Christopher Sammond
October 26-27, 2012 (Friday & Saturday)
BUILDING UP THE LIFE OF OUR MEETINGS
New York/New England Yearly Meeting Eldering Consultation
December 7-9, 2012 (by invitation)
WINTER STILLNESS: SIFTING THROUGH THE SILENCE
Jennie Isbell & Newell Pledger-Shinn
December 29, 2012 – January 1, 2013 (Saturday through Tuesday)
Cracked Open Series
EXPLORING THE UNWRITTEN RULES OF WORSHIP
Debbie Humphries, Kathleen Wooten
February 15-17, 2013
ACCESSING THE BODY’S HEALING WISDOM
THROUGH GENTLE YOGA & WRITING
Darlene Graham, Becky Jones
March 15-17, 2013
DOING IT IN THE LIGHT:
EXPLORING WHAT WE BELIEVE ABOUT SEXUALITY
Peter Blood, Jessica Hipp
NEYM Working Party on Spirituality & Sexual Ethics
March 15-17, 2013
JUICE AND JOY: Quaker Youth Workers Retreat
Kevin Lee
April 5-7, 2013
JOURNEY TOWARD AN UNDIVIDED LIFE
A Two-Part Series on Circles of Trust®
(developed by Parker Palmer and the Center for Courage & Renewal)
Valerie Brown
May 2-5, 2013 (Thursday – Sunday) and October 24-27, 2013 (Thursday – Sunday)
SUMMER SOLSTICE RETREAT
CELEBRATING SABBATH TOGETHER, SHARING PRACTICES
Jennie Isbell & Newell Pledger-Shinn, Stephen Cobb, Karen Modell and Nick Roosevelt
June 13-16, 2013 (Thursday – Sunday)
NOTE: Taize Service and Bonfire on Saturday evening, June 15th – open to all!