 By Vonda DenBoer, Director of Camping and Campground Sustainability
I am so grateful for a question asked at our Organizational Meeting: “Are you planning to attend a camp, retreat, or reunion this year?” A whopping 86 percent responded yes! That is wonderful news and will help us plan and prepare well. To help springboard your planning, a list of all camps scheduled for this year is already published on the campground websites. Additional information and details will be added as they become available, but please reach out if you have questions to [email protected] Whether you are able to share your time, talent, or treasure—or simply participate—we look forward to being together in meaningful ways this camping season. Visit our Camping pages
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 We invite youth in grades 9–12 to join the SPEC rally at Samish Island, running February 13–16. This retreat will be an opportunity to reconnect with friends, build community, and explore what SPEC is all about—whether you’ve attended before or are thinking about going for the first time.
Those attending in person will gather at Samish Island for a weekend shaped by shared activities, conversation, and connection. If you can’t join us in person, you can still take part online. The approximate cost for in-person participation is $120 USD and there is no cost to join online. Participants who register for the online option will receive a Zoom link ahead of time. For questions or more information, please contact Gwyn Beer ([email protected]).  Encounter World Religions invites participants to join a new four-part online winter series: Sounds, Spaces, and Celebrations—The Feel of the World’s Religions. This series explores how religious traditions are experienced through poetry, sacred spaces, music, and communal celebrations, highlighting the role of beauty and sensory experience in religious life.
Each 90-minute online session will include time for questions and discussion. Participants may register for individual sessions or for the full series. Recordings will be available for two weeks following the conclusion of the series. Session dates and time: Wednesdays, January 28, February 4, February 11, and February 18 7:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. CT / 5:00 p.m. MT / 4:00 p.m. PT  Join us for our annual Wake-Up Weekend, February 6–8, as we clean, organize, and prepare Samish Island Campground and Retreat Centre for the 2026 camping season, which begins the following weekend.
All volunteers are welcome. To help with meal planning, please RSVP to Shawna Custer at [email protected]  Do you ever feel like a small boat at sea in a big storm? With so much uncertainty in the world, many of us long for a place to slow down, breathe, and reconnect. Connecting to Spirit Through Creativity is a retreat designed to help you find that calm. All of this unfolds February 27 to March 1, 2026, within the peace and beauty of Samish Island Retreat Centre, a setting where inspiration feels natural and connection comes easily. There are many ways to tap into inner peace—through art, music, writing, and mindful presence. Artist Kathy Nutt will lead The Magic of Sigils, a creative practice that focuses conscious intention and engages the subconscious. She will also offer additional arts-based workshops to awaken the creative spirit. Through music and voice, Alexis Beer will guide participants in connecting more deeply with spirit and inner rhythm. Ashley Whitham will explore blackout poetry as a way of opening new pathways of meaning and revealing insights hidden within the written word. Come experience a weekend that restores, inspires, and invites you to be held by something deeper. Cost: $250 Canadian per person  During the early days of the COVID shutdowns, then-Mission Centre President Steve Thompson began hosting online visiting groups as a way to help people stay connected. Five years later, the Tuesday morning gathering continues as a simple and meaningful weekly tradition.
Seventy Gwyn Beer hosts the group and keeps the format welcoming and easy to join. Each week has a topic for conversation—sometimes something light like weather, Christmas décor, or holiday traditions, and sometimes a deeper reflection on scripture, prayer, or current events. Those who attend often share joy, laughter, and occasionally a few tears, but always meaningful conversation and a chance to get to know one another more deeply. The gathering is open to anyone who wishes to join. Whether you’re part of a congregation, someone who connects mostly online, or simply enjoy thoughtful conversation, there is space for you here. The group meets for one hour every Tuesday at: 9:00 a.m. PT / 10:00 a.m. MT / 11:00 a.m. CT / 12:00 p.m. ET To receive the weekly Zoom link and topic, email Gwyn at [email protected] We hope to see you there!  Can reimagining capitalism save the planet? This webinar offers a hopeful look at the transformation underway in our economic systems as climate concerns drive more equitable approaches to resources, waste, and power. Bill McClain, a University of Washington instructor and co-founder of Clean and Prosperous America, will explore the shift from shareholder (corporate) capitalism toward stakeholder capitalism—a more democratic model that considers the common good alongside profit. While the examples shared are U.S.-based, the principles discussed are relevant across industrialized countries, including Canada. Many people react strongly to the word capitalism, either rejecting it outright or feeling compelled to defend it. This webinar invites participants to consider how different forms of capitalism operate and how climate challenges are helping drive a transition toward more democratic, environmentally responsible economic practices. Participants will be encouraged to reflect on how everyday choices and actions can contribute to this broader shift. Date: Sunday, January 11, 2026 Time: 2:00–3:30 p.m. PT (3:00 p.m. MT / 4:00 p.m. CT / 5:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. HT / 10:00 p.m. London / 9:00 a.m. Sydney +1 day) Where: Zoom (If you registered for a past Climate Justice webinar, no new registration is required. You’ll receive the Zoom link automatically.) |
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