 A Pop of color! (Photo taken in 2015). Every fall, the Walker Center campus maple trees signal the start of autumn, the season of change, the preparation for something new. Three years ago, Amy and I began our journey with the Walker Center, and since then we have seen some amazing changes already! We hope that we have honored the past of those who have come before us well, while also helping to ensure that the Walker Center is ready for the future. We did a website overhaul last summer in order to prepare for this future - and we have just updated the website again! Come see what we've been working on:
There's more to share about the changes ahead ... in the meantime, go check these things out - and be sure to share the Survey and the Fundraising Page with others!
Thanks for everyone who has supported and found a home here at Walker Center over the years. We can't wait to see what's next!  As a prelude to the Theopoetics Conference, the folks at ARC (ArtsReligionCulture) and The Sanctuaries are opening up a 4-hour Art for Activism training to the general public! Here's a blurb about it from the ARC newsletter courtesy of Callid Keefe-Perry:
The Sanctuaries from Washington will be with us and offering "Art for Activism" that you can register for here in advance or show up by 12:45 and pay at the door. It will run from 1 - 5pm and we've made it wildly affordable ($20 for 4 hours!) because we want folks to work with them: they're that amazing and this is a time for activists to be in full force. Spread the word. If the cost is an obstacle, please let me know. This is something everyone who wants to do should do. We couldn't agree more, and hope that as many of you as possible can take advantage of this great opportunity! Happy Holidays from WC! Check out our holiday office hours and (ICYMI) our end-of-year letter.12/19/2017 Happy holidays to everyone, from all of us here at Walker Center!!  WC back entrance, after the first (early) snow! Dec 2017. WC Holiday Office Hours: Thursday 12/21 10am - 7pm Friday 12/22 10am - 7pm Saturday 12/23 10am - 7pm Sunday 12/24 10am - 5pm, then on-call Monday 12/25 on-call all day. 12/26 thru 1/3 10am - 7pm ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We have also recently sent out an end of year email letter; here it is in case you missed it! "Dear friend of the Walker Center, Happy holidays! In the midst of difficult times for those of us in the United States, and indeed around the globe, Walker Center continues onward into its 148th year of history, offering: A place of radical hospitality, which says “Come as you are, without condition. You are welcome here.” A space for respite and reflection, where organizers, faith leaders, activists and communities can dream together. A home away from home, for those seeking to grow and learn in community. This year has been exciting one at the Walker Center. In 2017, we have:
We have made significant progress this year, but we need your help keeping the momentum going. With your support, we can build on our new residency program, conduct research towards new pilot programs, continue updating our facilities, keep our conference and retreat rates affordable, and much more. Ways you can support Walker Center:
*** Be safe, brave, and full of hope this holiday season, Amy & Joshua Lunde-Whitler Executive Directors"  https://artsreligionculture.org/theopoetics-conference Walker Center is very proud to be the site for the 2018 Theopoetics Conference, from March 9th through March 11th!
This conference is a gathering time for students, scholars, artists, religious practitioners (clergy and non-clergy)--really just about anyone interested in exploring faith, religion, and justice, from a creative, holistic, artistic, playful, and/or embodied approach. ARC (ArtsReligionCulture) is the result of a brand new merger between the Association for Theopoetics Research and Embodiment (ATRE) and the Society for Art, Religion and Contemporary Culture (SARCC). Together they are exploring fresh ways to inspire new ways of being, knowing, and living out faith-seeking-justice, and we at WC couldn't be happier to support their efforts! Anyone reading this message is invited to register, and/or submit a proposal. Please click the link to learn more, or contact us or ARC for more information.  On behalf of our sister organization, the Community Chaplaincy Council (CCC), Walker Center is now collecting donations of funds as well as "hygiene kits," to help assist the survivors of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, as well as the earthquake in Mexico City.
While the Caribbean and Mexico may no longer be finding their way into the U.S. news cycles, the devastating impact of these events continue to persist. Puerto Rico is without power for the foreseeable future. Much of Dominica and the Virgin Islands have been destroyed. Hundreds are dead in Mexico's capital city. If you'd like to help, the CCC invites contributions in the following ways: "GIVE generously to support hurricane relief and recovery efforts. Monetary gifts may be made at your local UCC congregation or by checks made out to “Hurricane Relief” and brought to the Community Chaplaincy Council at Walker Center [Donations can be left at the Walker Center main office]. Donations may also be sent directly to United Church of Christ, Financial Services - 6th Floor, 700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115. "PREPARE a Hygiene Kit to be distributed by Church World Service. Bring the completed kit to the Community Chaplaincy Council at the Walker Center by Oct. 20, 2017. We will deliver them to CWS. Church World Service is a faith-based organization transforming communities around the globe through just and sustainable responses to hunger, poverty, displacement and disaster... "For more information on Church World Service, see cwsglobal.org." For the full CCC statement, plus instructions on how to build a hygiene kit, click here.
 In a world of religious plurality, the hope is that our residents, many of whom are future faith leaders and scholars, will gain necessary resources and learn valuable practices to foster deeper interreligious partnership towards the common good. This learning is rooted in the deep (and messy) relationships that are fostered in community life.
The program is being led by resident Kelly Kossar, a 2nd-year rabbinical student at Hebrew College, who has been awarded a fellowship to lead the program for the entire school year. The Walker Center is pleased to venture together with the Miller Center in this endeavor, and we hope it is only the beginning of an enduring partnership that will be a transformative experience for our residents. If you are interested in learning more, or perhaps considering how you might be able to invest in the development of this program, please email us! |
The Directors' Desk
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The Walker Center For Ecumenical Exchange
Phone: 617-969-3919 Email: reservations@walkerctr.org Main Office: 144 Hancock Street Auburndale, MA 02466 |
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