Details
Join us February 13-16th for a Young Adult Friends (YAF) Retreat!
This retreat is for young adult Quakers and Quaker-curious individuals (ages 18 to 35) who want to center spiritual growth, build connections, and explore Quakerism. Young Adult Friends (YAF) retreats are an opportunity to "try on" Quaker spiritual practices, connect with peers in a similar life phase and/or in a similar stage in their spiritual journey, enjoy time spent in joy & worshipful togetherness, bring a spiritual lens to the decisions in our lives, and cultivate our friendships and spiritual connections with one another.
This year's theme: Nourished by Presence
In a world that moves quickly, speaks loudly, and often pulls us in many directions, young adult Friends are invited to step into a spacious, grounding long weekend of reflection, rest, and connection. Join us for this year’s young adult Friends Midwinter Retreat: Nourished by Presence.
Through worship, conversation, singing, small groups, and simple shared rhythms, we will explore questions related to our theme Nourished by Presence. What are we spiritually hungry for? What have we found that truly nourishes that hunger in us?
We’ll ask how we cultivate a deeper presence—with Spirit, with our own hearts, and in our communities—and name honestly the distractions, habits, and fears that get in the way. We’ll also joyfully celebrate the gifts each person’s presence brings while soaking up the quiet beauty of winter atop Woolman Hill.
About the location
The retreat will be held at Woolman Hill Retreat Center in Deerfield, Western Massachusetts. Woolman Hill is surrounded by the beauty of meadows and woods and features simple facilities such as a big farmhouse-turned-modern-dormitory, a historic Quaker meetinghouse, and rustic cabins heated by wood stoves. We sleep in shared rooms (2-4 people) on a mixture of bunks and other beds and when you register, you’ll be able to specify your housing or sleep needs.
Arrivals and departures
Arrivals begin at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, February 13th and the retreat ends at noon on Monday, February 16th (President’s Day). If you need to arrive late or leave early, you will be able to tell us that when you register.
In addition to registering for the full retreat (or most of it, if you need to arrive a little later or leave a little early), we are also offering a Saturday commuter option (Feb 14th) for folks who live nearby and can’t stay longer.
Health protocols
Our current policy regarding COVID and illness prevention at retreat is available here.
If you have any specific questions, suggestions, or concerns regarding COVID protocols at the retreat, please feel free to contact the coordinators (Xinef & Nia) here.
Payment details
This retreat is pay as led (sliding scale, pay what fits your budget contributing as you are able). Please let interest, not finances, determine your attendance. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. We offer these suggestions which reflect the cost of food, building usage, materials, & honoraria:
- $150 makes a helpful contribution towards our costs, for those with a limited income
- $250 covers the room & board costs of one participant (thanks to a reduced rate from Woolman Hill)
- $350 covers the direct cost of one participant attending as well as some of the related costs for putting on this event (such as staff time)
For Saturday-only commuters we suggest $75 or $50 if budgets are tight.
We ask for a $40 deposit at the time of registration. You can pay in full when you register if you wish or pay the balance at the retreat via card, check, or cash.
Capacity and cancellations
If your plans change, please contact us ASAP.
We do offer refunds but ask that anyone canceling within 14 days of the event consider making a contribution to the event if possible.
Participant leadership
We are always happy to have YAFs help out during the retreat. If you have excitement and leadings around providing support for the retreat, please let me know! We are looking for a few folks to be small group leaders and would appreciate anyone stepping up to have care of worship, as well as looking for people who want to lead songs, games, or optional interest groups during free time or meals. If you feel called to any of these roles, let the co-coordinators (Xinef & Nia) know via email.
Registration
You can now register here.
Registration closes February 5th (or when the retreat fills, if that is earlier). If the retreat is full, email us to join the waitlist. Please note if you are a full time participant or commuter.
Want to be alerted when registration opens? Subscribe for young adult updates here.
Questions? Email the co-coordinators Xinef and Nia.