JHYM Retreat Staff Notes
Seek Ye First
JHYM Retreats * Nov. 6 - 8, 2009 * Woolman Hill
What are you looking for? What is your deepest longing? Do you honor and give
space for your heart’s yearnings and let them shape your days and life? How do
you do that in the midst of being a 2009 middle schooler in the U.S.A? Join us
as we slow down for a weekend to listen for that of God and consider what’s most
important to us.
Our Staff: Anne Anderson, Marion Athearn, Dave Baxter, Jim Campbell, Jennifer
Hogue, Sara Hubner, Adam Kohrman, Shannon Palmer, Paula Rossval, Annelies
Spykman, and moi. Wow, huh?
Jim (Lilly’s dad), Shannon (former JYM’er, JH’er, and YF -- now a freshmanYAF at
Clark University), and Annelies (highly praised cook) will be with us for the
first time. Annelies will also have her four year old son Sebastian with her; he
apparently has been accompanying his mom at her work in kitchens since infancy.
Welcome, welcome!
Our JH’ers: As of now, I have 32 registered. Five are first timers, including
two sixth graders – however, all of them have been to JYM and/or Yearly Meeting.
THREE Important Notes
1. I need 2 more CD players. Let me know if you can bring one.
2. I am being treated for a pinched nerve in my neck and have to be a good
doobie to my body and how much I lift. Please remind me when I get into my “I
can do this myself” mode, okay?
3. The message about H1N1 prevention is for you, too: If you are feeling at all
sick, let me know and stay home! We are blessed in staff numbers for this
retreat, so we’ll miss you but manage okay.
ALSO:
In order to keep these staff notes shorter and more accessible for my
well-seasoned staffers, I’ve created a new resource called “Detailed Information
for Staffers” that includes information on how small groups work, quiet hour,
free time, staffing expectations, etc. I would love feedback on it!
Timelines
Arrival: I hope to arrive between 4:30 and 5:00pm on Friday. You are welcome to
arrive anytime after that – I’d love it if you were there by 6:30. Registration
is at 7:00 – please join us by then! J
Wrap-up: Sunday Morning Worship is at 10:15. I aim to have you all on the road
by 1:00. It helps if almost everyone can stay until cleanup is done. Please let
me know if you need to leave early.
DIRECTIONS TO WOOLMAN HILL ARE ON OUR WEBSITE.
Small Groups
Small Groups will meet three times over the course of the weekend: Friday
evening, Saturday morning, and early Saturday evening.
Friday Evening Small Group: The Kingdom of God is Here
* Start with a little Worship.
* Talk about what JHYM small groups are, stressing confidentiality and respect.
(Refer to the “About Small Groups” sheet in your staff notebook for more
specifics if you need them.)
* Do a round of check-ins.
Then…..
Invite everyone to make a crown (see section below on Friday night Opening
Worship that precedes this small group)! At the same time, you can talk about
the skit in the Opening Circle and aspects of The Kingdom of God – including
their own ideas and understandings of it. This is really an opportunity to do a
small blitz of Religious Ed. as well as some reflection on what the
ramifications are if we live as though we are building the Kingdom of God here
on earth, today, right now. Additional background material will be in your staff
notebooks.
* Consider ending with this silly little game called “Pass the Face” which I
found in an excerpt of the AVP Basic Manual…Best to wear your crowns for it,
too! J
(Assuming you are in a circle) One person volunteers to start. This person turns
to the person next to them (either side) and makes some kind of funny face. The
second person “receives” this face by copying it, and then turns to the third
person, changes some part of the face, and passes this ‘new’ face on to them.
The third person receives this new face, copies it, turns to the fourth person,
changes it in some way, and then passes it on…and on and on it goes!
Saturday Morning Small Group: “What are you looking for?”
* Start with a round of check-ins, especially seeing how first timers are doing
at this point in the weekend. Encourage everyone to share any thoughts about
what was shared in Opening Worship. Take as much time as you need.
Then………
* Tell everyone that all of this morning we will be considering the questions:
Within your heart and soul, what is your deepest longing? What are you most
searching for?
In your supplied Quaker Oats box, you have a list of a few possible answers to
these questions.
(Sshhh – for your info only: To know truth; To know I am completely okay and
loved; To see the face of God; To create perfect beauty; To find my life’s work;
Peace...)
You need 2 volunteers to pretend to be the GPS that will give advice for how to
“get there” -- and another 2 volunteers who will be a broken GPS that will give
bad advice. Ask someone to pick a card from the Quaker Oats Box and read it out
loud, then ask the two “techies” to give their advice.
For Example: The destination is PEACE.
The “good” GPS team might suggest 1. Take time to meditate or worship every day.
2. Take care of your health. 3. Let go of things that are not important so that
you are less busy.
The “bad” GPS team might say, “No, no!” You should 1. Get a job that pays you a
million bucks a year so that you don’t have to stress about your bills. 2. Go to
every anti-war demonstration you hear about in any city you can get to. 3. Smoke
marijuana every day to relax…
Make sure everyone has had a chance to be one or the other of the GPS, but do
know that this is really an exercise to help discuss this “large” topic in an
accessible way for our JH’ers. Take it where you are led!
THANK everyone for their honest sharing, and thank YOU for your gifts of
presence, dear staffers.
Saturday Evening Small Group: Is the latchstring of your heart in or out?
* Start with a round of check-ins.
Then…………..
Settle into a short period of centering silence.
* Read the following very short story aloud to the group.
From Plain Living: A Quaker Path to Simplicity.
Catherine Whitmire, Sorin Books, 2001. P.100
A Quaker family living on the American frontier heard a rumor that a Native
American war party was planning to attack their small settlement. The other
homesteaders barricaded themselves in their houses, loaded their guns, and
prepared to do battle. As pacifists, the Quaker family refused to use arms but
decided to protect themselves by pulling in the latchstring on their door. When
the latchstring was drawn, there was no way for someone from the outside to get
in.
When night fell the family went to bed, but found they could not sleep – they
were restless, and troubled by doubts. They were worried that by pulling in the
latchstring, they were putting their faith in a locked door rather than in God’s
loving care. Finally they got up, put the latchstring back out the way it
usually was, went back to bed, and slept through the rest of the night.
Just before dawn, a war party attacked the settlement. Houses were burned and
people were killed, but the homestead with the drawn latchstring was left
untouched. The community heard later from Native Americans that the exposed
latchstring had been interpreted by the war party as a sign that the Great
Spirit was protecting that house – and so, they had left it alone.
Early Friends were joyously exuberant in their belief in the reality of the
Inner Light – that God is always with us; that our Guide is always accessible to
help us (though not often by miraculously rescuing us up and out of the
difficulties). Faith in God’s Love is difficult, and exposing the latchstring on
our heart can be very scary. Sometimes – often! -- life is hard. It seems wiser
to close our heart’s door tight, hunker down alone, and wait for the storm to
pass.
Possible questions to consider:
* Do you believe that the Inner Light is within?
* Do you ever struggle with trusting this?
* Can you think of a time when you mindfully sought to be open to the Spirit’s
presence during a difficult or scary time?
* How would you describe yourself when your heart’s latchstring is in (not
open)?
* What does it feel like when it is out?
Make sure that you touch upon this point:
* We don’t know if this story is actually true, but it works as a parable for
God’s and our relationships. (You will likely have to explain what a parable
is.) However, there are times when it is good/wise to pull our doors shut from
evil or danger (I firmly believe we have a responsibility in ministry to ensure
that our young people know this and have skills and confidence to prevent them
from harm.) The “trick” for all of us is learning how to take care of ourselves,
setting good boundaries, etc. while still being open to God’s love. What might
this mean?
While you are talking about these things…
* Invite everyone to make a door out of a mini-cereal box. Encourage each of
them to decorate their box – especially their door! -- so that it represents
them, and then write themselves (and/or each other) messages on how to remain
open to the Spirit (to keep their latchstrings out) to put inside.
* Close with an affirmation of everyone’s participation and presence throughout
the weekend, and/or a quick round of “Ha. Ha-ha. Ha-ha-ha!” J
Other bits of program
Friday Night Opening Circle:
As part of our opening circle, I am looking for YOU staffers to put on a short
skit about The Kingdom of God!
I need: A UPS Driver
One or two early (i.e., historical) Friends
One or two followers of Jesus
One or two prophets to carry signs like “The King is coming, look busy” etc.
Two junior highers from JHYM Retreats
The storyline: The Driver has a large package to deliver to The Kingdom of God
but can’t find it.
The Quakers, the followers of Jesus, and the other prophets all offer advice
based on their theologies and understandings. (i.e., Jesus’ followers recite or
read the parables of the mustard seed; the Friends get a line or two in about
the TWO Kingdoms of God – the here and now which we are building, as well as the
one in the future when we have all become one with the One.) Eventually, the two
junior highers walk by chatting away, and the UPS driver hears one of them say
to the other something about how cool it is that they are building the Kingdom
of God at JHYM. The relieved driver enthusiastically calls them over, hands them
the package – getting a signature, too! – and drives away. The junior highers
open the package just enough to see that it is a lot of stuff to make starry
crowns –distribute it to our small groups, and say something like “Here are your
uniforms/starry crowns” etc. (Signaling us, in real time, to go off to small
groups!)
SO. Let me know if you feel called to any of these roles or I may go ahead and
typecast you! Feel free to bring any supporting props or costumes. J
Saturday late morning: We’ll circle up for Worship in the Meeting House before
lunch with some queries concerning what we are seeking.
Saturday afternoon: We’ll hopefully offer a variety of 45-minute workshops for
JH’ers to choose
from that are all geared towards helping us to center and be more fully in the
present moment. Afterwards, I’m hoping we’ll have a game of Capture the Flag (we
can hope that it will be an unusual JHYM Retreat and not be raining). At this
point, I have confirmations from the following staffers about leading a
workshop:
Walk in the woods (Anne & Dave)
Origami (Marion & Shannon)
Singing (Jim & ?)
Yoga (Sara will co-lead if I can find someone else to join her)
I am looking into one or two other possibilities…if any of the rest of you has a
leading or idea, please be in touch!
Saturday late evening: After some large group games, singing, and dessert, we’ll
gather for a closing circle that just may include a Bible Story by our
wonderful, resident teller Anne.
A note on supporting Annelies:
Whenever you can, please check in with Annelies to see if she needs any
additional help in the kitchen. This will be her first experience cooking for
one of the youth programs (okay, she did cook for YAF Camp), and we want it to
be a very positive one!
Staff Assignments
Retreat Nurse: Paula
Craft Table Elders: Marion & Shannon
Name Tag Czar: Adam
Photographer: Sara
Hike Coordinators: Anne and Dave
Registrar: Dave
Retreat Minstrel: Jim
Staff Sifter (ensuring we have staff coverage inside and out during free time –
and are not all bunched up around the coffee pot!): Jennifer
Final note: Do know, dear Friends, my gratitude and love for each of you. Travel
safely. Be well.
Gretchen Baker-Smith, JHYM Retreat leader
508-997-0940 (h) * hellogretchen@gmail.com * 508-287-6441 (cell)