Welcome to Laity Lodge’s Schedule & Reservations page! Take a look at our upcoming retreats.
February 5-7 (Friday-Sunday)
Type: Church Retreat
Lodge: $210
Black Bluff: $260
Deposit: $50
Speaker(s)
Gareth Icenogle
Senior Pastor, West Side Presbyterian Church, Ridgewood, NJ. Gareth came to West Side from the National Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC, where he served as Senior Pastor. Click here for more information.
Musician(s)
Jeff Johnson
Recording artist, worship leader; Camano Island, WA. Click here for more information.
Artist(s)/Activity(ies)
Kathy Hastings
Art educator, professional artist, and photographer; Camano Island, WA. Click here for more information.
February 8-11 (Monday-Thursday)
This retreat is intentionally designed to give our guests plenty of time to recharge their batteries. Along with much time for rest, reflection, and recreation, Rod Wilson will be leading our sessions, focusing on the subject of “Pastoral Depletion and Replenishment: The Struggle with Sabbath.”
Type: Open Retreat
Lodge: $290
Black Bluff: $365
Deposit: $100
Speaker(s)
Rod Wilson
President, Professor, Counseling and Psychology, Regent College, Vancouver, BC. Author of Counseling and Community and How Do I Help a Hurting Friend?
Musician(s)
Jeff Johnson
Recording artist, worship leader; Camano Island, WA. Click here for more information.
Artist(s)/Activity(ies)
Kathy Hastings
Art educator, professional artist, and photographer; Camano Island, WA. Click here for more information.
February 19-21 (Friday-Sunday)
Type: Church Retreat
Lodge: $210
Black Bluff: $260
Deposit: $50
Speaker(s)
Peter Barnes
Senior Pastor, Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church; Austin, TX
Musician(s)
Beth Pinney
Worship Leader for Laguna Presbyterian Church; Laguna Beach, CA
February 26-28 (Friday-Sunday)
Type: Open Retreat
Lodge: $210
Black Bluff: $260
Deposit: $50
Participating Churches:
Christ Episcopal Church, Temple
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Waco
Speaker(s)
Mark Labberton
Lloyd John Ogilvie Chair for Preaching and Director of the Lloyd John Ogilvie Institute for Preaching at Fuller Theological Seminary; Pasadena, CA. Author of The Dangerous Act of Worship: Living God’s Call to Justice. (M. D. Matthews Speaker)
Musician(s)
The Credo Trio
Click here for more information.
Karen Burgman
Pianist; Hilltown, PA
Elizabeth Ann Larson
Violinist; New York, NY
Steuart Pincombe
Cellist
Artist(s)/Activity(ies)
Johnny Jones
Wood sculpture; Boerne, TX
March 4-7 (Thursday-Sunday)
Type: Open Retreat
Lodge: $285
Black Bluff: $315
Deposit: $100
Speaker(s)
David Taylor
Pastor, teacher, and artist; Durham, NC
Luci Shaw
Retreat facilitator and lecturer on the topics of art and spirituality and the Christian imagination. Author of Breath for the Bones: Art, Imagination and Spirit. Luci and her husband, John Hoyte, live in Bellingham, WA.
Musician(s)
Vito and Monique Aiuto of The Welcome Wagon; Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
Artist(s)/Activity(ies)
Phaedra Taylor
Durham, NC
March 12-14 (Friday-Sunday)
Type: Open Retreat
Lodge: $210
Black Bluff: $260
Deposit: $50
Participating Church:
St. John the Divine Episcopal Church; Houston
Speaker(s)
Cherith Nordling
Visiting Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL. Author of Being Human in the Christian Story.
Artist(s)/Activity(ies)
Meg Lowry
Drawing and painting; Austin, TX
March 19-21 (Friday-Sunday)
Type: Church Retreat
Lodge: $210
Black Bluff: $260
Deposit: $50
Speaker(s)
Linda Roberts
Marriage and family therapist, spiritual director; residing in Boerne, TX. Click here for her website.
Lynn Ziegenfuss
Leadership development and spiritual formation specialist; San Diego, CA
Artist(s)/Activity(ies)
Sandra Organ
Dancer; Houston, TX
Artist(s)/Activity(ies)
Gwen Meharg
Painter; Benbrook, TX
Type: Open Retreat
Lodge: $210
Black Bluff: $260
Deposit: $50
Speaker(s)
Gary Holloway
Ijams Professor of Bible and Associate Director of the Center for Spiritual Renewal, Lipscomb University; Nashville, TN
Musician(s)
Todd Cunningham
Pianist
Artist(s)/Activity(ies)
Larry Matthews
Raku Pottery
April 9-11 (Friday-Sunday)
Type: Church Retreat
Lodge: $210
Black Bluff: $260
Deposit: $50
Speaker(s)
Mark Galli
Senior Editor, Christianity Today; Glen Ellyn, IL
Musician(s)
Barbara Bamberg
Choir Director, St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, Houston, TX
April 23-25 (Friday-Sunday)
Type: Church Retreat
Lodge: $210
Black Bluff: $260
Deposit: $50
Speaker(s)
Tod Bolsinger
Senior Pastor and Head of Staff, San Clemente Presbyterian Church; San Clemente, CA. Author of It Takes a Church to Raise a Christian and Show Time: Living Down Hypocrisy by Living Out the Faith.
Musician(s)
Faith DeBow
Senior Lecturer, Piano Department, School of Music, Texas State University; San Marcos, TX
Artist(s)/Activity(ies)
Jody and Jenness Gilles
Whittling and Beading
April 30-May 2 (Friday-Sunday)
Type: Church Retreat
Lodge: $210
Black Bluff: $260
Deposit: $50
Speaker(s)
Jerry Webber
Pastor of Praying and Spiritual Formation, Chapelwood United Methodist Church; Houston, TX
Musician(s)
Tom Jaber
Director of Choral Music and the Arts, Chapelwood United Methodist Church; Houston, TX
Andrea Jaber
Vocalist; Houston, TX
Artist(s)/Activity(ies)
Gwen Zapata
Precious metal/clay; Boerne, TX
May 13-16 (Thursday-Sunday)
Type: Church Retreat
Lodge: $315
Black Bluff: $390
Deposit: $100
Speaker(s)
Ret. Bishop Robert Bibbs
Retired Bishop Suffragan of West Texas; San Antonio, TX
May 17-21 (Monday-Friday)
Type: Private Retreat
Own Program
June 3-6 (Thursday-Sunday)
Type: Open Retreat
Lodge: $390
Black Bluff: $465
Deposit: $100
This retreat will feature in-depth Bible exposition from Dale Bruner and Mark Roberts. Dale will focus on the Gospel of John, with plenty of real-life applications. Mark will investigate passages in the letters of Paul, helping us to live each day as the people of God.
Speaker(s)
Dale Bruner
Professor Emeritus of Religion, Whitworth College, Spokane, WA; now residing in Pasadena, CA
Mark Roberts
Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence, Laity Lodge; Boerne, TX
Musician(s)
Nathan Tasker
Recording artist and songwriter from Australia; currently living in Nashville, TN
Gabe Scott
Multi-instrumentalist; Nashville, TN
Artist(s)/Activity(ies)
Jim Janknegt
Painting and drawing; Austin, TX
June 10-13 (Thursday-Sunday)
Type: Open Retreat
Lodge: $390
Black Bluff: $465
Deposit: $100
Both Allan Josephson and John Medina are highly regarded experts in their respective fields who have the ability to communicate with ordinary folk. Dr. Josephson will explore similarities between the findings of psychiatry and the text of Scripture as he focuses on trust, limits, and families. Dr. Medina will speak on the implications of current brain research for Christian discipleship, human identity, and family relationships.
Speaker(s)
Allan Josephson
Professor and Associate Chair for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Louisville School of Medicine; Louisville, KY
John Medina
Affiliate Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Washinton School of Medicine, Director of the Brain Center for Applied Learning Research at Seattle Pacific University, Author of Brain Rules; Seattle, WA
Musician(s)
Stephen Clapp
Dean Emeritus, The Juilliard School, violinist; Cos Cob, CT
Sean Jackson
Organist and pianist, trained at The Juilliard School; Director of Music, St. John’s Episcopal Church; Stamford, CT
Artist(s)/Activity(ies)
Anita Horton
Raku ceramic pottery; Addison, TX
Debbie Taylor
Painter; Nashville, TN
June 17-20 (Thursday-Sunday)
Type: Open Retreat
Lodge: $390
Black Bluff: $465
Deposit: $100
Through exploration of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians and various musical references, Rodney, Buddy, and Odessa will host a conversation on how God is redeeming the world horizonally as well as vertically. As Paul encouraged his converts to “speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,” we’ll consider how Scripture and songs point to reconciled relationships in our homes, neighborhoods, and nations.
Speaker(s)
Buddy Greene
Singer-songwriter, guitarist, harmonica stylist; Brentwood, TN
Rodney Reeves
Dean, Courts Redford College of Theology and Ministry, Professor of Biblical Studies, Southwest Baptist University; Bolivar, MO
Musician(s)
Odessa Settles
Vocalist and one of the founding members of The Princely Players; Nashville, TN
Ashley Cleveland
Recording artist, winner of 3 Grammy Awards including 2008 for Best Rock Gospel Album (Before the Daylight’s Shot); Nashville, TN. Click here for her website.
Artist(s)/Activity(ies)
Carolyn (Wink) Winkler and Jill (Tink) Stover
Knitting and needle felting, Yarns in the Farms; Beverly Farms, MA
Olga Samples Davis
Creative writing and poetry, Author of Things My Mama Told Me: The Wisdom That Shapes Our Lives; San Antonio, TX
Debbie Taylor
Painter; Nashville, TN
June 22-27 (Tuesday-Sunday)
Type: Open Retreat
Lodge: $650
Black Bluff: $775
Deposit: $100
Tod Bolsinger and Mark Roberts will each address different aspects of creativity. Tod will focus on how we, as God’s creatures, can “live re-creatively” as partners with God in the work of creation and redemption. Mark will examine Genesis 1-3, seeking answers to questions such as: What can we learn about creativity from a close study of the biblical accounts of Creation? How does sin complicate and retool our creative purpose on earth?
Speaker(s)
Tod Bolsinger
Senior Pastor, San Clemente Presbyterian Church; San Clemente, CA
Mark Roberts
Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence, Laity Lodge; Boerne, TX
Musician(s)
Charles Webb
Pianist, Dean Emeritus, Indiana Univeristy School of Music; Bloomington, IN
Christopher Bolduc
Baritone vocalist, has performed with the Sante Fe Opera and Fort Worth Opera, resident artist with the Academy of Vocal Arts. Click here for more information; Philadelphia, PA.
Artist(s)/Activity(ies)
Carolyn (Wink) Winkler and Jill (Tink) Stover
Knitting and needle felting, Yarns in the Farms; Beverly Farms, MA
Olga Samples Davis
Creative writing and poetry, Author of Things My Mama Told Me: The Wisdom That Shapes Our Lives; San Antonio, TX
Jim Morris
Jewelry-making; Kerrville, TX
Robert and Claudia Feuge
Woodworking and watercolor; Fredericksburg, TX
Marcus Rogers
Bird-carving; San Antonio, TX
July 8-11 (Thursday-Sunday)
Type: Open Retreat
Lodge: $390
Black Bluff: $465
Deposit: $100
The pursuit of truth among pastors, theologians, and lay people has become a hotbed for division and entrenched sectairan camps. Pastor Chris Seay and Dr. Timothy George invite you into a dialogue that promises to seek truth with a passion for Scripture, church history, and the belief that the gospel is intended to reconcile all people, not create unnecessary divisions in the Church.
Speaker(s)
Timothy George
Dean and Professor of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University; Birmingham, AL
Chris Seay
Pastor of Ecclesia Church, Author of The Gospel According to Lost, The Gospel According to Tony Soprano and The Gospel Reloaded. Founder of The Voice Project; Houston, TX
Musician(s)
Ashley Cleveland
Recording artist, winner of 3 Grammy Awards including 2008 for Best Rock Gospel Album (Before the Daylight’s Shot); Nashville, TN. Click here for her website.
Kenny Greenberg
Guitarist, producer, 2004 CMA Musician of the Year nominee; Nashville, TN. Click here for Kenny’s website.
Artist(s)/Activity(ies)
Steve Halla
Printmaking, Assistant Professor of Art at Union University; Jackson, TN
July 14-18 (Wednesday-Sunday)
Type: Open Retreat
Lodge: $520
Black Bluff: $620
Deposit: $100
Ecclesiastes is a perplexing book, yet there are silver linings within the clouds descibed by “the Preacher” who wrote the book. One way to discover those silver linings is to explore the sayings of Ecclesiastes in light of the Psalms of David. From the perspective of a psychiatrist and a pastor, Dan Blazer and Earl Palmer will help us explore these wonderful texts of Scripture.
Speaker(s)
Earl Palmer
Pastor Emeritus, University Presbyterian Church, Author of numerous books, most recently, Trusting God; Seattle, WA
Dan Blazer
J. P. Gibbons Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Vice Chair for Education and Academic Affairs, Duke University Medical Center; Durham, NC
Musician(s)
Ashley Cleveland
Recording artist, winner of 3 Grammy Awards including 2008 for Best Rock Gospel Album (Before the Daylight’s Shot); Nashville, TN. Click here for her website.
Kenny Greenberg
Guitarist, producer, 2004 CMA Musician of the Year nominee; Nashville, TN. Click here for Kenny’s website.
Artist(s)/Activity(ies)
Meg Lowry
Drawing faces; Austin, TX
Marcus Goodyear
Poetry; Kerrville, TX
July 22-25 (Thursday-Sunday)
Type: Open Retreat
Lodge: $390
Black Bluff: $465
Deposit: $100
Michael Lindsay and Andy Crouch will address the topic of power and privlege, exploring the challenges and opportunitiesof cultural pwer. What do we do when Christians possess power and privilege? How do we accurately assess the difference between Christans represented as a beleaguered minority vs. a group hell-bent on overtaking society? Andy and Michael will be joined by the music and testmony of Sara Groves.
Speaker(s)
Andy Crouch
Senior Editor, Christianity Today International, journalist, musician, and author, most recently of Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling; Swarthmore, PA
Michael Lindsay
Assistant Professor of Sociology and Associate Director of the Center on Race, Religion, and Urban Life, Rice University. Author of Faith in the Halls of Power; Houston; TX
Musician(s)
Sara Groves
Critically acclaimed singer-songwriter, most recent album Fireflies and Songs named Top Album of the Year for 2009 by Christianity Today; Minneapolis, MN
Artist(s)/Activity(ies)
Ginger Geyer
Playing with Clay; Austin, TX
July 29 – August 1 (Thursday-Sunday)
Type: Open Retreat
Lodge: $390
Black Bluff: $465
Deposit: $100
A line from a recent song by U2 claims “women of the furture hold the big revelations.” At this year’s retreat, three women will share what they have discovered while following Christ through various professional and personal experiences. Laura Robinson Harbert will draw from Scripture and her experience as a psychologist to guide our conversations and mutual discovery.
Speaker(s)
Laura Robinson Harbert
Clinical psychologist and ordained Presbyterian minister; Pacific Grove, CA
Donata Wenders
Photographer; Berlin, Germany
(M. D. Matthews Speaker)
Nancy Litteken
Spiritual Director, Executive Director of Club 21; Pasadena, CA
Evelyn Walker Jones
Teacher, mother, business owner; Compton, CA
Musician(s)
Scott and Christine Dente
Recording artists, Out of the Grey; Nashville, TN
Artist(s)/Activity(ies)
Bea Brock
Fabric artist and needle punching; Kerrville, TX
September 3-6 (Friday-Monday)
Type: Open Retreat
Lodge: $390
Black Bluff: $465
Deposit: $100
Both J. I. Packer and Mark Roberts will use biblical exposition to explore our relationship with the living God. Dr. Packer’s theme, Walk in Wisdom: A Conversation with Colossians, will cover questions of what in the world is going on, who do you think you are, how do you plan to live, and what you your top priorities. Mark will explore passages from Scripture that focus on how we are to live each day as the people of God.
Speaker(s)
J. I. Packer
Author and Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology, Regent College; Vancouver, B. C.
Mark Roberts
Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence, Laity Lodge; Boerne, TX
Musician(s)
Fernando Ortega
Singer-songwriter, winner of 3 Dove Awards; Albuquerque, NM
