Women's Retreat

May 9-11, 2025

Click here to Register

connect with other women while experiencing the peace of the Creator through Wild Church

a group of women of various ages and ethnicities

Gather

Find strength in the community of women 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 is a middle-aged white woman with short, blond hair and square glasses. She is wearing a full scarf and smiling at the camera.

Facilitator: Sharon Brugger Norton

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 brand new grandmother to a darling little girl, and 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.

Jessica Weseman is a white female in her early 30s.

Retreat Coordinator: Jessica Weseman

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.

a small channel in a lake, with growing greenery framing each side

an empty porch swing sits in a forest, with sun-dappled shadows.

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.

Pricing & Schedule

$185 - Overnight shared room
$295 - Overnight single room
$13 - Optional light supper on Friday evening

Tentative schedule HERE.