Join us on Wednesdays at 12:30 for soup and friendly conversations. There is no charge for this weekly gathering. If you would like to volunteer to make soup for an upcoming week, please contact Morgan here. We are looking for soup-makers for May and June.
Donations can be made in person to help defray the cost of ingredients.

At noon on the first Wednesday of the month, Judy Annis brings flute sand an assortment of other beautiful instruments to Retreat House. Together we share special time in prayerful meditation and music that accompanies the contemplative themes of the day. After, we join together for Souper Soul lunch. No cost.

We love expressing ourselves through artistic creativity - even those of us who don’t consider ourselves “artists.” As the name of our art studio expresses, it’s all about The Artist Within. That’s why people love our Soulful Art monthly gathering. Join us as we play, pray and create together.

Join us Wednesday, April 24, right after Souper Soul lunch. We will make art together with guided facilitation, from 1:00-3:00 p.m.

Donation of $10 requested for supplies. You can pay when you’re here.
RSVP here. to let us know you’re coming, so we’ll have enough supplies for you.

Join us on Wednesdays at 12:30 for soup and friendly conversations. There is no charge for this weekly gathering. If you would like to volunteer to make soup for an upcoming week, please contact Sherry here. Donations can be made in person to help defray the cost of ingredients.

This month’s gathering around Common Ground provides us with an opportunity to participate with Lavanga as we share a traditional Vedic Fire Ceremony at Retreat House. RH Partner Lavanga Schlette leads these ceremonies throughout DFW and we are excited to have one for our own RH community. We will all share and learn from one another, as Lavanga guides us. Bring names of ancestors according to your faith; all are welcome and embraced.

There is no charge, but we do like an RSVP since we provide lunch and want to be sure we have plenty of food and supplies for this special Fire Ceremony. Questions or RSVP here..

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT VEDIC FIRE CEREMONIES
The Vedic fire ceremony is an instrument that harnesses the sattvic (pure) quality of Agni (The Eternal Flame).

It is known as Homa, Puja or Yajna, and is considered sacred. This ancient ritual is performed at precise times depending on celestial events. Daily sunrises and sunsets, monthly lunation cycles or major planetary transits are used as guides for timing. In daily life they are used in celebration or as an auspicious offering to bring about peaceful change and abundance.

A “kunda,” a square pit that faces all four directions, is used to contain the fire. Practitioners offer into it gifts of grains, ghee, herbs and seeds as specific mantras are repeated.
The sacred fire coupled with prayerful intention removes fear, spreads joy, burns karma, purifies the environment and creates conditions for peace and prosperity.

The fire ceremony is among the most powerful of spiritual practices because it beckons the burning up of the ignorance, delusion and obstacles that keep us from the success of knowing our own divinity, our truest source of power and intelligence.

In this particular ceremony, at Retreat House, we will be calling upon Divine Ancestors from all faith traditions to join us in offering up prayers.  All attendees will be invited and encouraged to share names of their own ancestors, as we share this special ceremony.

Join us on Wednesdays at 12:30 for soup and friendly conversations. There is no charge for this weekly gathering. If you would like to volunteer to make soup for an upcoming week, please contact Sherry here. Donations can be made in person to help defray the cost of ingredients.

We are excited that Ruth Winkler will be sharing her gifts with us as we learn together - preparing and baking bread, and exploring the gifts of waiting and savoring that accompany the art of bread-baking. There is no charge for this program, although advance registration is required for supplies and ingredients we’ll need. You can register here . Questions? Reach out to Karen

REMINDER: Your submissions for our next book, House of Gratitude, are due by April 17. Join us at this month’s Writer’s Gathering - you can share what you’ve been working on, listen to others, or get inspired for an upcoming writing project. Gretchen facilitates and is also our editor - bring your questions.

We all have a story to share. As writers of stories, we enjoy sharing our journeys, thoughts, ideas, struggles, and “aha"s. Writers often compose in solitude but get energy, inspiration, and insight when we meet in community with other writers. In this special gathering, we have the opportunity to discuss what we are writing, why we are writing, where our hopes and struggles are, and who we are when we write. No experience is necessary to join us. This Writers’ Gathering is for all writers in all genres - beginner, novice, experienced. It is not the intent of this gathering to offer criticism but a holy space of giving and receiving. Contact Gretchen Martens, our facilitator, for more information.

Join us on Wednesdays at 12:30 for soup and friendly conversations. There is no charge for this weekly gathering. If you would like to volunteer to make soup for an upcoming week, please contact Sherry here. Donations can be made in person to help defray the cost of ingredients.

This 5-part series with Dr. Nancy K. Dunkerley explores an intuitive process of seeing our lives as a work of art. Each session includes different techniques for exploring the sacred within. Advanced reservation required (space may be available if you haven’t participated in the previous sessions)

Exploring the Sacred Within: An Intuitive Process for Seeing Your Life as a Work of Art

This 5-part series offers a small group experience with Dr. Nancy Kate Dunkerley, as she invites us to allow our intuitive gifts to sense the authentic holiness of our inner selves. Making the small collages that we call “soul cards” seems to teach us a new language of intimacy with our selves, others, the world in which we live. Such art-making can also become a way to explore and give expression to our relationship with the Divine.

Soul cards are a way of bringing our expressive gifts such as intellect, intuition, memory, creativity, etc., to enhance our awareness of how authentically sacred our lives are. The work of creating and contemplatively reflecting can open us to deeper wisdom about our individual journeys with powerful and sustainable lessons.

Nancy K. Dunkerley is an experienced spiritual director and has been part of our Retreat House community as a teacher, leader and partner since our inception. For many years she was part of the faculty for HeartPaths DFW, a program for learning the art of spiritual direction. Now she continues that work through the Certificate in Spiritual Direction program through the Perkins School of Theology at SMU.

Class size will be limited.

Registration Here

Rev. Jackie Linden Schade teaches us this unique form of meditation, which is an integrative, holistic and universal contemplative process.

Join us on Wednesdays at 12:30 for soup and friendly conversations. There is no charge for this weekly gathering. If you would like to volunteer to make soup for an upcoming week, please contact Sherry here. Donations can be made in person to help defray the cost of ingredients.

At noon on the first Wednesday of the month, Judy Annis brings flute sand an assortment of other beautiful instruments to Retreat House. Together we share special time in prayerful meditation and music that accompanies the contemplative themes of the day. After, we join together for Souper Soul lunch. No cost.

Bring in Spring with us as we spend a half-day nourishing our souls, planting seeds for the new season in every way. We will offer opportunities around creating, reading, writing, or simply being. It’s your time to spend how you want.

Join us on Wednesdays at 12:30 for soup and friendly conversations. There is no charge for this weekly gathering. If you would like to volunteer to make soup for an upcoming week, let us know here. Donations can be made in person to help defray the cost of ingredients.

We love expressing ourselves through artistic creativity - even those of us who don’t consider ourselves “artists.” As the name of our art studio expresses, it’s all about The Artist Within. That’s why people love our Soulful Art monthly gathering. Join us as we play, pray and create together.

Join us Wednesday, March 27, at a special time, 10:00 a.m. - Noon. Mara Bim will be facilitating a workshop in which we will all make our own style of prayer and meditation beads. Mara will discuss the many ways prayer and meditation beads are used by different faiths and cultures. Then we will have the opportunity to make some for ourselves or to give as gifts during this sacred season. Whether you use them for prayer, meditation, healing, or intention-setting, and whether you refer to them as Mala, Tasbig, Misbaha, Rosary, or Kombolio, you’re sure to learn and enjoy this special workshop.
Donation of $10 requested for supplies. You can pay when you’re here.
RSVP here. to let us know you’re coming, so we’ll have enough supplies for you.

Join us for our monthly interfaith gathering where we discuss the theme of forgiveness from various religious and cultural experiences. Bring a story from your faith tradition about the role of forgiveness or atonement in your culture. We will all share and learn from one another. There is no charge, but we do like an RSVP since we provide lunch and want to be sure we have plenty of food.

Join us on Wednesdays at 12:30 for soup and friendly conversations. There is no charge for this weekly gathering. If you would like to volunteer to make soup for an upcoming week, please contact Sherry here. Donations can be made in person to help defray the cost of ingredients.

Join us on Wednesdays at 12:30 for soup and friendly conversations. There is no charge for this weekly gathering. If you would like to volunteer to make soup for an upcoming week, please contact Sherry here. Donations can be made in person to help defray the cost of ingredients.

This 5-part series with Dr. Nancy K. Dunkerley explores an intuitive process of seeing our lives as a work of art. Each session includes different techniques for exploring the sacred within. Advanced reservation required (space may be available if you haven’t yet participated)

Exploring the Sacred Within: An Intuitive Process for Seeing Your Life as a Work of Art

This 5-part series offers a small group experience with Dr. Nancy Kate Dunkerley, as she invites us to allow our intuitive gifts to sense the authentic holiness of our inner selves. Making the small collages that we call “soul cards” seems to teach us a new language of intimacy with our selves, others, the world in which we live. Such art-making can also become a way to explore and give expression to our relationship with the Divine.

Soul cards are a way of bringing our expressive gifts such as intellect, intuition, memory, creativity, etc., to enhance our awareness of how authentically sacred our lives are. The work of creating and contemplatively reflecting can open us to deeper wisdom about our individual journeys with powerful and sustainable lessons.

Nancy K. Dunkerley is an experienced spiritual director and has been part of our Retreat House community as a teacher, leader and partner since our inception. For many years she was part of the faculty for HeartPaths DFW, a program for learning the art of spiritual direction. Now she continues that work through the Certificate in Spiritual Direction program through the Perkins School of Theology at SMU.

Class size will be limited.

Registration Here

On the 2nd Saturday of each month, we share a special time with an expression of gratitude. Our monthly Grateful Gathering, facilitated by Amanda Bartley is a one-hour online gathering where we explore gratitude in community. Newcomers welcome any 2nd Saturday at 11:00 a.m. Central

We all have a story to share. As writers of stories, we enjoy sharing our journeys, thoughts, ideas, struggles, and “aha"s. Writers often compose in solitude but get energy, inspiration, and insight when we meet in community with other writers. In this special gathering, we have the opportunity to discuss what we are writing, why we are writing, where our hopes and struggles are, and who we are when we write. No experience is necessary to join us. This Writers’ Gathering is for all writers in all genres - beginner, novice, experienced. It is not the intent of this gathering to offer criticism but a holy space of giving and receiving. Contact Gretchen Martens, our facilitator, for more information.

Join us on Wednesdays at 12:30 for soup and friendly conversations. There is no charge for this weekly gathering. If you would like to volunteer to make soup for an upcoming week, please contact Sherry here. Donations can be made in person to help defray the cost of ingredients.

Join us at RH with Judy Ritchie Annis and Cathy Irby as they lead us in prayerful meditation with flute and other instrumentation that Judy brings to our sacred space. Join us at noon and then stay for lunch.

Join us for session 2 of our 7-part series, as Rev. Jackie Linden Schade teaches us this unique form of meditation, which is an integrative, holistic and universal contemplative process.

We love expressing ourselves through artistic creativity - even those of us who don’t consider ourselves “artists.” As the name of our art studio expresses, it’s all about The Artist Within. That’s why people love our Soulful Art monthly gathering. Join us as we play, pray and create together.

This month, we will learn with Gwen Caldwell, as she introduces us to the art form called Neurographic Art. This is a mindful and meditative technique where we create new neural connections when engaging in the creation from within. Gwen will explain the technique and then we’ll all have the opportunity to create our own neurographic pieces of art with curves, swoops, straight lines, other shapes and color. Join us Wednesday, February 28, following Souper Soul Lunch. We will make art 1-3 p.m.
Donation of $10 requested for supplies. You can pay when you’re here, but we’d love to know if you’re coming so we’re sure to have supplies for you. RSVP here. to let us know you’re coming.

Join us on Wednesdays at 12:30 for soup and friendly conversations. There is no charge for this weekly gathering. If you would like to volunteer to make soup for an upcoming week, please contact Karen here.

Join us for a 7-part series, as Rev. Jackie Linden Schade teaches us this unique form of meditation, which is an integrative, holistic and universal contemplative process.

Join us on Wednesdays at 12:30 for soup and friendly conversations. There is no charge for this weekly gathering. If you would like to volunteer to make soup for an upcoming week, let us know here. Donations can be made in person to help defray the cost of ingredients.