Culturing Compassion Weekends
The weekend is currently a collaborative effort between the Center, staff at Atonement Lutheran Church, and several community-based organizations that work with people in the St Cloud area who are marginalized.
(As of May, 2006, those community partners include: Catholic Charities Food Shelf, Place of Hope Ministries, and the Hope Community Support Program.)
It uses a process of:
- "visioning dignity and community" and "understanding marginalization" (Fri evening)
- "understanding the meaning of compassion" (Sat morning)
- service-learning activities (Sat morning and afternoon)
- "understanding the causes - on a structural as well as personal level - of marginalization (Sat evening)
- "planning for next steps" and "celebrating the journey (Sun morning)
History
Atonement had been sending students to the "Urban Immersion Service Retreats" that are offered by the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches - but sensed that, because St Cloud experiences many of the same issues, there was potential to develop such a retreat here. We offered the first two retreats in the 2003-4 year (January and February). Three retreats were offered in the 2004-5 year, and two in the 2005-6 year.
Over 250 youth and adult mentors have participated in at least one retreat.
There are four churches - Atonement, Rejoice (Clearwater), Celebration (Sartell), and Living Waters (Sauk Rapids) - who have become annual participants.
Cost
Participants (youth and adults) pay a registration fee of $50.