Hello Holden,

May is full of life at Holden. Migratory birds return to the Railroad Creek Valley, marmots come out of hibernation, daffodils bloom across the Village, and anticipation for the summer ahead grows. As the snow melts and the sun rises higher in the sky each day, Village excitement grows, welcoming back the rhythms of summer with our annual Spring Work Weeks.

Spring Work Weeks combine hard work and shared stewardship with new and renewed relationships that bring a special vitality to Holden. Volunteers lend their talents and learn new skills, returning dormant buildings to places for eating, gathering, singing, and worshipping. Gardens come to life while pollinators buzz joyfully from flower to flower. It’s a beautiful time at Holden as we prepare to welcome dozens of youth for May Youth Weekend, college students from Texas Lutheran University, and generations of Holden staff at Alumni Weekend. See Holden’s Spring and summer program here.

Holden Village is ready to welcome you to the wilderness this summer. Come join in the daily rhythms of service, worship, and connection as we celebrate Life Anew, growing from the love of Christ.

Warmly,

Stacy Kitahata, Mark Bach, and Kathie Bach

Indigenous Artist-in-Residence Program

Application Deadline - May 15

The Indigenous Artist Residency at Holden Village is a two-to-four week self-guided opportunity for Indigenous artists working in a variety of mediums, providing artists with an expansive and creative space for artistic, physical, and spiritual renewal. As a member of the community, artists will have access to private art space and communal art and pottery studios, a library, a sauna, a hot tub, and hundreds of miles of pristine trails in and around the Glacier Peak Wilderness.

Our 2024 Indigenous Artist Lu Canales wrote this about her experience:

"I brought a speaker and my sage and was allowed to smudge the house and jam out to music while I worked. It was peaceful. It was bliss. I work out of my home, so I have never worked in a studio setting. The entire house was just for me to create. I've never had a space dedicated to only art. When I’m at home, the other parts of my life tend to creep into my piles of wool, cedar, and beads. Being at Holden was the most freeing experience I've had. I managed to finish four skirts that I later gifted away. I hadn't thought I would be doing anything besides keeping to myself and weaving. I made friends in spite of myself. I was never pressured into anything or preached to or at. There were no expectations placed on me and that was wild. Holden and its peaceful people had a lasting effect on my art and how I feel about it. The connection I felt while I was up there, with my ancestors and my creativity is something I have cherished since leaving. I keep it cupped in a back corner of my heart where it's safe."

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More Information

This Valley has existed for millenia, carved out by glaciers and defined by Indigenous people and their care for this place. We live and gather upon the homelands of the Chelan, the Entiat, the P’Squosa, the Wenatchi-Colville and the Wenatchi-Yakama Tribal Nations. And we commit to resisting erasure of Indigenous people and stories, following Native leadership, and centering tribal voices.

Programming Highlights

Easter and Holy Week

Holy Week at Holden Village began with a procession through the Village and communion outdoors for Palm Sunday. Villagers participated in the washing of feet for Maundy Thursday, a contemplative Prayer Around the Cross for Good Friday, fun reenactments of ancient texts for the Easter Vigil, as well as sunrise Matins and a Eucharist service on Easter Sunday. The celebration also included an all-ages egg hunt and a delicious feast meal.

Thank you, Work-Weekers!

Work Week 1

TOP: Greg Mork, Rich Wilson, Paul Hawley, Bill Frier

THIRD ROW: Burnell Eugene Peterson, Paul Sackmann, Nartano Scharnhorst, Pete Isensee, Ken Jones, Carolyn Giese, Kathleen Nerenberg

SECOND ROW: Charlie Dixon, Jon Rodin, Joyce Robertson, Pat Mork, Maria Morehead, Steve Cox

FRONT: Therea Handy, Dana Miller, Linda Atwater

Work Week 2

TOP: Zeke Reister, Michael Williams, Paul Sackmann, Paul Davis

THIRD ROW: Jeanne Bartlemay, Ann Liljengren Cohan, Julie Blakeslee, Samantha Butler, Anne Brooks

SECOND ROW: Harriet Hargrove, Jericho Westendorf, Shailyn Jaroutte, Abigail Hosken, Michael Hosken, Tom Varga, Steve Jones

FRONT: Jane Llyod, Maxine Joers, DeeAnna Freeman, Tessa Rivers, Nancy Rivers, Benjamin Rivers, Ann Carlander, Larissa Rutherfrod, Grace Bentson

Learn about Fall Work Weeks

Coming Up: Alumni Weekend

May 30-June 1

Holden Village warmly invites all former long-term staff and their families for Alumni Weekend! The Village is excited to welcome you back for service and fellowship.

Alumni Weekend is half-work, half-pay, at a low flat rate of $120 for each attendee. Alumni will assist with a service project for six hours (three on Saturday and three on Sunday). This special rate is also available to the spouses and children of alumni. Guests are encouraged to bring their families along! Supervision of minor children during the service project period can be arranged on a case-by-case basis.

Programs will include an open mic night (a community showcase of various talents), Holden trivia night, a Holden-related art project, and daily sacred space offerings.

Letter from the Pastor

Honoring the personhood of each child:

By Abby d'Ambruoso, Village Pastor

One of the deepest joys of ministry at Holden comes through the vibrant commitment to the spiritual lives of Village kids. From the smallest ones learning to pray at Prayer Around the Cross to tweens belting out “I will serve” in the Magnificat of Vespers ‘23, young people participate in the rhymes and rituals of a spiritual life at Holden. They take turns extinguishing candles, reading, cantoring, helping with communion, and they can tell you their favorite sung vespers.

But it is not only in daily worship that children learn about God. Through conversations with trusted adults, Village kids experience from the whole community what faithful living looks like– from stewardship of the earth to caring relationships, to justice and mercy. As the Village prepares to welcome more than 100 high school students for May Youth Weekend and hundreds of children to Narnia this summer, I give thanks for the ways Holden honors the personhood of each child; respecting their questions, inviting their leadership, and gratefully welcoming younger people as members of the community.

-Abby

Staffing

Bringing a family to Holden Village

By Amy Huacani, Program Manager

The benefits of being a family at Holden Village are many. I love that I get to see my child more often during the work week as she eats lunch with me every day. Also, the fully accredited public school starts late enough to give us more time to get ready in the morning. The proximity of the school means I am close by to attend school events. My child participates in more outdoor learning overall and has much less screen time. The intergenerational learning with school projects is a big plus. My child learns from many other adults who come to volunteer in her classroom. Being a weapons-free community means there are no guns and so no gun drills in school. Even with all that, the biggest plus is the community. My child learns so much from others (and living in the remote wilderness) each and every day. She sees how we all value a simple life here with less of a carbon footprint which is so ever needed these days.

Let me know if you have questions. I can be reached at program.manager@holdenvillage.org

Holden Village thrives because of the incredible people who come to serve, learn, and grow together. Join our team today!

Click on each position to learn more.

High-Priority Long-Term positions:

Open for applications now, positions begin in late summer or fall:

Food Services Lead

Utilities Lead

Physical Plant Lead

High-Priority Seasonal (3 month) positions:

AV Media Coordinator

Painter

Trails Crew Coordinator

Seasonal Head Cook

Seasonal Services Associate

Staffing Spotlight: Back-Up Medic

Holden is seeking stipend volunteers to serve as back-up medics. Applicants can serve one week, one year, or anywhere in between! The highest need is support during the upcoming June-August season.

We are looking for medical professionals with an enthusiasm for the outdoors/remote medicine; have at least 2-3 years of experience (preferably in emergency medicine); and have current licensure as a paramedic, RN, NP, PA, or MD. We are also looking for individuals (LPNs/LVNs, EMTs, etc.) with experience in emergency medicine and first-aid training that can assist as medic support.

More Information and Application

Ways to Give

Join the Sustainers Circle

Simplify your giving through monthly giving.

Holden creates space for life anew in courageous community because of your generous support. Donations keep guest registration fees affordable, provide stipends to volunteer staff, and offer meaningful experiences for all. To join the Holden Village Sustainers Circle visit the secure Sustainer Circle Giving page. Choose gift amount, frequency of giving, and when your giving begins. Options for dedications are also available. All major credit cards are accepted.

Important: If you are already giving to Holden on a recurring basis via Thrivent’s Simply Giving program, we thank you! You’re automatically part of the Sustainers Circle, and there is no need to sign up at our Sustainer Circle giving page.

Questions or concerns? Drop a line to eric.development@holdenvillage.org