Holy Hikes Retreat: A Canticle With Creation
October 25-28, 2026
Lodging in the Inn
$486 single room / $411 double room / $261 commuter
Dangerous Prayer: How to Seek God & Be Found Along the Pilgrim's Way
December 4, 2026
Johnson Hall
$65 program; $55 optional lodging
Advent Quiet Day with Katerina WhitleyDecember 5, 2026
Johnson Hall
$65 program; $55 optional lodging
Autumn Archetypes & the New Moon: A SoulCollage® Retreat
September 18, 2026
Johnson Hall
$65 program; $55 optional lodging
As summer softens into autumn and the New Moon invites fresh beginnings, this one-day SoulCollage® retreat offers space for reflection, creativity, and renewal. Together, we will explore the archetypal energies of the season and the quiet wisdom of the dark moon through guided meditation, creative practice, journaling, and SoulCollage® card making.
Autumn is a threshold season — a time of gathering, letting go, discernment, and inner listening. Rooted in the contemplative beauty of Valle Crucis Conference Center, this retreat invites participants to slow down, notice what is ripening within, and deepen connection with their own inner wisdom.
No artistic experience is necessary. Whether you are new to SoulCollage® or a longtime practitioner, you are welcome.
Facilitated by Sheree Sloop, a Certified SoulCollage® and Labyrinth Facilitator trained by Catherine Anderson and Lauren Artress. For over fourteen years, Sheree has created contemplative and welcoming spaces that weave together creativity, symbolism, storytelling, and spiritual reflection. A spiritual seeker, mixed media artist, quilter, and co-host of a weekly virtual labyrinth walk gathering that has met continually for over six years, Sheree invites participants into gentle practices of listening, creativity, and inner discovery. Sheree is a member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Wilkesboro, North Carolina.
Program costs cover a wonderful facilitator, program materials, snacks, and lunch. Optional night-before lodging is available in the Mission House for $55.
Register for Autumn Archetypes & the New Moon: A SoulCollage® Retreat here.
A note on the platform we use for registration: The site will ask you for a "tip" to support Zeffy's platform. You can select "Other" and choose 0% for the amount!
Holy Hikes Retreat: A Canticle With Creation
October 25-28, 2026
Lodging in the Inn
$491 single room / $416 double room / $261 commuter
We can learn to lead our lives like songs on the land! Led by Charles and Kathy Hulin, this retreat is in dialogue with traditions
associated with Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, giving participants opportunities to connect imaginatively with creation. Being together with God and one another through beautiful hikes, teaching times, and reflective activities will lead participants to envision and express something of the spirit of Francis and Clare in their own lives and contexts. Prayer services will include liturgies of the Episcopal Church and original sung prayer composed by Charles Hulin.
Dr. Charles Hulin is a graduate of The Juilliard School and Peabody Conservatory with experience in leading and teaching in Baptist, Episcopal, and Pentecostal institutions. The Rev. Dr. Kathy Hulin is Associate Rector for Formation and Pastoral Care at St John in the Wilderness Episcopal Church in Flat Rock NC. Author of Send Us Out: The Church on Mission Though Hospitality, she also has experience leading and teaching in Baptist and Episcopal churches. The Hulins are spiritually nourished in nature and have led pilgrimages in the USA and in Europe.
This retreat is hosted by the Episcopal Church of St. John in the Wilderness. The program is open to all faiths and backgrounds. Both hikers and non-hikers are welcome. Optional group hikes for various ability levels will be offered by Holy Hikes-WNC on Monday and Tuesday. There are single and double occupancy as well as commuter pricing options available.
Register for Holy Hikes here.
Dangerous Prayer: How to Seek God &
Be Found Along the Pilgrim's Way
December 4, 2026
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Johnson Hall
$65 program; $55 optional lodging
There’s a prayer that most of us haven’t prayed yet. Not because we don’t know the words—but because we’re not sure we’re ready for what God might say back.
Jon Davis calls it Dangerous Prayer. It’s the prayer of surrender, of open-handed willingness, of saying to God not just “Here is my request” but “Here is my life.” These are the prayers that catalyze transformation. They are also the prayers that demand something of us.
Prayer doesn’t have to be complicated. But honest prayer—the kind that opens you fully to God’s will—has a way of rearranging your life.
In Dangerous Prayer, Jon Davis draws on decades of pastoral ministry, the ancient contemplative wisdom of the Celtic tradition, and his own story of formation and surrender to explore what happens when we stop managing our prayers and start meaning them. Through the framework of Revelation, Encounter, and Transformation, Davis traces the lives of biblical saints and spiritual forebears who prayed bold prayers and found themselves changed from the inside out.
In this gathering, Jon will take us on a journey to discover the transformative and renewing power of prayer.
Be careful! This kind of prayer can change a person’s life.
The program begins at 9:00 a.m. and will conclude by 3:00 p.m. Registration covers lunch, light snacks, program facilitator, and materials. Lodging is available in the Mission House for $55/person/night.
Advent Quiet Day with Katerina Whitley
December 5, 2026
9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Johnson Hall
$65 program; $55 optional lodging
Withdraw for just a day with like-minded people to think of all that is holy, righteous, and respectful of the dream of God for us all. Our longing for peace, justice, and truth is the same longing people have had through the ages. The biblical story tells us of the fulfillment of God’s promises in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, in the living Christ of St. Paul and the first Christians.
Join Katerina Whitley at the Valle Crucis Conference Center to think of His coming: to anticipate the gift of Christmas while preparing our hearts and minds throughout the season for Advent for the fulfillment of all that God promises to those who respond to God’s love.
Bring your favorite Advent memory and come ready to be creative together.
The program begins at 9:00 a.m. and will conclude by 3:00 p.m. $65 registration covers lunch, light snacks, program facilitator, and materials. Lodging is available in the Mission House for $55/person/night.
A note on the platform we use for registration: The site will ask you for a "tip" to support Zeffy's platform. You can select "Other" and choose 0% for the amount!
