Visiting Maine & Ferry Beach During the COVID-19 Pandemic
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Religious Educators Week
July 9 - July 15, 2022
July 9 - July 15, 2022
Description
Workshops
Conference Leadership
Pricing
Description
Join us for Religious Education Week at Ferry Beach! We explore faith development, spiritual growth, and leadership in a week for colleagues, friends and families.
Each summer we create a dynamic community of individual congregations and families to form this vibrant multigenerational gathering where all kinds of families work and play alongside religious educators. We come to learn as well as to put into practice what it means to be Unitarian Universalist leaders and be part of a beloved community. This year our intentional community includes child dedications for our community at the beginning of the week in addition to our annual bridging ceremony at the week’s end.
There are so many ways we're already shining stars at loving one another: from keeping watch over little ones to sharing our heartfelt stories of life. We take long walks and talks on the beach, laugh together at the fabulous Talent/No Talent Show and watch our children grow up! We'll have so many ways to explore what it means to LOVE in a community and take that love to other communities.
Whether you are an overwhelmed introvert, a sunburnt human, or someone who just needs a nap, we all need a little break every day. Although it is so hard to say no to any of the delicious offerings, we want to provide a strong holding space for quiet time as well.
Afternoons feature more professional and personal growth opportunities such as themed porch chats, which focus on issues relating to religious education and parenting. There will also be a variety of multigenerational spiritual and “just fun” workshops, as well as time to just relax on the beach, take a walk, or play.
Multigenerational evening programs often include a dance, drumming circle, campfire, and the Talent/No Talent show. Programming for the day ends with a Spirit Circle, a time to slow down, reflect, and connect.
Each summer we create a dynamic community of individual congregations and families to form this vibrant multigenerational gathering where all kinds of families work and play alongside religious educators. We come to learn as well as to put into practice what it means to be Unitarian Universalist leaders and be part of a beloved community. This year our intentional community includes child dedications for our community at the beginning of the week in addition to our annual bridging ceremony at the week’s end.
There are so many ways we're already shining stars at loving one another: from keeping watch over little ones to sharing our heartfelt stories of life. We take long walks and talks on the beach, laugh together at the fabulous Talent/No Talent Show and watch our children grow up! We'll have so many ways to explore what it means to LOVE in a community and take that love to other communities.
Whether you are an overwhelmed introvert, a sunburnt human, or someone who just needs a nap, we all need a little break every day. Although it is so hard to say no to any of the delicious offerings, we want to provide a strong holding space for quiet time as well.
Afternoons feature more professional and personal growth opportunities such as themed porch chats, which focus on issues relating to religious education and parenting. There will also be a variety of multigenerational spiritual and “just fun” workshops, as well as time to just relax on the beach, take a walk, or play.
Multigenerational evening programs often include a dance, drumming circle, campfire, and the Talent/No Talent show. Programming for the day ends with a Spirit Circle, a time to slow down, reflect, and connect.
Workshops
RE Week Workshops
Divination
Rayla D. Mattson
Workshop Fee: $25
Rayla D. Mattson
Workshop Fee: $25
Divination can mean many different things; from tarot readings, speaking with ancestors and even reading bones. For others it can mean getting in touch with ones higher self or learning to read the energy around you and in others. It can also be as simple as focusing more on your inner thoughts and trusting yourself.
In this workshop we will learn the basic history of divination and practice tuning into ourselves as well as our higher self. We will practice different types of divination and everyone will receive a one-on-one reading through energy, tarot, fire, bones, crystals, etc based on what is moving around them.
Each participant will also be able to take home something from the workshop that both they and the practitioner feels is calling them so they can continue their work.
Rayla D. Mattson has been speaking with those on the other side of the veil since age 2. Walking this path has been a life long journey that has grown and changed over the years.
Some of the sessions will include guidance from Rayla’s daughter Kennedy who is 15 and is gifted in tarot readings and the calling of crystals.
In this workshop we will learn the basic history of divination and practice tuning into ourselves as well as our higher self. We will practice different types of divination and everyone will receive a one-on-one reading through energy, tarot, fire, bones, crystals, etc based on what is moving around them.
Each participant will also be able to take home something from the workshop that both they and the practitioner feels is calling them so they can continue their work.
Rayla D. Mattson has been speaking with those on the other side of the veil since age 2. Walking this path has been a life long journey that has grown and changed over the years.
Some of the sessions will include guidance from Rayla’s daughter Kennedy who is 15 and is gifted in tarot readings and the calling of crystals.
Sacred Seeing
Lynn Medley and Kate Sullivan
Workshop Fee: $20
Space Is limited to 12 Participants
Lynn Medley and Kate Sullivan
Workshop Fee: $20
Space Is limited to 12 Participants
Join us in exploring the process of taking a photograph as a way to slow down, to notice things we often miss, and to see deeply with the “eyes of the heart.” Open yourself to wonder and awe, to the discovery of the holy all around you, and to photography as an act of silent worship. This year, we will explore the dance of light and shadow, what is hidden and what and is revealed in our images, ambiguity and mystery, discovering your holy places, and seeing the sacred all around us. Our photographs will be windows revealing what is both within and beyond what is often just simply seen.
Experience the divine in the world as we bring our camera to the eye and open ourselves to transformative power of sacred sight! NO SPECIAL EQUIPMENT or experience is necessary to fully participate. Bring your point & shoot, your big camera, your old Polaroid or your cell phone (which is what most people use!) This is a deep and FUN Multigenerational offering for people in High School on up. It is our 5th year of offering this course and we are so excited to welcome new and returning participants.
Lynn Medley is a Speech-Language Pathologist who spent a few years as a Director of Religious Education in a small UU fellowship in Pennsylvania. She has attended Ferry Beach’s RE Week for more than 13 years, and is the co-creator of this workshop, Sacred Seeing, with Kate Sullivan.
Kate Sullivan, long-time Ferry Beacher, is a Developmental Psychologist who has been working as an RE Director/consultant in UU churches for 15 years. She is also a photographer and has been working on bringing together her love of photography, building community and spiritual practice. Kate is the co-creator of this workshop, Sacred Seeing, with Lynn Medley, and is super excited to be offering it again this year during RE Week!
Experience the divine in the world as we bring our camera to the eye and open ourselves to transformative power of sacred sight! NO SPECIAL EQUIPMENT or experience is necessary to fully participate. Bring your point & shoot, your big camera, your old Polaroid or your cell phone (which is what most people use!) This is a deep and FUN Multigenerational offering for people in High School on up. It is our 5th year of offering this course and we are so excited to welcome new and returning participants.
Lynn Medley is a Speech-Language Pathologist who spent a few years as a Director of Religious Education in a small UU fellowship in Pennsylvania. She has attended Ferry Beach’s RE Week for more than 13 years, and is the co-creator of this workshop, Sacred Seeing, with Kate Sullivan.
Kate Sullivan, long-time Ferry Beacher, is a Developmental Psychologist who has been working as an RE Director/consultant in UU churches for 15 years. She is also a photographer and has been working on bringing together her love of photography, building community and spiritual practice. Kate is the co-creator of this workshop, Sacred Seeing, with Lynn Medley, and is super excited to be offering it again this year during RE Week!
Art & Yoga
Mandy Neff and Suzanne Vivirito
Workshop Fee: $25
A retreat-style morning workshop including time each day for movement and art making.
Take time to experience a journey of gently “returning to your senses”. We will use movement, breath work, and visualization to reawaken the sensory connections that we have taken for granted or overlooked during the past few years. In addition, we will explore new and varied pathways to a reimagined relationship with our inner and outer worlds through movement.
In our art explorations, take a healing journey with the natural materials of Ferry Beach to restore your creativity. Experience the ocean side with all your senses and your spirit, then bring the colors and textures of nature to some fun, approachable art making. You'll also connect and support each other with a group art project towards the end of the week.
Suzanne Viverito is a functional movement specialist who believes that movement heals. She is certified in yoga, pilates, personal training, massage, and nutrition. The first half of her life was spent on broadway as a dancer, director, and choreographer.
Mandy Neff, a religious educator for over 20 years, enjoys upcycling, making mixed-media art journals, and creating land art with groups.
Mandy Neff and Suzanne Vivirito
Workshop Fee: $25
A retreat-style morning workshop including time each day for movement and art making.
Take time to experience a journey of gently “returning to your senses”. We will use movement, breath work, and visualization to reawaken the sensory connections that we have taken for granted or overlooked during the past few years. In addition, we will explore new and varied pathways to a reimagined relationship with our inner and outer worlds through movement.
In our art explorations, take a healing journey with the natural materials of Ferry Beach to restore your creativity. Experience the ocean side with all your senses and your spirit, then bring the colors and textures of nature to some fun, approachable art making. You'll also connect and support each other with a group art project towards the end of the week.
Suzanne Viverito is a functional movement specialist who believes that movement heals. She is certified in yoga, pilates, personal training, massage, and nutrition. The first half of her life was spent on broadway as a dancer, director, and choreographer.
Mandy Neff, a religious educator for over 20 years, enjoys upcycling, making mixed-media art journals, and creating land art with groups.
Ecological Spirituality
Rev. Dan Harper
Rev. Dan Harper
Through hands-on and full body activities, we’ll explore ecological spirituality. Outdoor activities will depend on the weather, but could include sensory awareness, environmental mindfulness, exercises to change our frame of reference, etc. Indoor activities may include poetry, hearing about ecojustice elders, ecojustice poetry, etc. As time allows, we’ll do some fun outdoors activities as well. If the pandemic allows, we’ll go on one or two field trips to nearby areas of ecological and spiritual significance. While this workshop is aimed at adults and older teens, religious educators looking for professional development will find that many of the activities and exercises can be adapted to children and younger teens.
Rev. Dan Harper is Assoc. Minister of Religious Education at the UU Church of Palo Alto, where he supervises and co-leads programs in ecological spirituality for all ages.
Rev. Dan Harper is Assoc. Minister of Religious Education at the UU Church of Palo Alto, where he supervises and co-leads programs in ecological spirituality for all ages.
Other Programing at RE Week
In addition to our morning workshop offerings, we will have programing for children, youth and young adults and bridging.
Conference Leadership
2022 Conference Coordinators
- Lauren Strauss
- Carson Jones
- Rebecca Reid
Minister of the Week: Gregory Carrow-Boyd, MEd
Gregory C. Carrow-Boyd, MEd, is a Master Credentialed Religious Educator and Aspirant for ministry. He is a doctoral candidate at the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education studying Organizational Change and Leadership. Greg loves to dance and to spend time with his godson, nieces, and nephew. He also works as the Director of Research and Innovation for More Than Sex-Ed, a Greater LA-based sexuality education collective that brings the UUA and United Church of Christ comprehensive sexuality education curriculum, Our Whole Lives, to schools, home school groups and the greater community. |
Pricing
Pricing per Person |
Adult: $384.00 (Includes Conference Fees + Meals) Youth: $282.00 (Includes Conference Fees + Meals) Off-Site Daily Fee: $64.00 Adult / $47.00 Youth (Includes all Meals) On-Site Daily Fee: $19.00 (Staying On Campus and Not Registered for Programming. Does not include Meals. Note: A minimum of one adult per party must be enrolled in programming.) |
Lodging |
Lodging Prices Vary. See our Lodging Page for pricing information. |
Membership |
Membership must be paid to attend any Ferry Beach program and is due annually. Individual Membership: $35.00 Family Membership: $60.00 See our Membership Page to learn more and to purchase or renew a membership. |
Looking for an extra day at Ferry Beach? Join Thea Shapiro for a 1 day Art & Yoga retreat!
We will be focusing on the concept of resilience. Through art and yoga we will examine the ways we show up in the world when things get tough. The art portion of our retreat will be mixed media, giving you an opportunity to play with different materials. Our yoga will be a mix of Hatha, and yin. Learn more and Sign Up |
Or Call 207-282-4489 x1 to Register by Phone