The St. Luke men hold an annual retreat in late April.  It is a time to connect as men, reflect on faith and life, enjoy the outdoors, and play together.  All men are welcome to attend and they do not need to participate in other groups to attend the retreat. Reservations are limited to 34 men, so early registration is encouraged.

 Next Retreat: April 17-18, 2010; St. John's Abbey Guesthouse at St. John's University in Collegeville, MN

 Guest Leader: Mark Bourdon

Mark has been working with meditation for approximately seven years.  He is the program director with Freedom Resource Center, a disability rights organization.  Mark received his undergraduate degree in Social Work from Minnesota State University Moorhead, and his graduate degree from North Dakota State University in Child Development and Family Science.  Mark has been working in the human service field for over 30 years, including 13 years as an executive director.  Mark is certified in Reality Therapy and has experience and training in nonprofit management and leadership, board development, strategic planning, community trusteeship, youth as trustees, collaboration, conflict resolution, quality management, employee assistance programming, crisis intervention, stress management and meditation.

Mark will teach us Shamatha meditation as well as mindfulness and awareness.  Shamatha means "calm abiding" or "peaceful abiding."  It is training the mind and making the mind workable so it can do whatever it needs to do.  Shamatha is how we make the mind more stable, more useful.  It's a practice that anyone can do.  It doesn't really tie in with a particular spiritual tradition but if we want to do it on any kind of journey - not just a spiritual one, but one such a studying, doing business, or athletics - we need a mind that is workable. 

 Registrations can be made with the church office.

 Contact person: Marc Well Nagel