Holden Village Loving-Kindness Retreat in Willard, WI | | Bringing the Spirit of Holden Village to you | | |
With the Village currently closed to guests, Holden Programming has hit the road!
Through the last six months, Holden Village has shared a variety of virtual and in-person programming opportunities. These offerings include virtual faculty sessions, musical performances, and most recently an in-person retreat at the Christine Center in Willard, Wisconsin (read more below). These events aim to bring the spirit of Holden Village to you, connecting you with Holden’s beloved spirituality, theology, education, and tradition. As pastor Erik Samuelson wrote in a recent letter, “we are a community always on pilgrimage—whether coming or going—and always walking this journey together.”
Three upcoming events are scheduled for Midwest locations this summer. Keep reading to learn how you can stay engaged with the Holden community.
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July 19-22, St Olaf College, Northfield, MN
The Lutheran Center for Faith, Values and Community and the Nourishing Vocation Projects at St. Olaf College would like to invite you to this year’s Conference on Worship, Theology, and the Arts.
CWTA offers professional development, spiritual nourishment, and networking opportunities for persons engaged in congregational and specialized ministries.
Holden Village will have a table at the conference. Connect with Holden staff, sing Holden liturgies, and enjoy a picnic outdoors featuring sandwiches made with “Holden Bread.”
Registration is currently full. You can sign up here to learn about upcoming CWTA dates, programming, open registration, and more.
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July 25, Lake Edge Lutheran Church, Madison, WI
Join us July 25 at Lake Edge Lutheran Church in Madison, WI for the rhythms, songs, and spirit of Holden Village. Whether you’re missing your Holden community, looking for a place to plug in, or attending a Holden event for the first time, all are welcome!
From 1-8 p.m. you’re invited to eat, worship, and share in the community! As a special guest, Holden is excited to welcome teacher, scholar, and the first Palestinian woman ordained in the ELCA, Rev. Dr. Niveen Ibrahim Sarras, who will be leading “Love in Bloom: Ecology and Desire in the Song of Songs.”
Registration is FREE and closes July 15.
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August 2-7, Shalom Hill Farm, Windom, MN
Holden Village is thrilled to collaborate with Shalom Hill Farm, a rural retreat center in southern Minnesota, for an in-person retreat August 2-7, 2026.
This five-day retreat will offer a wealth of opportunities for communal worship, creative expression, and faith exploration. Following the program tradition of Holden Village, there will be five nights of Evening Vespers, including the beloved Holden Evening Prayer and other music created at Holden Village. Newer liturgical compositions, written specifically for Shalom Hill Farm, will also be featured.
Overnight accommodations at Shalom Hill are FULLY BOOKED August 2-7, but you can still participate. Guests are invited to stop in for the day to attend sessions. To learn more and to put your name on the waiting list for accommodations, please email Zach Davis at Programs@shalomhillfarms.org
| | | | What is a Holden Off the Road Event Like? | |
Takeaways from the Loving-Kindness Retreat
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People gathered for an in-person retreat organized by Holden Village in Willard, WI last month. The event was organized by the Holden programming team in partnership with the Christine Center.
The event was facilitated by Pema Lisa Antoniotti and Amber Mattingly and, who were previously scheduled as part of Holden’s summer 2026 in-village faculty. We were blessed with their willingness to take their teachings on the road with us.
Loving-Kindness is an ancient Buddhist practice that cultivates goodwill and universal friendliness toward oneself and others.
Together, Pema and Amber have been teaching Loving-Kindness in various settings, including Joyful Path’s weekly Loving-Kindness Group, where they invite people to rest in compassion, strengthen presence, and rediscover innate goodness. Drawing inspiration from Christian, Buddhist, and other spiritual traditions, evenings like Loving-Kindness represent Holden’s commitment to an expansive Christianity. Holden strives to practice our faith in a way that is open, inclusive, and expansive in our language of God, the earth, and all people.
Throughout the retreat, the teaching method emphasizes shared practice rather than expert instruction, inviting mutual discovery of gentleness, patience, and joy through compassionate awareness, meditation practice, and community support.
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“The two facilitators were highly skilled and experienced.” —Loving-Kindress Retreat Participant
“Ingrid and Izzy were lots of fun. They are both excellent representatives for Holden.” —Loving-Kindness Retreat Participant
“We're so grateful for the opportunity to continue to collaborate with and learn from incredible teachers and experience God in new ways through the connections we make at events like this.” —Ingrid Lindgren, Holden Village staffing.
| | More than a Village, Holden is a community of shared values, commitments, and practice.Thank you to the Christine Center for hosting this event and all Loving-Kindness retreat participants. We hope you can join us again soon! | | |
Reference herein to any specific commercial products or services does not necessarily constitute or imply its
endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by Holden Village.
PHOTOS: Ingrid Lindgren
Newsletter edited by Carl Norquist
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