It’s OK to Grieve

Member for

4 years
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Email
apopovich@fetzer.org

On a recent trip to Washington DC, I met with a dozen friends and colleagues in the philanthropic community. In these conversations, I heard the ways that many of us feel a deep sadness, a sadness compounded by these times of deep polarization, othering, violence, and personal pain. I have to admit that I feel this deep sadness as well. 

Teacher Residencies at GilChrist

Member for

5 years 6 months
Photo
Cover Photo
bergamot blooms in a summer field
First Name
Deborah
Last Name
Haak-Frost
Biography

If you make a reservation for a retreat at GilChrist, you will most likely see my name on the email signature, talk with me on the phone, or see my face when you arrive. I’ve always delighted in being able to connect people with the natural world in ways that allow them to experience their environment deeply and meaningfully. My undergraduate degree in psychology and environmental studies paved the way for this beautiful integration of two passions of mine. The principles of permaculture – earth care, people care, and fair share – also shape my approach to my work. Making rest and retreat more accessible for all is something I try to work toward.

I also do a lot of the behind-the-scenes logistics and administrative work at GilChrist: working with group retreat facilitators, handling billing, managing social media, keeping the website up to date, cataloging the library, and also pitching in with cabin cleaning and feeding the goats.

When I’m not at work, you can find me volunteering in my Three Rivers community, cooking and baking in my kitchen, taking in thought-provoking television and movies with my husband, or daydreaming about grand garden plans for my backyard.

Job Title
Caretaker for Community Engagement
Cover Caption
Bergamot blooms in this summer view from the GilChrist office
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Staff Department
Department or Org
GilChrist
Email
dhaak@fetzer.org

The Nancy M. and Douglas M. Yeager Family Foundation, in partnership with GilChrist Retreat Center and the Fetzer Institute, is pleased to offer ten self-guided, one-week residencies for preschool through fifth grade teachers from July 16-23. This will mark our 20th summer!

Realistic Hope in 2024

Member for

4 years
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Email
apopovich@fetzer.org

At a time when the forces pulling our world apart often seem to be gathering strength, realistic hope is a precious commodity. Our conviction at Fetzer is that we as a human family can find this hope in the shared message of our great faith traditions.

Over the past two years, we have brought together teams of distinguished scholar-practitioners from nine of the world’s faith traditions to explore the traditions’ deep convergence, and we will be releasing the initial results of their work in 2024.

John Howie’s Retirement Party

Member for

5 years 6 months
Photo
Cover Photo
bergamot blooms in a summer field
First Name
Deborah
Last Name
Haak-Frost
Biography

If you make a reservation for a retreat at GilChrist, you will most likely see my name on the email signature, talk with me on the phone, or see my face when you arrive. I’ve always delighted in being able to connect people with the natural world in ways that allow them to experience their environment deeply and meaningfully. My undergraduate degree in psychology and environmental studies paved the way for this beautiful integration of two passions of mine. The principles of permaculture – earth care, people care, and fair share – also shape my approach to my work. Making rest and retreat more accessible for all is something I try to work toward.

I also do a lot of the behind-the-scenes logistics and administrative work at GilChrist: working with group retreat facilitators, handling billing, managing social media, keeping the website up to date, cataloging the library, and also pitching in with cabin cleaning and feeding the goats.

When I’m not at work, you can find me volunteering in my Three Rivers community, cooking and baking in my kitchen, taking in thought-provoking television and movies with my husband, or daydreaming about grand garden plans for my backyard.

Job Title
Caretaker for Community Engagement
Cover Caption
Bergamot blooms in this summer view from the GilChrist office
Engagement Results Display
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Staff Department
Department or Org
GilChrist
Email
dhaak@fetzer.org

Please join us in honoring John Howie as he retires after 28 years of contemplative labor and service at GilChrist Retreat Center! John’s gentle, compassionate spirit has been a profound blessing to this land and to all who have made this place a part of their story.

Teacher Residencies (Preschool through 5th Grade)

Member for

5 years 6 months
Photo
Cover Photo
bergamot blooms in a summer field
First Name
Deborah
Last Name
Haak-Frost
Biography

If you make a reservation for a retreat at GilChrist, you will most likely see my name on the email signature, talk with me on the phone, or see my face when you arrive. I’ve always delighted in being able to connect people with the natural world in ways that allow them to experience their environment deeply and meaningfully. My undergraduate degree in psychology and environmental studies paved the way for this beautiful integration of two passions of mine. The principles of permaculture – earth care, people care, and fair share – also shape my approach to my work. Making rest and retreat more accessible for all is something I try to work toward.

I also do a lot of the behind-the-scenes logistics and administrative work at GilChrist: working with group retreat facilitators, handling billing, managing social media, keeping the website up to date, cataloging the library, and also pitching in with cabin cleaning and feeding the goats.

When I’m not at work, you can find me volunteering in my Three Rivers community, cooking and baking in my kitchen, taking in thought-provoking television and movies with my husband, or daydreaming about grand garden plans for my backyard.

Job Title
Caretaker for Community Engagement
Cover Caption
Bergamot blooms in this summer view from the GilChrist office
Engagement Results Display
Off
Staff Department
Department or Org
GilChrist
Email
dhaak@fetzer.org

Note from the program sponsor: We are deeply saddened to share news of the passing of our founder and inspiration, Douglas M. Yeager, on December 24, 2022. While we continue to navigate the loss, we are committed to carrying on this work and building upon the legacy he initiated to honor the memory of his wife and our mother, friend, and grandmother.

 

Three ways to foster self- and collective care at work

Member for

1 year 5 months
Photo
Kellen Manley
Cover Photo
pine and sunlight
First Name
Kellen
Last Name
Manley (He/Him/His)
Biography

To do what I love to do for an organization centered on love is indescribable. I am a social media specialist and a videographer and editor. Most of the time you will find me either behind a camera or in front of one or in the editing bay with headphones on, creating and sharing stories. Beyond this, my work is about engagement and our digital platforms—sharing, listening, and maintaining authentic community spaces that welcome everyone into this work.

BA in Film, Video, and Media Studies, am a proud WMU Bronco, and a passionate Tom Hanks Day founder. I love filmmaking, stand-up comedy, and all things humorous.

Job Title
Digital Media Manager
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Email
kmanley@fetzer.org

Love is a pretty big part of our workplace vocabulary, but that’s probably what you would expect from a place with a mission to help build the spiritual foundation for a loving world! But truly, love can have a place in any workday and any type of workplace, no matter whom or what you’re working for: customers, patrons, patients, the public, students, a constituency, a mission. 

Be the Change: Love and a Living Wage

Member for

1 year 5 months
Photo
Kellen Manley
Cover Photo
pine and sunlight
First Name
Kellen
Last Name
Manley (He/Him/His)
Biography

To do what I love to do for an organization centered on love is indescribable. I am a social media specialist and a videographer and editor. Most of the time you will find me either behind a camera or in front of one or in the editing bay with headphones on, creating and sharing stories. Beyond this, my work is about engagement and our digital platforms—sharing, listening, and maintaining authentic community spaces that welcome everyone into this work.

BA in Film, Video, and Media Studies, am a proud WMU Bronco, and a passionate Tom Hanks Day founder. I love filmmaking, stand-up comedy, and all things humorous.

Job Title
Digital Media Manager
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Email
kmanley@fetzer.org

What would it mean to have a compensation philosophy grounded in our organization’s values of love, trust, authenticity, and inclusion? In 2019, we set ourselves on a course to address this question by establishing the Pay Philosophy Project. The goal? To create a compensation structure that is equitable and transparent, that creates a deeper sense of community among staff, and that is aligned with our mission.

Expanding Welcome: Retreat Fund Creates New Pathways of Invitation and Access

Member for

1 year 5 months
Photo
Kellen Manley
Cover Photo
pine and sunlight
First Name
Kellen
Last Name
Manley (He/Him/His)
Biography

To do what I love to do for an organization centered on love is indescribable. I am a social media specialist and a videographer and editor. Most of the time you will find me either behind a camera or in front of one or in the editing bay with headphones on, creating and sharing stories. Beyond this, my work is about engagement and our digital platforms—sharing, listening, and maintaining authentic community spaces that welcome everyone into this work.

BA in Film, Video, and Media Studies, am a proud WMU Bronco, and a passionate Tom Hanks Day founder. I love filmmaking, stand-up comedy, and all things humorous.

Job Title
Digital Media Manager
Engagement Results Display
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Email
kmanley@fetzer.org

“All are welcome!” From our unique corner of the hospitality world, retreat centers like to picture themselves throwing open our doors and our arms to all. Indeed, many of us have put special effort into expanding the reach of our welcome, with sliding scales or pay-what-you-can rates, representation from a wide range of spiritual experiences, and more.  

Yet, the dominant demographic among retreat center leadership and guests remains relatively homogenous in many ways. What more can we do? 

Resilience and Soul Work: Cultivating Courage to Create Inclusive Cultures [to be rescheduled]

Member for

5 years 6 months
Photo
Cover Photo
bergamot blooms in a summer field
First Name
Deborah
Last Name
Haak-Frost
Biography

If you make a reservation for a retreat at GilChrist, you will most likely see my name on the email signature, talk with me on the phone, or see my face when you arrive. I’ve always delighted in being able to connect people with the natural world in ways that allow them to experience their environment deeply and meaningfully. My undergraduate degree in psychology and environmental studies paved the way for this beautiful integration of two passions of mine. The principles of permaculture – earth care, people care, and fair share – also shape my approach to my work. Making rest and retreat more accessible for all is something I try to work toward.

I also do a lot of the behind-the-scenes logistics and administrative work at GilChrist: working with group retreat facilitators, handling billing, managing social media, keeping the website up to date, cataloging the library, and also pitching in with cabin cleaning and feeding the goats.

When I’m not at work, you can find me volunteering in my Three Rivers community, cooking and baking in my kitchen, taking in thought-provoking television and movies with my husband, or daydreaming about grand garden plans for my backyard.

Job Title
Caretaker for Community Engagement
Cover Caption
Bergamot blooms in this summer view from the GilChrist office
Engagement Results Display
Off
Staff Department
Department or Org
GilChrist
Email
dhaak@fetzer.org

When we think of "resilient” people, we generally think of individuals who adapt well in the face of adversity, trauma, stress and/or tragedy. Resilience is a capacity that each of us can build within ourselves through our thoughts, behaviors, habits, and actions. The goal of our time together will be to explore strategies to deepen our commitment to live authentically and to undertake challenges to transform cultures to become more just.

Deep Intimacy Couples Retreat [FULL]

Member for

5 years 6 months
Photo
Cover Photo
bergamot blooms in a summer field
First Name
Deborah
Last Name
Haak-Frost
Biography

If you make a reservation for a retreat at GilChrist, you will most likely see my name on the email signature, talk with me on the phone, or see my face when you arrive. I’ve always delighted in being able to connect people with the natural world in ways that allow them to experience their environment deeply and meaningfully. My undergraduate degree in psychology and environmental studies paved the way for this beautiful integration of two passions of mine. The principles of permaculture – earth care, people care, and fair share – also shape my approach to my work. Making rest and retreat more accessible for all is something I try to work toward.

I also do a lot of the behind-the-scenes logistics and administrative work at GilChrist: working with group retreat facilitators, handling billing, managing social media, keeping the website up to date, cataloging the library, and also pitching in with cabin cleaning and feeding the goats.

When I’m not at work, you can find me volunteering in my Three Rivers community, cooking and baking in my kitchen, taking in thought-provoking television and movies with my husband, or daydreaming about grand garden plans for my backyard.

Job Title
Caretaker for Community Engagement
Cover Caption
Bergamot blooms in this summer view from the GilChrist office
Engagement Results Display
Off
Staff Department
Department or Org
GilChrist
Email
dhaak@fetzer.org

This retreat is fully booked. To inquire about being added to the waiting list, please reach out to the facilitator using the contact information below.

This retreat is for couples who hope to: