St. John’s Intergenerational Retreat
Rooted in Jesus, Grounded in Love
Featuring Music That Makes Community
Sunday, September 28, 2025, 9:00am - 5:30pm
Parish Retreat with Music That Makes Community – Registration is Open!
Remember the joy of singing around a campfire, the warmth, the laughter, the sense of belonging? That’s the spirit Music That Makes Community will bring to our parish retreat: a day of Gathering, Singing, Listening, and Playing that opens us to God and to one another. This retreat isn’t just for singers; it’s about building the kind of community where every voice matters, where shared song sparks connection, strengthens courage, and helps us imagine together who we are becoming.
We’ll begin with all-ages worship and close with a festive dinner and the Big Sing. In between, there will be workshops to choose from — some rooted in music, others in art, conversation, and reflection —all designed to nurture creativity, deepen connection, and equip us for lives of love and justice. While adults take part on campus, St. John’s Youth will head to Seacoast Climbs for a retreat of their own — full of rock climbing, teamwork, and fun.
Cost is $25/person (max $100/family). Pay what you can—give more if able, less if needed.
Please register by Sunday, September 21 to reserve your spot and help us get a count for food and climbing!
FULL DAY SCHEDULE
9:00am – All-Parish Eucharist
We begin our day gathered in worship around God’s table. Conie and Nancy from Music That Makes Community will lead us in song, introducing paperless music: simple, easily learned songs taught by listening and repeating. This practice invites full participation, frees our hands and eyes, and helps us embody our prayers together.
10:00am – Seeds for the Day
This opening session gathers us into the heart of the retreat. With guiding questions: Who are we becoming together? What is possible? What seeds are we planting? We will name our hopes and wonderings, open ourselves to God’s call, and step together into the work of the day ahead.
(Youth Depart for Seacoast Climbs)
11:00am – Workshop Session I: Discernment, Creativity, and Community
Choose from three paths of exploration:
Community: Singing Our Faith. Guided by Music That Makes Community, discover how singing together deepens belonging, embodiment, and shared prayer. Our voices weave us into one body.
Discernment: Mission, Vision, and Values Listening Session. Through guided conversations you are invited to share stories, listen deeply, and help shape the vision God is calling us toward as a parish.
Creativity: Imagining God’s Vision. Through mixed media collage art and hope-filled conversation we'll create a vision of God's dream for us.
Throughout this time, you are invited to add “seeds” and visions to our communal visioning board.
12:30pm – Brown Bag Lunch and Conversation
In Thaxter Hall or in the Garden
(Youth Return)
1:30pm – Workshop Session II: Rest, Retreat, and Connect
This afternoon is about renewal. Choose what you most need:
Quiet Retreat – Rest in the sanctuary accompanied by the gentle piano music of Olin Johannessen.
Gentle Flow Yoga – Gentle, beginner-friendly yoga with Angela Bowen; low impact with a focus on relaxation.
Time for Connection – Walk outside, sit in the garden, or join friends for conversation and puzzles in Thaxter Hall. Self Directed.
Gathering “Seeds” & Singing – A musical time for the young and the “young at heart” with Conie, Nancy, and St. John’s youth, sorting the “seeds” of the day and learning songs for the Big Sing.
3:00pm – Group Reflection and Sharing
Together we will gather the “seeds” planted throughout the day, the hopes, questions, and visions added to our board. With simple song prompts and shared reflection, we will tend these seeds as a community, noticing which are beginning to take root and listening for how God might be calling us to nurture them into the life of St. John’s.
4:00pm – The Big Sing!
We will close the day with a joyful Big Sing, weaving together new songs and familiar favorites in the spirit of a summer evening gathered with friends, sharing music and stories around the fire.
5:00pm – Dinner: Las Olas Taco Bar
Grab a plate, find a friend, and enjoy a festive meal together, a chance to keep tending the connections and visions we have begun to grow. As we close, we carry with us the seeds planted today, some already beginning to take root. May God give us the wisdom to nurture them with love.
YOUTH PROGRAM
11:00am - 1:30pm — Youth trip to Seacoast Climbs
A time for connection, play, and challenge. Meet in Lower Thaxter at 10:45. Lunch will be provided.
1:30 - 3:00pm — Gathering “Seeds” & Singing
A musical time for the young and “young at heart” with Conie, Nancy, and St. John’s Youth, sorting the “seeds” of the day and learning songs for the Big Sing. Meet in the Choir Room.
Why do we have a Parish Retreat?
Each year St. John’s sets aside a weekend in September to come together as a community to invite deeper reflection and connection within our community and get to know friends new and old. This is our chance to continue our work of building this whole-hearted community!