Cultivating Your Inward Path Retreat

Saturday, April 15, 2023  |  9am – 2pm  |  St. Paul’s UMC

  • Registration fee includes lunch, due by April 10. Early Bird (by 3/22) $25; $30 thereafter. Scholarships available; contact Cheryl Scott to inquire.
  • Child care available with registration

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“Let your light shine…” Matthew 5:16

Have you ever been in someone’s presence and sensed something extraordinary? Perhaps they had a sense of peace, compassion, joy or light that was profound or unusually strong. In these days of division and change the inward path supports us to cultivate a greater experience of the extraordinary and increased capacity to support others in this journey of life.

Join us for a focused retreat to create a deep sense of peace, increased light, expanded compassion and kindness through mindfulness and meditation practices.  During this retreat, you will experience and learn new skills on an inward path that will elevate your spiritual life, increase the experience of our shared humanity and support greater goodness in the world.

This is a woman-focused event (aged 17+) that intends an inclusive definition of women. We are welcoming and respectful of women, including trans women and those who are nonbinary, gender non-conforming, and anyone who identifies as a woman in a way that is significant to them.

Presenters

Rev. Karen Lampe, Founding Pastor of The Caring Congregation

Rev. Karen Lampe received a Bachelor of Science degree in physical therapy from University of Kansas and practiced physical therapy for twenty years. While serving as a physical therapist, she attended Saint Paul School of Theology where she earned a Master of Divinity degree and subsequently became an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church. It was during her years in seminary that Karen and her family began to attend St. Paul’s UMC.
 
After seminary, Karen served fifteen years at Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, twelve as Executive Pastor of Congregational Care. She, along with the church staff and the Congregational Care Ministers (CCMs) at Church of the Resurrection, created and implemented the CCM method of care. In 2016, Rev. Lampe was awarded Most Distinguished Graduate from Saint Paul School of Theology. In 2018, she “retired” from Church of the Resurrection and established The Caring Congregation, Inc. to provide a model of care for churches of all sizes.  Hundreds of churches across the country now use the method to train their laity to become CCMs.  This helps not only the congregation have consistent care but also allows the pastor a greater measure of self-care.
 
Rev. Karen Lampe has authored and assisted with five books related to care ministry:  Implementation Guide, Care Minister’s Manual, Concise Guide to Congregational Care (by Melissa Collier-Gepford), The Caring Congregation: How to Become One and Why it Matters, and The Caring Congregation: Training Manual & Resource Guide.
 
These books are the basis for her online courses in The Caring Congregation Academy and podcasts now playing on Soundcloud and Apple Podcasts. Her enthusiasm for this program is palpable as she calls everyone to use the experiences of their lives to help others.  Check out the website at www.thecaringcongregation.com
 
Karen has been married to Les since their KU days. They have three children and six grandchildren who bring them great joy.

Diane Breneman, Counselor

Diane Breneman is a licensed professional counselor with a therapeutic practice focused on stress reduction and trauma treatment. Prior to receiving her masters in counseling, Diane was a lawyer for over 25 years whose practice focused on representing catastrophically burned children. It was through this practice that Diane became interested in cutting edge science used to address issues such as anxiety and depression. During this time, mindfulness meditation was suggested to Diane as an effective way to rewire body and brain. Diane has now taught meditation for over a decade, beginning with inner city children and ultimately teaching at a variety of venues including both ministers and parishioners at Church of the resurrection. Diane has created her own form of meditative practice and has now taught this work on five continents.
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