MENNONITE CONGREGATION OF BOSTON
Fall Retreat, October 17-18, 201
This year the MCOB retreat will take place from Saturday, October 17 to Sunday, October 18, 2015 at The
Edwards House, The UCC Conference Center, 1 Badger Road, Framingham, MA.
The theme of this year’s retreat is Renew, Reflect, and Reconnect: Cultivating individual and communal
spiritual growth. The goal is to have time together as a congregation to enjoy each other’s company and reflect
on God’s movement in our lives. The scripture passage for the retreat is Philippians 1:9, which reads: “And this
is my prayer, that your love may grow ever richer and richer in the knowledge and insight of every kind, and
may thus bring you the gift of true discernment.” The facilitators will be Don and Em Yoder, who will lead the
Saturday evening and Sunday morning sessions. For more information about Don and Em and the retreat theme,
please see page three of this document.
Please contact Bruce Bradshaw at bbmcob@gmail.com by October 12 to register for the retreat and arrange
transportation if needed. In your email, please inform Bruce if you will be spending the night at the retreat
center as well as which meals you will attend.
Retreat Schedule
Saturday, October 17
1:00 PM on
2:00 PM
4:00 PM
6:00 PM
7:00 PM
8:15 PM
Arrival, Fellowship time, etc.
Group Hike/Walk
Group games
Dinner
Evening Session with Don and Em Yoder
Social time, Games, etc.
Sunday, October 18
8:00 AM
9:15 AM
10:30 AM
11:00 AM
12:30 PM
1:30 PM
3:00 PM
Breakfast
Morning Session with Don and Em Yoder
Break and preparation for worship
Taize & Communion Service led by Stephanie Hollenberg & Bruce Bradshaw
Lunch
Social time, Games, etc.
Departure
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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Accommodations & Food
The overnight accommodations include seven spacious bedrooms, which provide sleeping space for up to 23
people. The retreat area includes six full baths. The bedrooms, containing from 4 to 6 beds, provide separate
sleeping arrangements for men and women. There is one room that has a double bed and a bathroom; we
reserve it for the people who have the greatest need, usually the eldest couple who stay overnight. Linens and
towels are provided. Overnight guests have use of a large living room and a small lounge, as well as a
refrigerator and microwave oven. The quality of the food and the accommodations receive positive reviews.
For more details about the retreat center, including photos, please check out their website here.
Please notify Bruce if you have any food allergies or other dietary restrictions.
Childcare
Childcare for all ages will be provided by Charlotte Wenger and Sarah Hiebert for the Saturday evening session
and by Joy Bradshaw (Bruce’s niece) on Sunday morning.
Expenses
MCOB pays the expenses for the retreat; there is no need to base your decision to attend on financial
considerations. The overall cost of the retreat is approximately $2,200.00, which averages to about $55.00 per
person if 40 people register. (The cost of $2,200.00 is adjusted up or down, depending on the number of people
who register for overnight accommodation and the number of meals served.) You are encouraged to stay
overnight at the retreat center; MCOB pays overnight costs for 16 people, regardless of whether fewer people
spend the night. You are invited to contribute towards the payment of the retreat expenses, as you are able.
There is no cost for children under the age of 5.
If you would like additional information related to the retreat expenses or a more specific break-down of
suggested contributions for meal and overnight accommodations, please contact Kelly Shenk Koontz at
k.shenk.koontz@gmail.com.
Directions to the UCC Conference Center, 1 Badger Road, Framingham
From Mass Pike and Route 9 Eastbound:
1. Take exit 12 to route 9 eastbound, toward Framingham.
2. Turn right at the first set of lights onto Country Club Lane (large apartment building will be on your
right).
3. At the end of this short street, turn left onto Gates Rd. Follow this narrow road and bear left at the next
stop sign.
4. At the following stop sign, turn right, and cross Salem End Road to Badger Rd.
5. The UCC Conference Center is the first group of buildings on the right side of Badger Rd. Enter by
turning right into the second driveway.
From Route 9 Westbound:
1. Pass by Natick Mall on the right.
2. After approx. three miles, there will be a fire station on the right. Continue over some railroad tracks and
stay in the left lane.
3. Go straight through the next set of lights.
4. Turn left at the next set of lights onto Country Club Lane.
5. Follow directions above from step #3.
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Biography for Don and Em Yoder
Don and Em Yoder’s ministry began when Don started his role as the Ohio Conference Youth Minister, a
position he held for 13 years. Following that role, Don and Em served as the directors of the Eastleigh Center in
Nairobi, a ministry of Eastern Mennonite Mission, where they worked from 1985-1989.
Upon returning to the U.S. in 1989, Don held a variety of administrative and ministry-related positions. Several
congregations called him to serve as their interim pastor, and he also served Eastern Mennonite Seminary as the
Director of Admissions and Vocational Services, where he guided students in discerning their call into various
expressions of Christian ministry, a position into which he integrated his love of spiritual direction.
After raising their children, Em returned to college to complete her B.A. at the age of 52, going on to receive
her M.A. as well. In 2009, she opened the Mosaic Counseling Center in Harrisonburg, VA, where she offers
counseling and spiritual direction.
Don and Em consider themselves fortunate to live close to their children and grandson and are honored to serve
as facilitators for the MCOB retreat.
Additional information on the theme
Renew, Reflect, and Reconnect: Cultivating individual and communal spiritual growth
Spiritual formation and growth can happen in many different ways, through a wide variety of methods. Spiritual
direction can be a formal relationship between two people to help one (or both) of them learn and grow in their
spirituality. Spiritual growth can also occur at the congregational level as community members seek to reflect
on and deepen their understanding of God’s movement in the life of the congregation.
The concept of spirituality is difficult to pin down, but spirituality can animate our lives and our faith and
encompasses many different dimensions, including the body, mind, soul, relationships, community, the
environment, and so on. Alistair McGrath, who wrote the seminal book, Christian Spirituality, says spirituality
is a lived experience, arising “from a creative and dynamic synthesis of faith and life, forged in the crucible of
the desire to live out the Christian faith authentically, responsibly, effectively and fully,” weaving a dynamic
synthesis of the “elements of the Christian faith into the fabric or our lives.”
Don and Em will provide some basic teaching on spiritual direction as well as offer opportunities for attendees
to reflect on their own lives and spiritual growth. This will include the practice of some selected spiritual
disciplines.
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