Horizons Fellows Retreat ‘26

Swift Run Farm sits nestled on 40 acres of rolling hillside and quiet woods. The former home of an artist (Milicent Young) the Tree House where we stayed was aptly named. Rocks protrude from the cement floors and raw wood pillars form the supports with Milicent’s iconic horse hair sculptures (we called them a new form of dream catcher) laced the walls.

Our annual Horizons Fellows retreat began with a catered dinner from Milan Indian and discussed our summer reading book: A Sacred Voice is Calling. The author, John Neafsey does a tremendous job of helping to stir up the complexity when talking about vocation: how to listen and discern? calling versus career? issues of privilege; discovering what makes your heart break but knowing it’s hard to get paid for what you love…; individual and social callings)

With phones nestled silently away in a ‘phone nest’, the rest of our time was spent simply listening to every Fellow's story. Each had about twenty minutes and we listened and responded with full presence and empathy as Fellows shared both their pains and their joys.

These twenty-four hours help shape our year ahead as we prepare to gather monthly as a group and each Fellow with their mentors to consider what the Lord might be speaking to them during this year of transition.