Brave Spaces: ‘A Season of Embodied Transformation in Retreat’

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Autumn Retreats: Glimpses of Transformation!

2024 Writing Fellows Cohort Retreat

In the warmth of early autumn, an hour’s drive outside of Washington D.C., 10 writers and two cohort mentors from across North America gathered together in person for the culmination of our 2024 Writing Fellows Cohort, a pilot initiative to create intentional space to empower and elevate historically marginalized voices within the Church. Our Writing Fellows had sacrificed time, energy, and their own finances to gather together for 48-hours to listen to our stories and dream together about future writing projects.

As you’ll see in reading about our other retreats below, a common theme quickly emerged: Life and learning online is a gift, but time spent in person, face-to-face, simply cannot be matched. The friendships, encouragement, and laughter still ring deeply in my mind weeks later – and this doesn’t even count the privilege I (Chris Kamalski) have in helping to edit these amazing writers’ future pieces!

Here’s what one participant said in reflection upon our weekend together:

“Honing my writing craft in the company of people from the margins was a life-giving, inspiring, and humbling experience. The companionship and expertise of our mentors left an imprint on who I am as a person and as a writer. I’m emerging from this experience emboldened, encouraged, and grounded in my purpose as a communicator.”

Sustaining Women in Ministry Cohort 2 Retreat

This September, Missio Alliance was thrilled to begin a second Sustaining Women in Ministry Cohort. Over six months, this cohort, comprised of 10 women, will explore a variety of topics, learning from both experienced practitioners and one another.

At the end of October, the cohort convened for a 3-day in-person retreat in Arizona. Pastor Sarah Jackson led sessions that explored themes of grief, hope, and expectation, giving space for individual and group processing.

While the content was deep and formative, the meal time discussions, beautiful retreat space, and informal hot tub times were just as meaningful. The women left with a heightened sense of connection, both with God and with one another. Many were encouraged that they will continue to journey with a wonderful network of women to draw support from in their unique church and community contexts.

“The retreat was a meaningful time for myself with God and some incredible women. It was a breath of fresh air, a time of much needed recovery, and a cherished experience with women who love the Lord and just “get it” when it comes to the hurdles of leadership for women. I pocketed much from their collective wisdom and experiences, and went away emboldened because of their steady and sincere commitment to the Kingdom.”

-Cohort 2 Participant

Why Stay 2024 Retreat

Since 2021, the Why Stay Retreat has offered Christian leaders a safe space to rest and rediscover their “Why” for ministry. Last month’s gathering in Oceanside, California provided another yet opportunity for deep conversations and exploration around disruption, grief, joy, and rest.

One attendee reflected: “Why Stay has been an important signpost on the journey for the particular season of life and ministry I am in.” Another shared: “It steadied and centered my place in God’s mission.”

While the work of transformation belongs to the Spirit, Why Stay remains a space where lives are renewed again through the Spirit’s power. Our hope is that this renewal will bear fruit in the lives of Christian leaders and faith communities in ways far beyond what we can imagine.

Familias Unidas Retreat

In mid November, we gathered with our Latino/a partners in Portland, Oregon – Christian leaders and pastors from different churches and non-profit organizations across the city – to celebrate our second Familias Unidas retreat, a core component of the Lilly Grant we received in 2023 in partnership with Northeastern Seminary. We dialogued about the unique challenges that Latino/a families face in the United States in this cultural moment, and the creative ways each of these organizations are building bridges for parents and children to have meaningful conversations and connections. As expected, it was a fruitful time of fellowship, strategic thinking, and of course, great food!

Awakenings 2025 is 3 months away!

We’re excited to be offering the following workshops at our Awakenings 2025 gathering. Check out our conference site for our growing list of Speakers and Contributors.

Planting Churches of Beauty and Resistance | JR Woodward & Jessie Cruickshank
Peacemaking for Cultivating Wholeness & Beauty | The Telos Group
Integrating Beauty & Justice: Thoughts on Art, Design, and Christian Faithfulness | Kelly Foster
Wholeness, Liberation Theology & Missional Action | Jules Martinez-Olivieri
Healing Leadership Trauma & the Journey to Wholeness | Nicholas & Sheila Rowe

If you’re a clinician or social worker, these opportunities might be perfect for you.

Since 2003, Urban Strategies has existed to equip, resource, and connect faith- and community-based organizations so that all children and families can reach their full potential.

See job opportunities

Advent Resources

Throughout December 2023, we published six pieces on the liturgical season of Advent, and the traditional Advent themes of hope, peace, joy, and love. We gather these pieces here for your reflection, sharing, and journey of watching and waiting for Christ to come again. For “Joy to the world – the Lord IS come” – and will come again. Maranatha, Lord Jesus. Come quickly!

Advent: Watching and Waiting for God | Andrew Arndt
Advent: Hope is a Mountain | Ted Kim
Advent: The Poet of Peace | Derek Vreeland
Advent: Expressible Joy | Eun Strawser
Advent: The Nexus of Humility, Justice, and Joy | Dennis Edwards
Blue Christmas: Is it Really the Most Wonderful Time of the Year? | Mayra Ramos

Joy to the World, the Lord is come!

“Joy to the world, the Lord IS come.” Have you ever noticed that the memorable first line to the familiar Christmas carol has a deliberate grammatical error in its punctuation? Given that Joy to the World is frequently sung as the crescendo of Christmas services, a bold declaration that Christ has come into the world, and that the Incarnation has made all things well, you’d expect the tense to be in the past: Joy to the world, the Lord has come. Or perhaps, given this song as a hinge point in the liturgical year between Advent and Christmastide, the lyric could refer to Jesus’ ultimate, final coming: Joy to the world, the Lord will come.

While both are theologically true, well known 18th century English minister and hymnist Isaac Watts, who penned this hymn in 1719, certainly was aware of his choice of tense and punctuation.

All of which invites a robust theological question, and is the core of our Brave Practice this December: What are the implications of declaring that our world experiences joy in our present reality, for the Lord is present in our midst, just as things are? We invite you to gather several close family friends around your table, and ponder together this Advent truth: Jesus IS come into our world. What a joyous reality indeed!

- Chris Kamalski, Editorial Director