IMPORTANT INFO REGARDING THE SHUTTLE FROM NEWARK AIRPORT TO STONY POINT
1. When you land, call the following number: 201-833-4444
2. Go to Terminal B, at the Ground Level, outside at the Passenger Pickup Area 4 and 5. You may have a wait, but it will not be longer than two hours. The Stony Point Van will be driving continuously between Newark Airport and Stony Point, filled with jolly Proclaimers!
3. If you have any travel issues, text or call Amalia: 563-419-7238.
Safe travels!
Attendees: Please plan your travel arrangements so you arrive to the center by Wednesday evening before dinner at 6pm and leave Saturday after 1pm.
The Proclaim retreat is a gathering of publicly identified LGBTQ rostered leaders and seminarians for a time of renewal, community building, and professional development. The 2012 retreat will be held at Stony Point Center, New York, April 18-21. Our keynote speaker is Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson, who will join us for most of the retreat.
This year’s theme is ¡Vamos Tod@s! (We are all going!/We are on the move!). The theme is tied to the hymn, “Let Us Go Now to the Banquet.” (ELW 523).
(The use of the “@” is a way that some people seek gender-neutrality in Spanish.)
This retreat is open to members of Proclaim, significant others, and children 3 and under. For information on joining Proclaim go here.
The retreat begins with dinner on Wednesday evening and concludes with lunch on Saturday.
Proclaim is funded in part by a grant from the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation. An additional grant from the Advent Mission Fund from Advent Lutheran Church (New York, NY) provides support for expansive outreach efforts for our Proclaim and Candidacy Accompaniment programs and to increase ELM’s organizational commitment to inclusion. Additional support for Proclaim and this retreat comes from individual donors and congregations.
More about the Event:
This retreat will be the second gathering of Proclaim. We will gather together and embrace what it means to be publicly identified leaders as we care for ourselves, as we live in and amongst our communities, and as we serve as public witness to the Gospel.
The keynote speaker this year is Bishop Gene Robinson, the current bishop of the New England diocese of the Episcopalian church. Bp. Robinson is the first publicly identified gay person to be elected bishop in a major Christian denomination. His story is featured in the 2007 feature-length documentary, “For the Bible Tells Me So,” and his book In the Eye of the Storm: Swept to the Center by God (Seabury Books, New York) was released in 2008.
Program:
Here is a sample of sessions and discussion items for our time together:
- What is the banquet that we are invited to? What motivates/propels us forward? What feeds our souls?
- Discuss how LGBTQ leaders can shape and reshape church and community in the present and into the future.
- Examine how LGBTQ leaders are a gift to the church.
- Offer opportunities for LGBTQ leaders to hone and sharpen skills for ministry.
- Create a vision of what this community and church might look like in 10 years–when we are all moving/going together.
Current Workshops
For more programming details about these presenters click here: Speaker & Workshop leaders at the retreat
Keynote: The Right Reverend V. Gene Robinson, IX Bishop of New Hampshire
The Rev. Dr. R. Guy Erwin, professor at California Lutheran University, “Queering Lutheran Theology”
Emily Ewing, Joel R. Workin Scholar, seminary student at LSTC, “Nonviolent Peacemaking in a Culture of Violence”
Laura Kuntz, Joel R. Workin Scholar, seminary student at Trinity Lutheran Seminary, “Rituals for Renewal and Self-Care”
Ross Murray, Director of Religion, Faith & Values at the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), “GLBTQ Voices of Faith in the Media”
The Rev. Heidi Neumark, pastor Trinity Lutheran Church, New York, New York, “Living Beloved Community”
Rick Ufford-Chase, co-director Stony Point Retreat Center, “Ministry on the Borders”
Friday Evening Entertainment: Peter Donnelly
Lodging:
We will be staying at the Stony Point Conference Center in New York. Stony Point is just over an hour outside of New York City. Situated in the beautiful and historic Lower Hudson River Valley. Stony Point Conference Center offers delicious & locally sourced food, comfortable accommodations and stunning outdoor space.
Rooms will be shared with one other attendee. Please mark your roommate preference on your registration form. If no preference is indicated, we will assign you a roommate. If sharing a room presents an accessibility challenge for you, please contact operations@elm.org.
Each spacious room offers two single beds, two desks and a sink. Single-person bathrooms are located in the hallways. Each lodge offers a shared lounge and kitchenette with a microwave, sink and small refrigerator, as well as hot water for coffee and tea. Wireless internet access is available in most of the lounges, and in the main administrative building and dining hall. Dress for the retreat is casual.
Food
Meals will be nutritious and tasty. ELM seeks to extend a spirit of hospitality in all things, including food. Please note dietary restrictions on your registration form, so that we may meet your needs. The retreat begins with dinner Wednesday night, three meals a day Thursday and Friday, and breakfast & lunch on Saturday. Snacks will be provided throughout.
Costs:
$425/person
Includes: Double-occupancy room for three nights, meals and snacks, programming, and your 2012 membership fee for Proclaim.
Single rooms are available on a limited basis. Registration for single occupancy will be $495.
Partners/Spouses
Partners and spouses are invited and encouraged to attend this retreat. The retreat is designed to address the reality of living as publicly identified LGBTQ leaders. Partners and spouses are an integral part of this lived reality, experiencing the joys and challenges of this important ministry from their own unique perspectives. We want this perspective to be represented, and we want to support the vital and unique ministry of these partners/spouses. There may be moments where the conversation drifts into theology and church politics, likely reminiscent of those awkward gatherings in seminary. Be assured, there will be plenty of spouses/partners present to create a space for those who are not engaged by these kinds of conversations. Significant others will pay the full retreat cost of $375 for early-registration and $425 for regular registration.
Childcare:
Children 3 and under are welcome to attend at no charge. Please note there will not be childcare programming provided.
Travel:
The recommended airport is Newark. Please plan your travel arrangements so you arrive to the center by Wednesday evening before dinner at 6pm and leave Saturday after 1pm.
If you registered after February 16, you are responsible for your own transportation to and from Stony Point. Traveling by bus, plane or train? Please refer to the Stony Point Center website for transportation options.
Important Dates!
Registration Deadline is March 30, 2012.
If you have questions, please contact Rachael Johnson, operations@elm.org
I will be very interested in more information about this retreat, as well as scholarship opportunities to help defray the cost. I am a seminarian at Lutheran Theological Seminary @ Philadelphia.