The Samson Society Fall Retreat is only a month away! Here are a few things you should know before you arrive.
COVID PRECAUTIONS
It is imperative that we do our best to minimize the risk of COVID transmission on our weekend together. Our first step was to limit attendance to 100, which is far below the camp’s capacity and far fewer than we had initially budgeted for. In addition:
- We are asking all attendees to exercise extreme caution for 2 weeks prior to the retreat. If you are in contact with anyone who tests positive for COVID-19, stay home. If you can get a test before you come, please do. If you need to cancel, your registration fee will be refunded.
- We will be doing temperature checks at the door throughout the weekend. Quarantine will be provided for anyone showing a fever.
- Facial coverings will be required in all confined indoor spaces. Please bring at least one mask that fits around the nose and covers the chin.
- We will do our best to maintain safe social distancing throughout the weekend, including in large group gatherings and at meals. At least one workshop will be held outdoors.
CHANGES IN SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS
- As a further safety precaution, we have altered sleeping assignments in order to reduce density. This year we will only assign 3 men to each of the bunkrooms and bunkhouses, despite their 14-bed capacity. To make this work, however, we need 9 men who have registered for a Lodge Bunk Room to volunteer to sleep in a Vintage Bunkhouse instead. If you are willing to make this sacrifice, please reply to this email. Volunteers will be compensated and celebrated!
- Also, we have eliminated all small semi-private rooms and converted them to singles. Anyone who has registered for a semi-private room will either be given a large motel-style semi-private room or a placed in a single, depending on availability.)
- You will receive your sleeping assignments at check-in, printed on your badge.
HOPE FOR A POLITICS-FREE WEEKEND
Our retreat begins three days after Election Day. The outcome of the election, whether it has been determined by that Friday or is still in doubt, has the potential to distract us from our greater purpose. For that reason, let’s agree to abstain from political discussion during the weekend and leave all partisan political apparel at home.
WORKSHOPS, WORKSHOPS, WORKSHOPS
In addition to our keynote talks by the incomparable John Lynch, we will conducting four workshops on Saturday afternoon. You can only attend two of them in person, but all of the workshops will be video-recorded and those recordings will be made available to you two weeks after the retreat. Here are the workshop presenters and topics:
- Kaka Ray: Where Addiction and Trauma Meet. Licensed marriage and family therapist and certified neurotherapist Kaka Ray is back by popular demand, helping us understand the connection between trauma and addiction and some of the healing tools that are available.
- Nate Larkin: Regaining Your Footing After a Relapse. Have you been using old strategies to recover from a slip, only to slip farther? Samson Society founder Nate Larkin dissects the typical relapse and offers counter-intuitive advice for stabilizing your recovery.
- Aaron Porter: Stop Trying So Hard! Samson veteran and co-host of the Pirate Monk Podcast Aaron Porter shows how an often-overlooked book of the Bible teaches “How to Find the Extraordinary in the Life You Already Have.”
- Andy Gullahorn: The Spiritual Discipline of the High Five. At times it can seem like all we’re doing is doing step-work, making phone calls, attending meetings, going to therapy and avoiding triggers. Nashville singer/songwriter Andy Gullahorn, who launched the world’s second Samson group in 2006, describes the softer skills and lighter activities that bring healthy recovery to life.
RETREAT SCHEDULE (Subject to Change)
Friday, November 6
4:00 PM Registration Opens
6:00 PM Dinner
7:00 PM Large Group — John Lynch
8:30 PM Samson Meetings
9:30 PM Hang Time: Lodges, Rec Center, Campfires
Saturday, November 7
7:00 AM Reveille
8:00 AM Breakfast
9:00 AM Large Group — Workshop Descriptions
9:15 AM Large Group — John Lynch
10:15 AM Individual Work
11:00 AM Silas Walks
Noon Lunch
1:00 PM Workshop Session One
Kaka Ray: Where Addiction and Trauma Meet
or
Nate Larkin: Regaining Your Footing After a Relapse
2:00 PM Workshop Session Two
Aaron Porter: Stop Trying So Hard!
or
Andy Gullahorn: The Spiritual Discipline of the High Five
3:00 PM Free Time
5:00 PM Dinner
6:00 PM Small Group Sharing
7:15 PM Concert — Andy Gullahorn
8:15 PM Hang Time: Lodges, Rec Center, Campfires
Sunday, November 8
7:00 AM Reveille
8:00 AM Breakfast
9:00 AM Samson House Update
9:30 AM Morning Worship with Aaron Porter
10:15 AM Pirate Monk Podcast Taping
11:15AM Pack Up and Depart
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