Wild Church Retreat

May 15-17, 2026

Experience the peace of the Creator.
​Connect with others in Creation.

Gather

Find strength in a community of people from various walks of life who share their stories.

Observe

Notice the beauty of creation. Engage all your senses to observe the way God works in and through the world around you.

Listen

Draw hope and wisdom from the Creator through your time in nature, and learn from others who share their experiences.

Retreat Leaders

With a passion for nature, training in chaplaincy and pastoral care, and attention to those on the margins, this weekend's faculty foster spirits of communal care and awe of creation.

Sharon Brugger Norton
Wild Church Facilitator

Sharon is the pastor of Outdoor Sanctuary Wild Church in Goshen, Indiana. She grew up in an outdoorsy family and has always loved being in nature. During the early years of the corona virus pandemic, Sharon was inspired to start a Wild Church after experiencing outdoor worship and realizing that, rather than distracting from worship, the presence of all the plants and creatures enhanced her worship experience. Sharon has a passion for those who do not perceive themselves as “fitting” in traditional indoor worship because of disability, neurodivergence, past traumas, or other reasons. Sharon is a grandmother to a darling little girl, and she loves that her three adult children have stayed close to home. In addition to pastoring Outdoor Sanctuary, she serves as the Executive Director of Global Mission for the Church of the Brethren.

Stan Harder
Wild Church ​Facilitator

Stan has a background in electrical engineering and software development in multinational corporate environments. It didn’t take long for him to realize that culture was not good for his soul.  A spiritual journey followed, aided by practices of creativity through woodturning, photography, and astrophotography.  A drive to understand spirituality and the divine lead Stan to study spiritual development, human formation, and Christian contemplative spirituality. In the process, Stan noticed that witnessing the beauty of the created universe was one of the most direct ways for him to experience the divine.
While still active in his local congregation (Walnut Hill Mennonite Church in Goshen), Stan values thoughtful sharing with his fellow Wild Church wonderers more than listening to Sunday morning sermons.​

Jessica Weseman
Retreat Coordinator

​Jessica has served as the Executive Director of Amigo Centre since 2022. Combining her deep passion for social justice with a masters of Divinity from Duke Divinity School and a love of nature facts, Jessica finds comfort, joy, and strength in the outdoors. She loves a perfectly-made cup of coffee, bringing the Outdoors inside, and situating herself beside those who have been marginalized by the powerful in society.

Wild Church

Experience the presence of God through observations and interactions with nature: hear God speaking in the voices of the birds; witness the Creator's tender care in the delicate flowers; and smell the aroma of new beginnings in the fresh pine air.
Each Wild Church session includes a time of facilitated conversation and Scripture-reading, followed by a period of quiet in nature: exploring the trails, soaking in sunshine, enjoying a campfire. The session closes with a space for sharing our experiences with the group, ending with a prayer or blessing.
This worship experience is accessible to people of all backgrounds and abilities, founded on the Anabaptist belief that God, the Creator, communicates with us in a way we can receive.

2026 Pricing & Schedule

$190 - Overnight shared room
$300 - Overnight single room
$14 - Optional light supper on Friday evening

Tentative schedule HERE.