Peacemaking in the Old Testament

February 11-13, 2000 (Friday-Sunday)
Canadensis, PA (in the Poconos)

Family retreat with separate programs for adults, youth, and children, sponsored by The Peace and Social Concerns Committee, Eastern District Conference, General Conference Mennonite Church.

Adult Program:
Desert Spirituality and Peace-Doing in the Old Testament

Who would think that bare dry land in the Middle East might have a message for the world? In the Old Testament, the deserts play a major role as a place where God shows the proper use of power, where people train and prepare to serve their God, and where God makes new beginnings for many people--often in contrast to the temptations of using force and chasing prosperity in the well-watered land.

The program will consider the lessons of the desert as both a physical and spiritual geography, and reflect on the ways these lessons might guide our own journeys of faith through the deserts of violence and sterile materialism which can stifle spirituality today.

Dr. Gordon Brubacher is Associate Professor of Biblical Studies and Archaeology at Doane College in Crete, Nebraska, and director and staff archeologist of annual summer archeological explorations at Bethsaida near the Sea of Galilee. He has lectured and written extensively on Old Testament and archeological studies and has led study tours by camel in the Palestinian desert.

Youth Program:
Culture and the Media

Media is an incredibly powerful force in our culture, sending out messages on what we should buy, how we should live, and even what we should believe. Everyday we are surrounded by hundreds of competing messages brought to us in the form of magazines, advertisements, television shows, movies, and music. Is it possible to live in the late twentieth-century and not be influenced by media's forces?

In our youth sessions, we will work on becoming more aware, and critical, consumers of the messages bombarding us from the media. Session One, Supermodels and Hunks: Living up the Perfect Body, will explore how images of flawless, air-brushed, perfectly dressed models cause us to assess our own physical selves. Session Two, Can I Watch Scream and still be a Pacifist? will consider the effect of seeing violence and immoral behavior on our psychological selves. In the final session, In the Media World, but not of it: Making Good Choices, we will learn how to make good media choices and consider the consequences of our choices.

Dr. Kerry L. Strayer is an assistant professor of communication at Otterbein College. A native of Ohio, she just moved back there this summer after living the last fifteen years in Texas, Indiana, and Oklahoma. She teaches courses on communicating in teams, in the workplace, and across cultural boundaries. Kerry's grandmother lives in Allentown, PA

Childrens Programs (led by volunteers)

There will be separate programs for children of all ages and baby-sitting for preschoolers. Childrens age groups are nursery, 5-8, and 9-12. (Additional volunteers are needed; teaching materials will be provided.)

Location

Spruce Lake Retreat Center, RR#1, Box 605, Canadensis, PA 18325. (717) 595-7505.
Spruce Lake Retreat is located 2.5 miles north of Canadensis on PA Rt. 447, in the Pocono Mountains.

Schedule (subject to change)

Friday, February 11
7:00 PM Check-in
8:00 PM Opening program for All
Music and Sharing
9:30 PM Snack*
11:00 PM Bedtime (Quiet)
Saturday, February 12
8:00-8:30 AM Breakfast
9:00 AM First Adult Session and Youth Session
10:30 AM Free Time
12:00-12:30 PM Lunch
12:30 PM Free Time
5:30-6:00 PM Dinner
7:30 PM Second Adult Session and Youth Session
9:30 PM Snack*
11:00 PM Bedtime (Quiet)
Sunday, February 13
8:00-8:30 AM Breakfast
9:00 AM Final Adult and Youth Session
Worship Service with Communion
12:15-12:45 PM Lunch
*Please bring bagged snacks (cookies, pretzels, chips, etc) to share with others during the evenings.

  • After lunch you and your family may stay for more recreation or head for home.
  • Weather permitting, the following winter recreational activies are available at Spruce Lake: cross-country skiing with ski rental, tubing, and ice-skating (bring your own skates).

    Registration Information

    Please plan to register early; space is limited. In 1999 we had to turn away several families because of the space limitation.

    Most rooms accomodate up to four people (a double bed and a bunk bed with private bath), and one or two additional family members may be accomodated in the same room on the floor if you wish to bring sleeping bags for them. Single adults who wish to room together should send in their registration forms together.

    Married couples who would like to share a room with another married couple will allow us to turn away fewer people. (One couple in double bed, other couple in bunk bed.) Please indicate your preference on the registration form.

    Cost to Participants:

    $80.00 Adults *($70.00 if paid before Jan. 5, 2000)
    $21.00 Children (Ages 6-18) -- rooming with parents
    $40.00 Youth not rooming with adult
    Children under 6 are free!

    --------------------- Registration Form ------------------------------

    Name_________________________________________________________

Address______________________________________________________

City, State___________________________________ZIP____________

Phone______________________________E-mail____________________

Child's Name              Age                        Sex
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

____Adults @ $80.00 each*   __________
____Children @ $21.00 each  __________  
____Youth @ $40.00 each     __________  
       (Additional donation __________ )      
                       TOTAL___________
             Amount Enclosed___________
     Amount Due at Check-in _____________________

Make checks payable to:
                   Eastern District Conference

Mail this registration form to:
     Robert Walden
     826 Tioga Avenue
     Bethlehem, PA 18018 

Registration deadline is January 19, 2000

Any questions?  Need more information? 
Call  Robert Walden, 610-861-0653
  or  Russell Darling, 215-357-6564,
  or  Joseph Kotva,  610-435-3162.

    Financial Information

    Our registration rates are listed on the registration form above, but the actual cost of the retreat is about 50% greater than what the participants pay. The difference is made up with funds from the Eastern District Peace and Social Concerns budget. The actual costs are: $99.50 per adult, $33.05 for children (age 6 & up in same room as parents); our costs also include honorariums, travel, and accomodations for our presenters, publicity, and other miscellaneous expenses.

    If you wish to pay the actual cost of the retreat, it would be greatly appreciated. Other donations to the retreat are also welcome.

    Some financial help is available for those who find it difficult to pay the amount we charge. We want to enable as many people as possible to attend this retreat. (Contact Joseph Kotva, 610-435-3162; kotva@ibm.net)

    If you have dietary restrictions or require other special accomodations (e.g., diabetic, or vegitarian, or difficulty climbing stairs, etc.) please include information about your needs.

    Camp Policies


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    Last Updated: 10/28/99
    Created: July 4, 1999