Oasis Ministries for spiritual development assists people in living beneath the noise in their lives. Oasis is an ecumenical, contemplative community that has been around for over 20 years.
2. What’s Inside…
"My spiritual journey
has been deepened A Word from Our Executive Director 4
by this program. As I Wilderness Wandering—Canoe Trip 5
face mid-life it has
given me the YEAR-LONG PROGRAMS
opportunity to Men4Directions –NEW! 6
develop a part of me
Contemplative Living:
that I always knew The Spirituality of Daily Life 7
was there - but never Spiritual Direction for Spiritual Guides 8-9
gave myself the Deepening Year for Direction Ministries 10-11
freedom to explore."
DAY-LONG RETREATS
Spirituality for the Second Half of Life 12
Gerald May Retreat Day 13
~ Catherine Campanaro RTW: “Eckhart meets Eckhart” 14
Contemplative Living
Managing Stress and Letting Go into Hope 15
An Author Day with Nancy Bieber 16
Awakening through Dreams 17
In the Deep Mid-Winter 18
The Spiritual Art of Discernment 19
Group Spiritual Direction 20
Living Poetically (with Kent Groff) 21
Poetry as Prayer: Denise levertov 22
Thomas Merton Retreat Day 23
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Partnering with Oasis 24
A Community of Support 25
Calendar 26
CELEBRATING
+ OVER 20 YEARS
OF
DRAWING FROM THE WELL OF CHRIST
CONTEMPLATIVELY
ACTIVELY
3. Transformational Year – Long Programs Page 3
Contemplative Living
A year-long program designed to assist the participants
in integrating contemplation as a way of life.
No Prerequisites.
Meets monthly October - May
Brochure available.
See p. 7 for more information.
Spiritual Direction for Spiritual Guides
A two-year training program in contemplative prayer
and spiritual guidance. During the two years,
participants experience and learn to practice the
disciplines of contemplative prayer and the art of
spiritual direction.
Meets monthly September - May
Brochure available.
See pp. 8-9 for more information.
In its 20th Year!
Deepening Year for Direction Ministries
A year-long program in continuing education for
practicing spiritual directors who desire to deepen their
discernment and enhance their spiritual direction skills.
Prerequisite: SDSG or similar program
Meets monthly September - May
Brochure available.
See pp. 10-11 for more information.
Men4Directions
A year-long program of Oasis Ministries intended to
M4D
help men grow in faith, self-awareness, and spiritual
wholeness.
Four seasonal retreats—First retreat in July!
Brochure available.
See p. 6 for more information.
New Program
for Men!
4. From the Executive Director Page 4
From Where I Sit: Ponderings from Rev. Cindy Garis
Technology and the demands placed on us to multi-task
seem to pull us away from our center. I recently heard of
the Wisdom 2.0 conference, the purpose of which was to
explore “how we can live mindfully amidst fast-paced
streams of information and technologies that are
becoming the daily reality for many people.”
(Preview some of their key points at www.oasismin.blogspot.com)
When we talk about living mindfully, I cannot help to
think of what Oasis brings to the table.
Two definitions for the word 'oasis' are:
1. a small fertile or green area in a desert region, usually having a
spring or well.
2. something serving as a refuge, relief, or pleasant change from
what is usual, annoying, difficult, etc.
Additionally, I understand an oasis to be something that is truly present, it’s
not a mirage, in a place where it is not supposed to be.
This is Oasis, with a capital ‘O’!
Oasis offers
* shade from the heat - when you require respite, here is contemplative
community along with silent, sacred space.
* springs of water, refreshment for thirsting souls - through our
trainings, our gatherings, our resourcing, new-life is given to your spirit's
parched places
* transformational transitions - an oasis is not a destination, it is a
stopping point for renewal - here in the practices of presence and
mindfulness you come to a greater awareness of the profound inward
journey that invites/calls/woos you to reach out in compassion and service
in Love.
“Oasis has given me an
I know that you will find offerings in the opportunity to quench the
2010-2011 year that will be an Oasis for you.
thirst I have had all my life.
I now feel like I have the
tools to feed my soul.
I feel alive.”
PS. I would like to hear how you remain
mindful in this technological age. Please
~ Pam Root-Baechle
email me at cindygaris@oasismin.org
If you receive our nearly-weekly e-newsletter, then I hope you have caught a glimpse of my
passion for Oasis. (if you do not receive the e-news, you can sign up on our website and see
archives of previous mailings.)
5. Page 5
Wilderness Wanderings and
Meditative Meanderings
Canoeing Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada
Space is limited to seven participants!
September 12-18, 2010
Registration deadline extended: July 1, 2010
Led by Vicki Kensinger, along with Dennis and Marti Shaak
The Canoe Days There will be moments of
wonder and delight,
Imagine the flow of your day looking something like of reverence and remembrance,
as we meander our way through
this:
nature,
which weaves its way
• rising naturally with the sun through both inner and outer
landscapes,
• centering prayer and breakfast
and through times of
• paddling and/or hiking several hours on day trip community and solitude.
(paddling partner is also prayer partner)
• lunch on the lake - contemplative reading and prayer
• additional quiet paddling time and/or personal retreat time for journaling/
swimming
• dinner prep/dinner/cleanup
• campfire prayer and share--what is stirring, reflections, what touched you, etc
• close day in silence
Expect the presence of the Holy to surround and permeate your days within a
pristine landscape that will still and quiet your soul.
Learn more at www.oasismin.org/CanoeTrip.html
Download a brochure on-line or request one by calling
717-737-8222 or emailing betsykeller@oasismin.org
6. A Program Uniquely Tailored for Men! Page 6
~ Men4Directions ~
A year-long program, consisting of four seasonal retreats, intended to help men grow
in faith, self-awareness, and spiritual wholeness.
♦ Small group community
M 4D
♦ Quarterly retreats
♦ Solitude in nature
♦ One-on-one spiritual direction
♦ Readings and reflections
♦ A contemporary vision quest
Why Men?
We can all use help finding our way from time to time—men are no different. Men
need the support of one another to be honest and real about life. Through small
group discussions, monthly consultation with a "spiritual brother", and
contemplative practice, men are encouraged to know themselves, listen to the still
small voice within, and to honor their souls. The result could change lives and lead to
a whole new world.
Retreat Dates: Leadership:
July 17-18, 2010
October 22-23, 2010
Joel Blunk, Associate Pastor at
February 18-19, 2011
State College Presbyterian Church
May 13-16, 2011
(State College, PA) and graduate of
Oasis’Spiritual Direction for
Spiritual Guides program.
Location:
Questions? contact Joel Blunk
Krislund Camp & Conference Center
(www.krislund.org) (814) 238-2422, onejtb@gmail.com
89 Krislund Drive
Madisonburg, PA 16852
Download a brochure and Learn more at www.oasismin.org/M4D.htm
7. Page 7
Contemplative Living:
The Spirituality of Daily Life
A Year-Long Program in Deepening Daily Life
through Contemplative Practice
“In God, we live and move and have our being.” Dates
Acts 17:28 OPENING RETREAT
10:00 a.m., Thursday,
Beneath the activities and busyness of our lives is October 7, 2010 through
a yearning to live more deeply into this truth, to 3:00 p.m., Friday,
live so we truly know we have our being in God. October 8, 2010
The focus of Contemplative Living: The
Spirituality of Daily Life is on the life of the MONTHLY SESSIONS
participant. The goal of the program is to open 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.,
more of our individual lives to contemplative Thursdays
awareness. November 11,
December 16, 2010
Although some core prayer practices will be January 13, February 10,
included, the focus will be on the experience and March 10, April 14, 2011
process of the individual in deepening his/her life
in God. CLOSING RETREAT
10:00 a.m., Thursday,
Session Themes Include: May 12, 2011
• Our holy longing through 3:00 p.m., Friday,
May 13, 2011
• Paying attention and being mindful
• The need for spiritual practices—rhythms
and rituals
• Times of darkness and fear—growing "Once again, Oasis has
into trust offered a stellar program
for living and
• Daily relationships (work, family, community) experiencing the
• The opened heart—healing, gratitude and contemplative life."
freedom
~ Melanie Reed
Leadership:
Nancy Bieber and Marc Oehler, along with Melissa Stock
(bios available on-line at www.oasismin.org)
Interested?
Location: Mariawald Renewal Center
No experience necessary…
1094 Welsh Road, Reading PA 19607
All are welcome to apply!
www.mariawaldrenewal.com
Download a copy of the Contemplative Living brochure on-line at
www.oasismin.org or request one by calling 717-737-8222 or
emailing betsykeller@oasismin.org
8. Celebrating it’s 20th Year! Page 8
Spiritual Direction for
Spiritual Guides
Expanding Attention and Intention
This two-year training program in spiritual direction begins with an
opening two-day retreat in October and concludes with a two-day retreat
in May, with monthly day-long sessions each month in between.
Since 1990, Oasis has been teaching people the art of spiritual direction.
SDSG is especially suited to those who are seeking to deepen their practice
of prayer and learn about being a spiritual companion to others. Through
experiencing and practicing the disciplines of contemplative prayer,
participants discover the richness of community, the intimacy of small
groups, and the depth of spiritual direction.
“Our SDSG sessions have
become such a part of the
rhythm and nurture of my • Class size is limited to 30.
spiritual walk that I come to
our closing retreat with • Laypersons and clergy are welcome.
sadness about the summer
hiatus. Arriving for just the
second session, I had a • Continuing Education Credits
sense of homecoming. The available per year.
physical and spiritual space
provided for our time • Year II is for persons with Year I or
together are a source of
equivalent.
blessing, welcome, nurture,
and renewal.”
• Some tuition assistance is available.
~ Melanie Taormina
Find Us! www.oasismin.org
Oasis Ministries for Spiritual Development
419 Deerfield Road, Camp Hill, PA 17011
(717) 737-8222 oasismin@oasismin.org
9. Page 9
“This first year of SDSG has reconnected me with my prayer life and has
allowed me to trust the guidance of the Holy Spirit in all that I do.”
~ Kathleen Mulvihill, SDSG Participant
Leadership: Glenn Mitchell, Nancy Bieber, Bonita Rose
Collins-Hobbs, Jo Ann Kunz, Melissa Stock, and Ruth Zeiders
(bios available in brochure and on-line at www.oasismin.org)
Location: Kenbrook (45 minutes east of Harrisburg, PA)
190 Pine Meadow Road, Lebanon, PA 17046 www.kenbrook.org
Year I Dates Year II Dates
OPENING RETREAT OPENING RETREAT
10:00 a.m., Tuesday, September 10:00 a.m., Thursday, September
28, 2010 through 3:00 p.m., 30, 2010 through 3:00 p.m., Friday,
Wednesday, September 29, 2010 October 1, 2010
MONTHLY SESSIONS MONTHLY SESSIONS
(Wednesdays) (Thursdays)
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.;
Nov. 3, Dec. 1, 2010 Nov. 4, Dec. 2, 2010
Jan. 5, Feb. 2, Mar. 2, Apr. 6, 2011 Jan. 6, Feb. 3, Mar. 3, Apr. 7, 2011
CLOSING RETREAT CLOSING RETREAT
10:00 a.m., Tuesday, May 3, 2011 10:00 a.m., Thursday, May 5, 2011
through 3:00 p.m., Wednesday, through 3:00 p.m., Friday,
May 4, 2011 May 6, 2011
“My growth in faith and
relationship with the Divine
surpassed whatever I thought
upon first entering SDSG…Out
of that came the call to be a
spiritual director which has
brought breath, joy and Questions? Be in touch with
enthusiasm in my daily life and Rev. Glenn Mitchell, Director of
ministry.” Training and Program for Oasis
Ministries at glenn@likeafeather.com
~ Linda Bonfiglio
Download a copy of the Spiritual Direction for Spiritual Guides brochure
on-line at www.oasismin.org or request one by calling 717-737-8222 or
emailing betsykeller@oasismin.org
10. Is this the year to deepen your direction? Page 10
Deepening Year
for Direction Ministries
Deepening Year for Direction Ministries (DYDM) is a year-long program in
continuing education consisting of two retreats and six monthly sessions for
practicing spiritual directors who desire to deepen their discernment and
enhance their direction skills in a contemplative approach to the art of
spiritual direction.
Topics explored this year include:
• Resistance: its meaning and message
• Transference and counter-transference
• Developmental cycles in the spiritual life
• Loss and mourning: a recurring experience
• Addiction and co-dependency
• Body wisdom and non-verbal communication
• Darkness, spiritual dryness, and suffering
For more details, please request a brochure…
DATES Additional DYDM Program Notes:
OPENING RETREAT • Class size is limited to 15.
3:30 p.m., Sunday, October 3, 2010 • Continuing Education
through 5:00 p.m., Monday, October 4, 2010 Credits available per
year.
MONTHLY SESSIONS (Mondays)
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; • For graduates of Oasis’
November 1, December 6, 2010 SDSG program or
January 10, February 7, March 7, April 4, 2011 another equivalent
program
CLOSING RETREAT
3:30 p.m., Sunday, May 1, 2011
• Some tuition assistance
is available.
through 5:00 p.m., Monday, May 2, 2011
11. For the spiritual director Page 11
(Continued from page 10)
Location:
Kenbrook (45 minutes east of Harrisburg, PA)
190 Pine Meadow Road, Lebanon, PA 17046
www.kenbrook.org
Leadership:
Jo Ann Kunz, M.A., serves as a Senior Pastor at a non-
denominational Christian church located in Lititz, PA. She teaches
spiritual formation/spiritual direction at both Eastern University and
Evangelical Theological Seminary, as well as being a certified
Enneagram trainer. Jo Ann has been part of the faculty of Oasis
Ministries since 2001. She serves as a retreat and workshop
facilitator, maintains a private spiritual direction practice, and holds
a special interest in dream work.
Ruth Workman, Ed.M., M.A., is a Certified Spiritual Director,
Retreat Leader, and Certified Supervisor of Spiritual Directors. She
earned a Master of Education at Rutgers University and a Master of
Arts in Holistic Spirituality and Spiritual Direction from Chestnut
Hill College. In addition to her ministry of individual spiritual
direction she offers contemplative retreats at The Sanctuary, her
home in Stone Harbor, NJ, and facilitates spiritual direction groups
at Princeton Theological Seminary. She is ordained as an elder in
the Presbyterian Church USA.
“DYDM was a tremendous blessing for me. The group was wonderful
and I can't say enough of what I learned from the leaders--not only
from their wisdom and experience but from their very being. They
were both models of what it looks like to 'get out of the way' and allow
spirit to connect with spirit. DYDM was the nourishment I needed for
my own healthy growth and endurance.”
~ Cindy Thompson
Download a copy of the Deepening Year for Direction Ministries brochure
on-line at www.oasismin.org or request one by calling 717-737-8222 or
emailing betsykeller@oasismin.org
12. Days of Book Discussion and Retreat Page 12
Souls on the Journey “These are the capstone
years, the time in which a
whole new life is in the
Spirituality for the making again. But the
gift of these years is not
Second Half of Life merely being alive—it is
the gift of becoming more
fully alive than ever.”
Our focus for Souls on the Journey will be Joan Chittister
“Spirituality for the Second Half of Life.” The Gift of Years
We will continue to offer a retreat day for
spiritual reflection and discussion with co-
journeyers, sharing prayer time, discussion SPIRITUALITY FOR THE
and experiential contemplation. SECOND HALF OF LIFE
These days are open to anyone who would 2010/2011
like to share gentle time together to meet
Suggested overall workbook:
Spirit. We would love if you can commit to
all four events so all of us may more fully Life's Companion: Journal
share this gift of becoming more fully alive! Writing as a Spiritual Quest by
Christina Baldwin
Our group is limited to 12 participants.
These gatherings foster openness and offer Sept 14: defining and accepting
safety across lines of our various our second half of life
theological, political, and denominational Read: Contemplation and
positions. Midlife Crisis: Examples from
Our Theme: Classical and Contemporary
Taking care of unfinished business Spirituality by Rosemarie
Carfagna
Our Mantra: “Want what you have, do
what you can, and be who you are!” Nov 16: breaking open and healing
Forrest Church, Love and Death
Read: Broken Open: How
Our Schedule: Difficult Times Can Help Us
10am to 3pm, Tuesdays: Grow by Elizabeth Lesser,
September 14, and November 16, 2010;
January 18 and March 15, 2011 Jan 18: Aging into hope, joy, grace
Read: The Gift of Years:
Leadership:
Both facilitators, Kathleen Roney and Growing Older Gracefully by
Linda Klopp, are trained spiritual Joan Chittister
directors and graduates of Oasis’ Spiritual
Direction for Spiritual Guides and March 15: Living fully-dying well
Deepening Year for Direction Ministries. Read: Love & Death, My Journey
through the Valley of the
Where? Kenbrook (www.kenbrook.org) Shadow by Forrest Church
190 Pine Meadow Road, Lebanon, PA 17046
An annotated bibliography
Retreat Fee: and other suggested
ONLY $35-$55 per gathering day readings can be found at
Register for all 4 gatherings for $120 - oasismin.org
Save over 10%!
13. Page 13
Gerald May Retreat Day
Transforming Attachments into Love
Come apart for a day to celebrate the life and works of Gerald May at
Still Waters on the Conodoguinet Creek. Gerald May (1940-2005)
practiced medicine and psychiatry for twenty-five years before
becoming a senior fellow in contemplative theology and psychology at
Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation. He authored many books
blending spirituality and psychology, including Addiction and Grace,
The Awakened Heart, Care of Mind/Care of Spirit, Will and Spirit, and
The Wisdom of Wilderness. Our day together will be a blend of
contemplating selected writings, time for retreat into solitude and
silence, and time for shared dialogue.
Leadership: Sanford Alwine has had a
therapy, counseling and spiritual direction
practice in Carlisle, PA, for many years. He has
facilitated programs in spiritual formation and
direction with Oasis Ministries for over fifteen
years, and also worked with Kairos School of
Spiritual Formation teaching contemplative
spirituality. He studied with Gerald May at
Shalem Institute and "considers him among the
most authentically real persons to have walked
this journey we call Life." Sanford and his wife, Lois, are co-directors of
Still Waters Retreat House, a place dedicated to nurturing the
contemplative life.
Love is the "why" of life,
When? why we are functioning at all.
Friday, October 15, 2010 I am convinced
it is the fundamental energy
9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. of the human spirit.
the fuel on which we run,
Where? Still Waters Retreat Center the wellspring of our vitality.
501 W. Slate Hill Road, Carlisle, PA 17013
Gerald May
Retreat Fee? Living in Love
$75-$95 (as you are able)
Lunch is provided.
Registration Deadline: October 1, 2010
To register or receive more information, please contact Betsy Keller at
717.737.8222; betsykeller@oasismin.org
14. Now in it’s 10th Year! Page 14
Fall: Returning to the Well
“Eckhart meets Eckhart”
From its inception, RTW has sought to sustain and deepen Come for one day or
the spiritual life. Every RTW retreat enters the mystical path make it an overnight
through exploring classical and contemporary mystics and retreat!
engaging the themes that emerge for our lives and direction
practice. Day One: A Retreat Day
Our approach in format is one of contemplative retreat. Open to All!
Reading suggestions are presented ahead of time but the
flow of our time together is not academic in nature but Overnight and Day Two:
rather continually bathed in the process of prayerful retreat Going Deeper in Retreat
and the sharing with others that emerges from retreat. This Open to Spiritual
retreat quality will be preserved whether you come for one Directors (including those
day or for two. in Year II of SDSG)
“Eckhart meets Eckhart: The Meister and Tolle”
November 8-9, 2010
Eckhart Tolle’s work in recent years has been reaching into the mainstream of our
culture, even being featured on Oprah. Eckhart Tolle takes more than his first
name from the German Dominican Meister Eckhart, (ca. 1260-1327). In this
retreat we will look to the two Eckharts for wisdom that reaches beyond the
confines of time to speak directly to the human condition. As is our practice the
first day of this retreat is open to all—no prerequisites necessary for participation.
Day 2 is limited to graduates of a spiritual direction training program.
Leadership: Glenn Mitchell, M.Div., is Director of Training and Program for
Oasis Ministries. Glenn designed and has provided primary leadership for all ten
years of Returning to the Well .
“RTW is always an "oasis" in the
Location: Mariawald Renewal Center middle of the seasons of my life in a
1094 Welsh Road, Reading PA 19607 way that is redemptive and restora-
www.mariawaldrenewal.com tive. It is so important for me to
avail myself of this intimate and
Retreat Fee (as able): safe place to explore the spiritual
One Day: $75-95 tensions and surprises that arise
Lunch is provided when I draw more deeply from the
well of God's love.”
Two Days: $270-295
Includes meals and overnight lodging ~ Rev. Gerri Fowler
Learn more at www.oasismin.org
15. Page 15
Managing Stress and
Letting Go into Hope
To all who deal with stress – come apart for a timely look at the
physical, mental, behavioral, emotional and spiritual effects on you
while coping with stress in today’s world. How can we not only cope,
but thrive and grow in the challenges we meet in our daily life? With
uncertain futures, how can we live in hope and trust? How can each of
us be a stabilizing presence in an unstable world? God is ever
present. Let us join together in God’s love as we seek and discern
answers to these heartfelt questions. Our day together will be a blend of
learning, self-reflection, laughing, relaxation, and a time for retreat into
solitude and silence for our renewal.
Leadership: Peg Cromer, MNSc, MA, RN
is a spiritual director in Lititz, PA, and
graduate of Chestnut Hill College in the
Holistic Spirituality/Spiritual Direction
program. She has also had a career as an RN
and is an adjunct professor for the RN BSN-
degree completion programs at Eastern
Mennonite University, Lancaster Campus and at Immaculata
University where she teaches several courses in holistic health. Peg is
on the faculty of Kairos: School of Spiritual Formation, facilitating the
second year – Prayer and the Contemplative Life. Peg finds that her
two roles as an RN and spiritual director blend well into a holistic
approach to life in general.
When?
Saturday, November 13, 2010 “The Oasis program has
9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. greatly enriched my life.
In this busy, chaotic world
Where?
it has helped me find and
Lancaster Friends Meetinghouse
110 Tulane Terrace, Lancaster, PA 17603 claim a calm, centering
lancasterpaquakers.org place where I can rest and
be restored by God, and
Retreat Fee? by myself.”
$65-$95 (as you are able)
~ JoAnn Trevor
Registration Deadline: November 1, 2010
To register (or receive more information), please contact Betsy Keller
at 717.737.8222; betsykeller@oasismin.org
16. Page 16
Author Day with
Nancy Bieber
Nancy L. Bieber is a teacher, psychologist and spiritual director with thirty
years of experience in working with individuals and groups in transition and
change. A core leader with Oasis, she leads spiritual formation retreats and
workshops around the country.
Nancy will be sharing in an afternoon retreat from her new book, Decision-
Making & Spiritual Discernment: The Sacred Art of Finding Your Way
(available in Fall 2010 through Skylight Paths Publishing).
A description from the publisher includes:
When it comes time to make important decisions in our
lives, it is very human to want to feel that the decisions
we are making are good. When we approach decision-
making as a spiritual practice, we are recognizing that
we need the aid of the wise and loving Spirit whose
Light exceeds our own.
This is the practice of spiritual discernment, the
traditional religious name for listening and attending to
God’s guidance. While traditional religious language
speaks of finding “God’s will,” the approach in this book
is that we are active participants, co-creators with the
Divine in shaping our lives.
Nancy presents three essential aspects of Spirit-led decision-making:
Willingness—being open to God’s wisdom and love
Attentiveness—noticing what is true, discerning the path right for us
Responsiveness—taking steps forward as the way becomes clear
With gentle encouragement, Bieber shows us how to weave these themes
together so that they strengthen our decision-making process and help us find
our path.
Join us in the evening for
When? our Annual
Friday, November 19, 2010
1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (check in at 12:30pm) Homecoming Dinner
Where? Kenbrook (www.kenbrook.org) At Kenbrook
190 Pine Meadow Road, Lebanon, PA 17046 Lebanon, PA
Retreat Fee? November 19, 2010
$35-$55 (as you are able) 6:00pm—9:00pm
Registration Deadline: November 4, 2010
To register (or receive more information), please contact Betsy Keller
at 717.737.8222; betsykeller@oasismin.org
17. Page 17
Awakening through Dreams
A Retreat Day for Advent
“I slept but my heart was awake” (Song of Solomon 5:2a)
Join us for a retreat entitled Awakening Through Our Dreams. During the
Advent season where Christians remember how dreams were an instrumental
part of the birthing of Christ in this world, we will explore together how
dreams can be a provocative source of inspiration and direction in our own
lives. We will reflect on the value of becoming more aware of our dream life,
practice doing that in simple and creative ways both individually and
collectively, and consider how to develop a more intentional relationship with
our dreams going forward. Participants are encouraged to bring at least two
significant dreams to the retreat, and to consider sharing their dreams as part
of a group experience.
Leadership: Marc Oehler, M.Div., LCSW
The retreat will be led by Reverend Marc Oehler, Pastor,
Spiritual Director, Clinical Social Worker, and co-Founder
of Contemplative Life: Spirituality for Daily Living. Marc
brings a reverence of and a fascination for dreams, as well
as over ten year’s experience journeying with people and
their dreams.
When?
Friday, December 10, 2010
9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
“[Oasis] has given me
Where? a keener, more
Camp Johnsonburg (www.campjburg.org) vigorous engagement
PO Box 475, 822 Rte 519, Johnsonburg, NJ 07846 with life.”
Retreat Fee? ~ Sally Mathews
$65-$95 (as you are able)
Registration Deadline: November 24, 2010
To register (or receive more information), please contact Betsy Keller
at 717.737.8222; betsykeller@oasismin.org
18. Page 18
In the Deep Midwinter
A Post-Holiday Holy Day
While it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary
place, where he prayed. Mark 1:35
Let me seek solace in the empty places of winter’s passage
Those vast dark nights that never fail to shelter me... Joyce Rupp
Winter is an interior time of quiet intimacy, a time for deepening, a time for
attending to that which is essential, a time of increased need for rest. As the
season outside whispers its need for deepening and revitalization, so does the
season within. During this 'thin time' midway between winter solstice and
spring equinox, we will hold the stillness as sacred as we open to receive the
nurture that it holds. We will seek to bless the silence as essential for renewal
even as we listen for the yearnings and stirrings of our deepest nature. To go to
the depths of anything is to discover the sacred. In the wordless language of
love, we will quietly behold the beauty of what is.
Leadership: Vicki Kensinger is a spiritual companion
and lover of beauty, residing in Palmyra, PA, where
she nurtures her garden, her creativity, and her spiritual
direction practice, Sacred Listening. She has completed
Oasis’ Spiritual Direction for Spiritual Guides two-year
program, and the Deepening Year for Direction Ministries.
She blogs at www.emmaatlast.wordpress.com
When?
Friday, February 4, 2011
9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Where? Retreat Fee?
The Wittel Farm $65-95 (as you are able)
1743 Mill Rd. Elizabethtown, PA 17022
www.lutherancamping.org Registration Deadline:
January 20, 2011
To register (or receive more information), please contact Betsy Keller
at 717.737.8222; betsykeller@oasismin.org
19. Page 19
The Spiritual Art of Discernment:
Practices for Finding Your Way
Making decisions is an unavoidable part of being alive. Whether in small
daily choices or the largest life decisions, we all desire to make wise choices.
This retreat invites us to reflect on how we notice and respond to God’s
nudges as we make decisions for our lives.
During our time together, we will learn practices to aid in our attentiveness
to God and practices that help us make the changes we decide on.
Participants may bring specific situations but they are not necessary.
Stories from the past and anticipated situations of the future will provide
areas for our reflection.
The rhythm of the day will include opportunity for individual reflection and
silence as well as group time.
Leader: Nancy L. Bieber, M.A., M.S., has been on
staff at Oasis Ministries for thirteen years, and serves
as a lead teacher for the Spiritual Direction program
and the Contemplative Living program. Nancy is a
clinical psychologist but focuses now on retreat
leadership and spiritual direction.
She is the author of Decision-Making and Spiritual
Discernment: The Sacred Art of Finding Your Way
(September, 2010). A Quaker and a graduate of
Shalem Institute, Nancy leads retreats around the
country and has taught at Lancaster Theological
Seminary. Besides her ministry, Nancy finds joy in her garden, traveling
with her husband Larry, and spending time with their four small
granddaughters.
When?
Saturday, March 19, 2011 “I may never practice spiritual
9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
direction. I still consider [my time
Where? with Oasis] worth the time and
Gladwyne Presbyterian Church money because it has nurtured
1321 Beaumont Dr., Gladwyne, PA 19035 my soul and deepened my walk
www.gladwynepres.org with God.”
Retreat Fee? ~ Pastor John Strain
$65-95 (as you are able)
Registration Deadline: March 5, 2011
To register (or receive more information), please contact Betsy Keller
at 717.737.8222; betsykeller@oasismin.org
20. Page 20
Group Spiritual Direction
A Workshop for Spiritual Directors
This hands-on workshop will introduce spiritual directors to the purpose,
process and content of Group Spiritual Direction. We’ll examine how it differs
from both individual direction and spiritual discussion groups.
Several models for Group Direction will be introduced. The model developed
by Hugh Smith and Ruth Workman, faculty members at Oasis Ministries, will
be demonstrated and discussed. Participants will have the opportunity to take
part in a spiritual direction group; to share their wisdom and experience as
leaders and participants of spiritual direction groups; and to ask questions
about initiating and sustaining groups.
Leader: Ruth Workman, Ed.M., M.A., is a Certified Spiritual Director,
Retreat Leader, and Certified Supervisor of Spiritual Directors. She earned a
Master of Education at Rutgers University and a Master of Arts in Holistic
Spirituality and Spiritual Direction from Chestnut Hill College. She has been
offering Spiritual Direction since 1995. In addition to her ministry of
individual spiritual direction she offers contemplative retreats at The
Sanctuary, her home in Stone Harbor, NJ, and facilitates spiritual direction
groups at Princeton Theological Seminary. Ruth retired from the Langhorne
Presbyterian Church in 2009 after 20 years of service as Pastoral Care
Associate. She is ordained as an elder in
the Presbyterian Church USA.
When?
April 5, 2011
9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Where? Join in the Conversation
St. Andrews Presbyterian Church
600 S. 12th St. Lebanon, PA 17042 ● Receive our e-newsletter—Sign up on the
www.standrewslebanon.org Home Page—www.oasismin.org
● Search “Oasis Ministries” on Facebook
Retreat Fee?
$65-95 (as you are able) ● Visit Our Blog
http://oasismin.blogspot.com/
Registration Deadline: March 20, 2011 The inaugural post includes a word list
from our Board of Directors… words that
describe Oasis:
To register (or receive more information), - open
please contact Betsy Keller at 717.737.8222; - self-acceptance
betsykeller@oasismin.org - risk-taking
- joy
- peace
● Read and review Oasis at
www.greatnonprofits.com
Get Connected!
21. Page 21
Oasis’ Founding Mentor shares at a Kirkridge-sponsored event!
Living Poetically:
Poetry As a Lens for Perceiving,
Presence and Passion
To live poetically means perceiving the Presence in rhythms of call
and response, brokenness and beauty, emptiness and fullness, for
spiritual leaders and journeyers. Lent is a time for paring down.
Using fewer words poetry creates a vivid focus, illuminating one’s
path in uncharted waters or shaking us to action in plain sailing.
Poetic metaphors can crack open seeds of our life’s passion and
purpose.
Leader: Kent Ira Groff, founding
mentor of Oasis Ministries, is a poet
writer, retreat leader and spiritual
companion living in Denver, Colorado.
He is author of What Would I Believe If
I Didn’t Believe Anything? and Facing
East, Praying West, prayer poetry from
his sabbatical in India.
When?
April 11-12, 2011
Monday 4pm—Tuesday 4pm
Where?
Kirkridge Retreat Center
2495 Fox Gap Road, Bangor, PA 18013
610-588-1793, www.kirkridge.org
FOR THIS EVENT, PLEASE REGISTER
DIRECTLY WITH KIRKRIDGE.
Thank you.
22. Page 22
Poetry as Prayer:
Denise Levertov
We follow our 1st Poetry Retreat Day last year featuring the poet Mary
Oliver with this year’s retreat looking to the writing of poet Denise
Levertov (ca. 1923-1997). In the poem “Making Peace” Denise has a line
that rings out:
“A line of peace might appear
if we restructured the sentence our lives are making.”
Her poetry works in us to restructure the sentence our lives are making.
Whether it be opening us to some new wonder in nature, pushing us
around old assumptions of faith, or inviting us to collectively move
beyond war and injustice, her poetry invites us to a deep restructuring
in our seeing, our praying and our living. Come join us for a day apart at
Mariawald under the worded light of Denise Levertov’s poetry.
Leadership: Glenn Mitchell, M.Div., is Director
of Training and Program for Oasis Ministries. He is
the lead presenter/facilitator for Spiritual Direction
for Spiritual Guides and Returning to the Well.
Glenn served as a Church of the Brethren pastor for
23 years in Maryland, Minnesota and Pennsylvania,
before transitioning his ministry to the area of
spiritual formation and direction in 2001, and is a
graduate of Shalem Institute.
Glenn has led a variety of retreats around the
country on themes of prayer, spirituality, spiritual
direction, nature and spirituality and the interplay
of art and spirituality. He has a practice of spiritual direction and
retreat leadership based in State College, PA.
When?
Friday, April 29, 2011 Retreat Fee?
9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. $65-$95 (As you are able)
Where? Registration Deadline:
Mariawald Renewal Center April 15, 2011
1094 Welsh Road, Reading, PA 19607
www.mariawaldrenewal.com
To register (or receive more information), please contact Betsy Keller
at 717.737.8222; betsykeller@oasismin.org
23. REGISTER EARLY! Retreat is limited to 20 and fills up! Page 23
Merton Retreat Day
A Repeating Event
Come join us for a day apart with Thomas Merton in the beautiful
setting of Still Waters, a retreat center along the banks of the
Conodoguinet Creek. Thomas Merton (1915-1968), Trappist
monk, writer, poet, contemplative, was one of the most influential
Christian voices of the 20th century. We will explore his
contribution in a contemplative and active way, and experience
the ways in which his life and work still speak to us.
Leadership:
Sanford Alwine, a therapist providing marriage, family and
individual counseling and spiritual direction in Carlisle, PA, and
co-director of Still Waters Retreat Center, along with Glenn
Mitchell, the Director of Training and Program for Oasis
Ministries, who has led a variety of retreats around the country on
themes of prayer, spirituality, spiritual direction, nature and
spirituality and the interplay of art and spirituality. He has a
practice of spiritual direction and retreat leadership based in State
College, PA.
When?
Friday, June 10, 2011
9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. “The staff of Oasis is
challenging and kind, very
Where? dedicated to nurturing new
Still Waters Retreat Center
spiritual directors and
501 W. Slate Hill Road, Carlisle, PA 17013
promoting the
Retreat Fee? contemplative in a less than
$65-$95 (As you are able) friendly culture. The staff
Lunch is provided. loves the students and the
people they are or may be
Registration Deadline: May 31, 2011 directing. They uphold high
ideals.”
~ Gary Jacabella
To register (or receive more information), please contact Betsy Keller
at 717.737.8222; betsykeller@oasismin.org
24. Sustaining Ministry—Partnering with Oasis Page 24
“I’ve found the program very helpful for a pastor to develop confidence in
directing a congregation’s spiritual life—one on one, face to face, and in
preaching and programming.”
~ Pastor Margaret Wise
Partnership
Connecting with the Oasis Community
♦ Partnering with Individuals
* Resources to help find a spiritual director
* On-line community
“At Oasis, it felt like
* Gatherings, dinners, reunions
coming home—it was
wonderful to witness Next Oasis Dinner:
the Body of Christ; we November 19, 2010
were all different, and ♦ Partnering with Congregations
yet we made up a * Oasis retreats held in your church
whole. We were of see how at www.oasismin.org/Partners.htm
One Spirit.” * Custom designed retreats for your faith community
* Workshop & retreat leadership
~ Jet Schneider
♦ Partnering with Judicatories/
Denominational Governing Bodies
* Tailored retreats for clergy renewal
* Retreats for leaders
* Displays and conference workshops
♦ Partnering with Oasis Graduates
* Resourcing Ambassadors to expand the circle of
Be sure to visit the
community
“Links” menu on
our Homepage * Graduate Directory—so graduates know of other
Oasis alums in their area
www.oasismin.org
for more ways we
can help you.
25. Page 25
A Community of Support
"We've not lost the ability to listen;
we've lost the opportunity to listen."
- Gordon Hempton, One Square Inch of Silence
Perhaps, you have already read or heard how our Executive Director
disagrees with this statement, because, for over 20 years, Oasis Ministries
has been providing safe, sacred space to provide the opportunity to listen.
With your help and participation, the Oasis experience will reach all
people, providing opportunities for everyone to listen beneath the noise to
the invitation of God in their lives.
We know that we share in abundance and richness as Oasis provides the
opportunity for so many of us to listen beneath the noise in our lives.
Your gifts:
♦ provide scholarships so that tuition for our training
programs is not prohibitive, and our contemplative
community remains available to all
♦ offer innovative and relevant programs, as with
our newest offering to deepen the spirituality of men:
Men4Directions
♦ sustain our over 20-year history of quality
programs and retreats, having now over 300 graduates
all over the country
♦ expand the reach of contemplation, because it is
what the world needs, as we vision a future with full-
time staff, greater story-sharing in faith communities,
and visibility throughout the country
We celebrate how your gifts become God’s gift to all who come to Oasis
Ministries for spiritual refreshment, renewal and growth.
Feel free to use the enclosed envelope for your gift, or to make it securely
on-line through our website: www. oasismin.org. Thank you for being
God’s servant and for your continued support and prayers.
We welcome your gifts in various forms: cash, check, credit
card, stocks and annuities, other non-cash donations (paper,
equipment, etc), volunteer time, and/or a simple bequest in
your will.
Don’t forget you are entitled to a special ‘thank you’ gift as an
expression of our gratitude for your generosity. Visit
www.oasismin.org/BeneathTheNoise.htm to learn more.
26. Calendar Page 26
July 2010 February 2011
17-18: Men4Directions (p.6) 2: SDSG Yr. 1 Session
3: SDSG Yr. 2 Session
September 2010 4: In the Deep Mid-Winter (p.18)
12-18: Wilderness Wanderings (p. 5) 7: DYDM Session
(Contemplative Canoeing Pilgrimage) 10: CL Session
14: Spirituality for the Second Half of Life 18-19: Men4Directions
(p. 12)
28-29: Opening SDSG Yr. 1 Retreat (p.8) March 2011
30-10/1: Opening SDSG Yr. 2 Retreat (p.8) 2: SDSG Yr. 1 Session
3: SDSG Yr. 2 Session
October 2010 7: DYDM Session
3-4: Opening DYDM Retreat (p.10) 10: CL Session
7-8: Opening CL Retreat (p.7) 15: Spirituality for the Second Half of Life
15: Gerald May Retreat Day (p.13) 19: The Spiritual Art of Discernment (p.19)
22-23: Men4Directions
April 2011
November 2010
4: DYDM Session
1: DYDM Session 5: Group Spiritual Direction (p. 20)
3: SDSG Yr.1 Session 6: SDSG Yr. 1 Session
4: SDSG Yr. 2 Session 7: SDSG Yr. 2 Session
8-9: Eckhart meets Eckhart (Fall RTW, p.14) 11-12: Living Poetically @ Kirkridge (p.21)
11: CL Session 14: CL Session
13: Managing Stress and Letting Go Into 29: Poetry as Prayer: Denise Levertov (p.22)
Hope (p. 15)
16: Spirituality for the Second-Half of Life May 2011
19: Author Day with Nancy Bieber (p. 16)
19: Annual Homecoming Celebration (p.16) 1-2: Closing DYDM Retreat
3-4: Closing SDSG Yr. 1 Retreat
December 2010 5-6: Closing SDSG Yr. 2 Retreat
12-13: Closing CL Retreat
1: SDSG Yr.1 Session 13-16: Men4Directions Closing Retreat
2: SDSG Yr. 2 Session
6: DYDM Session June 2011
9: CL Session
10: Awakening Through Dreams (p.17) 10: Merton Retreat Day (p.23)
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
January 2011
5: SDSG Yr.1 Session
6: SDSG Yr. 2 Session
10: DYDM Session
13: CL Session
16: Spirituality for the Second-Half of Life
“Oasis feels like
coming home”
~ Pat Deeney
To register (or receive more information),
please contact Betsy Keller at 717.737.8222;
betsykeller@oasismin.org
27. Information/Registration Page 27
Name: ____________________________________________
Address: ___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Phone #:____________________________
Email:______________________________ Please
Please contact me about: Add me to your
Men4Directions mailing list
Contemplative Living
Spiritual Direction for Spiritual Guides Add me to your
Deepening Year for Direction Ministries email list (to re-
Spirituality for the Second-Half of Life ceive e-newsletter
Spiritual Pilgrimages and updates)
Retreat leadership or Spiritual Direction
Remove me from
Please register me for the following Event(s): your mailing list
Gerald May Retreat Day – October 15
Eckhart meets Eckhart—November 8-9 Remove me from
Managing Stress – November 13
your email list
Author Day with Nancy Bieber—November 19
Awakening through Dreams—December 10
In the Deep Mid-Winter—February 4
Spiritual Art of Discernment—March 19
Group Spiritual Direction—April 5
Living Poetically—April 11-12
Poetry as Prayer: Denise Levertov—April 29
Merton Retreat Day — June 10
Other ___________________________________________
If paying by check, please make it payable to OASIS MINISTRIES, and send it
along with this page to the address below.
If paying by credit/debit card, please complete the following:
Visa/MC/DISCOVER#_______________________________________
Exp. Date: _______________ 3-digit Sec. Code (back of card) __________
Signature:_______________________________________________
Amount to charge: $__________
I’d like to make a contribution to support the work of Oasis!
See enclosed check or please charge my account at the above information in the amount of
$________and use it towards:
Wherever the needs are greatest
Multiplying the Ministries (Endowment fund)
Sanford Alwine Scholarship Fund
Oasis is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Contributions are tax-deductible.
Contact us at 419 Deerfield Road, Camp Hill, PA 17011
phone 717.737.8222 ; email: oasismin@oasismin.org or visit www.oasismin.org.
28. Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 667
Harrisburg, PA
419 Deerfield Road
Camp Hill, PA 17011
Program Guide 2010-2011
Volume 22, Issue 1
Contemplative Canadian
Canoe Trip
Registration Deadline Extended
to July 1!
See Inside for Details