ChI Alumni and Student Learning Retreat April 4 – 8
Program Schedule and Registration for Alumni, Guests and Students

ChI Alumni, guests and students are welcome to join all or part of the retreat
at Villa Maria del Mar in Santa Cruz, CA.

REGISTER NOW
Registration Closes March 26

The following programming is open to All *except where noted
 *CP students, SD students and Ordinands required to attend have a slightly different schedule of sessions.

April 4 Monday
1:00pm > Arrival (4:00pm check into rooms)
2:00pm-5:00pm (*CP students only session)
6:00pm-6:45pm Welcome Dinner
7:00pm-9:00pm Dances of Universal Peace (bring your instruments!) – led by Rev. Wakil Matthews, MASC

April 5 Tuesday
7:00am-8:00am Free time, meditation, movement, or yoga
8:00am-8:45am Breakfast
9:00am-12noon Choose one of three elective options

  1. Theater of the Oppressed – led by Jiwon Chung We will explore practices of mindfulness, embodiment, and personal/social transformation within a radical theater practice known as “Theatre of the Oppressed,” focusing on techniques for finding equanimity, awareness, and liberation through energetic and somatic practices in the personal, interpersonal, and political dimensions. The process is explored both in the individual, internal somatic sphere, and the collective, social, institutional sphere. This approach derives from Augusto Boal’s Theater of the Oppressed, and Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed. The specificity and nuances of the applications and adaptations will be explored in depth in class. Please dress to move.
  2. Tending to the Caregivers – led by Rev. Wakil Matthews, MASC https://mysticism-spirituality-circle.com/ In these times of the great unraveling, those who care for others (in hospice, healthcare, etc.) are often overwhelmed and in great need of skilled, compassionate presence and guidance. As chaplains and spiritual directors we are uniquely trained and motivated to provide that presence. In this class we will dance, pray, chant, and share together a journey through the overwhelm and despair toward creating a new story for those who are doing this challenging work.
  3. Running Interfaith Organizations/Ministries – led by Rev. Rivka Gevurtz, M.Div. https://shelterforthespirit.com/ Spiritual leadership has often functioned at the intersection of justice and charity. Interfaith organizations have worked toward meeting the needs of the oppressed, inspired advocacy to create change, and fostered collaborations between religious bodies. Unlike a for-profit business, interfaith organizations often rely on grants and donations and require systems which meet a different set of reporting criteria for state and federal oversight. Join us as we explore the practical steps to establishing an interfaith nonprofit organization, as well as share best practices from those among us already doing this work.

12noon-12:45pm Lunch
12:45pm-2:00pm Free Time
2:00pm-5:00pm Choose one of three elective options

  1. Introduction to Entheogens and Spiritual Care – led by Valeria McCarroll, LMFT, Ph.D. https://www.valeriamccarroll.com/ This workshop introduces participants to the possibilities of entheogenic medicine. We start with a high-level overview of the field of psychedelic medicine, including ethical considerations for expanded states, followed by an experiential journey using music and plant aerosols, before concluding with an open discussion on the potential future role of entheogens in spiritual care. [Note: because of the use of plant aerosols, this workshop may not be appropriate for those who are highly scent-sensitive.
  2. Grief and Dementia – led by Rev. Jurgen Schwing, MA, BCC We will explore how to compassionately provide grief support using William Worden’s model of the Four Tasks of Mourning. We will look at how we can facilitate these four tasks of mourning when caring for clients/patients/friends experiencing loss. In the second half of the class, we will explore how to facilitate our own grief work and care for ourselves. We will invite special attention to the unique grief experienced when caring for or losing someone with dementia.
  3. Digital Ministry – Marketing/Website/Social Media – led by Rev. Annalouiza Armendariz https://www.jaguar-journey.com/ Aligning your values around the call to spiritual care with the practical needs of building your practice. We will share tools to craft your vision and identify steps to bring it to life.

6:00pm-6:45pm Dinner
7:00pm-9:00pm Evening Practice – Taizé & Labyrinth Walk – led by Rev. Dr. John Mabry

April 6 Wednesday
7:00am-8:00am Free time, meditation, movement, or yoga
8:00am-8:45am Breakfast
9:00am-12noon *Alumni Workshop – Warning, this Rainbow Contains Salt! – led by Rev. Jenifer Miller M.Div, MATW https://www.altarnativearts.com/
An introduction to Theopoetics, witness poetry, tightroping with words, and using collaged poetry for healing.
Come curious, and be prepared to swirl your senses!

12noon-12:45pm Lunch
12:45pm-2:00pm Free Time

2:00pm-5:00pm *Alumni Workshop – Trauma Informed Spiritual Care – led by Rev. Maura Singer Williams https://www.maurasinger.com/
In this experiential group, we will learn some basic concepts from Somatic Experiencing trauma work and explore how we can integrate them into our chaplaincy and spiritual direction practice. We will work in small experiential groups of 2 or 3 using our own personal material.
Pendulation, Titration, Window of tolerance, Boundaries, Orienting, Resourcing, Using simple touch skills, SIBAM (sensing, image, behavior, affect, meaning)

6:00pm-6:45pm Dinner
7:00pm-9:00pm Evening – Free time

April 7 Thursday
7:00am-8:00am Free time, meditation, movement, or yoga
8:00am-8:45am Breakfast
9:00am-12noon *Alumni Workshop – Beauty as Medicine: Healing our Inner Landscape – led by Rev. Lisa j Winston https://ljwdivinesight.com/
Bring your smartphone or camera, and your open mind and heart, as we explore the practice of Zen Seeing to channel beauty for healing self and others. We’ll also work with meaning making inquiry through visual meditation and collage as spiritual care tools.

12noon-12:45pm Lunch
12:45pm-2:00pm Free Time

2:00pm-5:00pm *Alumni Workshop – Explore Your Dreams for Insight and Inspiration – led by Rev. Laura Prickett https://www.spiritmirrorstudio.com/
Dreams have played an important role in every major religion and have been described as sacred encounters in ancient and modern texts across cultures. In this session we will review some basic tools for working with our own dreams and holding sacred space for others to explore spiritual aspects of their dreams.
The workshop will emphasize various ways in which all dreams, even nightmares, can affirm and strengthen our connection to the Divine and to our own inner wisdom. The session will include hands-on experience with two methods of dreamwork – a journaling exercise in which all attendees can explore one of their own dreams for spiritual insight and inspiration, and a projective dream work exercise in which a volunteer will have an opportunity to share a dream with the group and learn from insights that others experience for themselves from the dream. Please bring a short dream that you would like to explore.

6:00pm-6:45pm Dinner
7:00pm-9:00pm Evening Grief Ritual – led by Rev. Dr. Megan Wagner & Rev. Jim Larkin

April 8 Friday
7:00am-8:00am Free time, meditation, movement, or yoga
8:00am-8:45am Breakfast

9:00am-12noon *Alumni Workshop – Showing Up with Compassion for Injustice in Your Ministry: Uncovering Unconscious Bias and Dismantling Micro-aggressions – led by Wren Ganin-Pinto and Fresh “Lev” White https://affirmativeacts.org/
As you move through your life as a chaplain, spiritual care leader and wherever your ministries have called you, you may encounter moments and situations of injustice and have felt uncertain of how to show up. Whether it be racism, classism, sexism, homophobia etc., as spiritual leaders, we have the opportunity to be advocates for those moments when we witness harm done to each other.
This 3-hour workshop will offer up an understanding of micro-aggressions and unconscious biases to provide the opportunity to self-reflect on moments you had where you wondered what to say or do when witnessing or experiencing injustice. With compassion and empathy and through embodied practices we can learn more about the ways we carry habits and patterns that may prevent us from being the spiritual leaders we are called to be. Come and practice in a brave space together.

12noon-12:45pm Lunch
1:00pm Departure

Register for the Retreat HERE
You will be able to sign up for specific workshop sessions at a later date.
Topics and schedule subject to change

PRICING
Double Occupancy Rooms
Alumni & Guests M – F $ 840.00 From lunch M thru Lunch F
Alumni & Guests 3 day M-Th or Tu-F $ 695.00 From lunch M thru Lunch Th, or Tu – F

Single Occupancy Rooms (There are a limited number of single rooms)
Alumni & Guests M – F $1060.00 From lunch M thru Lunch F
Alumni & Guests 3 day M-Th or Tu-F $ 855.00 From lunch M thru Lunch Th, or Tu – F

Daily Commuter
Includes Morning & Afternoon Program, Breakfast and Lunch $135.00
Dinner is an additional $30 and must be reserved in advance

Questions?
Alumni and guests reach out to lisa@chaplaincyinstitute.org
Faculty, CP and SD students required to attend reach out to katrina@chaplaincyinstitute.org or shae@chaplaincyinstitute.org
Ordinands reach out to kari@chaplaincyinstitute.org