Come and learn to LOVE YOUR STORY at Northfield’s Midwinter Weekend coming up soon at at the Rolling Ridge Retreat Center in North Andover, MA.
Here are some highlights of our time together:
Morning Program: Anthony Acheson
Our morning program features Anthony Acheson, a career minister in the United Churches of Christ who focuses on spiritual mentoring. He will use the Love Your Story theme to get us talking about how we have been guided, comforted, challenged and formed through spiritual means. Our goal is to learn from each other’s journeys and consider how our stories connect.
Loving our Story Through Music: Betsy Taylor
What are the earliest songs that you remember?
Are there special songs that you remember singing as a child and youth: on the playground, Scouts or Camp, around campfires, in the car or bus, in your place of worship, at bedtime, during the Holidays? Any songs that made you laugh? -or cry? How did these songs affect how you see the world, your relationships, or yourself. How are they living in you now?
Betsy is a long-time Northfielder who lives with her dear, guitar-playing husband, Lindsay Freese in southern New Hampshire. She sings whenever she gets a chance, loves harmony and all those old camp songs, and is looking forward to seeing where music takes us next.
Quick Writes: Connie Chandler-Ward
When you write a tiny piece of your story,more and more aspects of
that time emerge
adding colors of detail and feeling long forgotten. It brings your
story alive in a new way,
maybe especially if you choose to read it aloud.
This workshop will help us to remember, illuminate and enliven the
beauty of our lives through opening out tiny bits of the past.
Connie grew up in New England and Europe, is ordained, was a college chaplain and founded a women’s retreat center in Maine. She has two amazing daughters. Now she is simply a pretty grateful, anonymous old woman.
Towers of Light: Peter Bloch
Come create a whole new piece of art in this immersive craft experience.
With various instruments of art we will create four panels together to be assembled, illuminated and displayed during the Mothfield Story Slam.
Peter has been to Northfield for over 20 years, shares the experience with his amazing wife Kathy, and can’t imagine being without this community in his life. Elsewhere, he is a woodturner specializing in turned wooden lampshades, a nature lover, and an ongoing seeker of “thin places.”
Mothfield Story Slam Preparation: Debra Sampson
The Mothfield Story Slam is modeled on the famous NPR Moth Radio Hour. Participants will share verbal stories in the 5-6 minute range. This is a chance to share an engaging story that brings us into the moment with you. Were you puzzled? Tricked? Joyous? bolstered to overcome a challenge? Debra will help us prepare for our slam by helping us capture the scene, the stake and the sensations of the experiences we’ll be sharing.
Debra is a Seattle-based author of fiction and non-fiction, including her novel Between, numerous memoirs of extraordinary “ordinary” people, and (currently) the 100-year history of a Detroit firm, which is her most exciting project ever.
______
We are also looking for “wandering storytellers” who will invite attendees to listen to a short favorite story in during the evening free time. You are invited to bring a favorite children’s book, spiritual story text, mythology, modern fiction, historical account or a simple fairy tale to supply this endeavor. Let me know if you’d like to be part of this troupe.
Below are important links to register and learn more.
https://northfieldconference.org/midwinter-2017-2/midwinter-2017/ to register
https://northfieldconference.org/midwinter-2017-2/ to read about program
The Northfield Conference 