Springtime Devotion-by-Distance Insights
Springtime brings such wonderful blessings! My office window overlooks a group of apple trees in the courtyard between the retreat center and a wing of the school. We all know how this time of year brings frequent changes in nature, first the initial budding from bare winter branches, then lush green leaves for the summer. The ones outside my office window will eventually shift to flowers (to be duly pollinated by the bees performing their vital annual job), and then all those wonderful apples.
During this particular week, I was greeted by two deer enjoying some of the leaves on one of the trees right outside my window. It reminded me of the importance to stop and appreciate all the beauty God gave us in our world, if we only take the time to pause, look, see, enjoy, reflect, and be renewed.
Isn't it time for your next (or first) retreat at Stella Niagara's Center of Renewal? The campus in all its beauty is waiting for you.
(Nancy's Notes by Executive Director Nancy P. Askins on Mother's Day 2021)
Devotion-by-Distance Summer Book Club (New book to start on June 1, but sign up now to start reading!)
After two successful book club series thus far in 2021, our next book will be "Sensible Shoes" by Sharon Garlough Brown. This book tells the moving story of four women who reluctantly meet at a retreat center and share their insights and stories for mutual support, spiritual revelation, and a journey of spiritual practice. (One of four books in a series by Brown, we expect to offer the other books in the series in the future.)
Due to meet on six Tuesdays from 1:30-2:30 PM, this summer book club series is scheduled to start on June 1st and end August 3rd (we'll skip June 15 & 29 plus July 6 & 20). All of our Devotion-by-Distance book clubs feature members sharing insights of the written word with fellow book lovers. Participants receive a discounted copy of each book to be discussed unless they opt to purchase the book on their own. The book club is being coordinated by our Hospitality Assistant Jan Czech, herself a published author. Call us at 716-754-7376, Ext. 1, 2, 3, or 4 to pre-register.
DEVOTION-BY-DISTANCE RETREAT CENTER PROGRAMMING
All of our Devotion-by-Distance programs are designed to feature various types of retreat programming based on adult distance learning principles and will include discussion groups, online retreats, and courses.
Gift certificates for any current or future retreat center programming, including the new “Devotion-by-Distance” programs, are also available. To register or for more information, call the Center of Renewal at 716-754-7376, ext. 4/Jan, 2/Donna, 3/Shelly, or 1/Nancy.
WELCOME to your RETREAT CENTER HOME-AWAY-FROM-HOME: Updated COVID-19 Pandemic Information (5/10/21)
WELCOME to the CENTER OF RENEWAL! Since the measures related to the COVID-19 virus in Western New York have been steadily improving, the Center of Renewal Retreat & Conference Center is happy to announce we are once again accepting reservations and confirmations for daytime and overnight guest visits, meetings, or retreats.
We are once again welcoming overnight and day-meeting retreat center guests with advance reservations. We will continue making decisions on an ongoing basis until we are past living in a "COVID world", with status pending depending upon current and projected COVID-19 rates in our area.
TO CONTACT OUR STAFF: Please call us at (716) 754-7376 to make reservations for future dates from now through December 2024. Our offices are staffed on a flexible basis, and phone messages are retrieved daily. We look forward to welcoming you in the near future to the Center of Renewal at Stella Niagara.
In the meantime, please return frequently to our website for "Devotions-by-Distance Insights", i.e., periodic inspirational thoughts and readings such as our Blessings and Insights on our homepage, other distance learning retreat options, and more.