Hello Holden,

Fall at Holden is gorgeous and exciting! The September Alumni Weekend brought together long-term staff from every era of Holden. Walks on the tailings and hikes in Railroad Creek Valley offer many Villagers time for contemplation amidst changing seasons and colors. Conversation and joy surrounded cider pressing on the Ark.

In the distance, larches turn Buckskin, Copper, and Dumbbell deep golden orange. The mountain peaks are dusted with snow, accentuating the beauty of winter in the North Cascades. 

Work Week volunteers are winterizing the Village Center, installing insulating covers on every window, and creating the cozy living room in the Dining Hall. We are also grateful to all who supported the Jubilee Auction, contributing over $76,000 to sustain this sacred place for many seasons to come.

We look forward to welcoming you. Register now for the remainder of fall. Celebrate Thanksgiving and the magic of winter at Holden full of reflection, stillness, and celebration.

Faithfully,

Stacy Kitahata, Mark Bach, and Kathie Bach

P.S. We invite your prayer petitions for an Election Day vigil on Tuesday, November 5. Please briefly express your hopes and petitions and send to mark.director@holdenvillage.org. They will be read aloud with the community throughout the day. Meanwhile, the Village continues in community conversation and civic engagement, such as Get Out the Vote postcard writing. Holden Village urges all eligible people to exercise their right to vote during this momentous time in our nation’s history. 

Jubilee Auction!

We are so thankful for the outpouring of generosity from the Holden community during the 2024 Jubilee Auction! Your contributions and winning bids raised over $76,000 to support the work and mission of Holden. That’s still short of our $100,000 goal, so help us reach that goal by contributing to the auction here. 

Some auction fun facts:

• 197 auction participants placed at least one bid and/or made a donation
• 106 items and experiences bid on 
• Auction participants hail from 28 states and provinces
• 94 one-of-a-kind Holden tote bags sold
• After some intense last-minute voting, Gulo Gulo (“Wolverine”) emerged as the name of the newest vehicle!! 352 votes were cast in the naming contest, raising $1,760.00 for the Village

BOTH OF THE FUND-A-NEED INITIATIVES WERE FULLY FUNDED AND RECEIVED THEIR MATCHING GIFTS! 

Woodchipper ($30k goal): $30,345 

Espresso Machine ($7k goal): $7,240

Thank you for connecting from afar and supporting Holden Village. The Jubilee Auction will be back next fall!

If you participated, please fill out this short survey to provide feedback for next year!

Northern Lights at Holden!

The Northern Lights made another gorgeous appearance at Holden last week! Many Villagers gathered on the Tailings to watch.

Check out additional photos on Holden’s social media!

Spiritual Life: Queer Grace

A letter from Abby d'Ambruoso, Village Pastor:

As Village Pastor, I have the privilege of hearing significant stories, often folks recalling how Holden has changed their life. People share that Holden was the first community in which they felt safe, welcome to be fully themselves, the first place they felt comfortable with holding hands with their partner, the first place they wore clothes that matched their gender. Our congregation, Fullness of God Lutheran Church, has been a Reconciling in Christ congregation since April 4, 1985. We continue introducing Villagers to theology and liturgy that affirms the sacredness of all of God's people. Building on sessions in August by the Rev. Bergen Eickhoff, the Village Spiritual Life Assistant, the Rev. Rachel Haxtema, is offering a Bible study: Queering Old Testament Bible Stories. Together we explore new insights into well-known Bible stories: Joseph and the Pretty Princess Dress; Jacob Wrestling with the Angel and a New Name; Ruth and Naomi - Chosen Family; and David and Jonathan - Becoming One Spirit. In conversations holding queerness and the Bible together, the community receives messages of liberation, joy and beauty in these ancient stories.

The Village study utilizes Queer Grace, a curated encyclopedia of information and ideas around the life of LGBTQIA+ people and Christian faith. Use the button below to learn more.

We hope to offer a safe space full of resources for all those navigating their journey in the church.

Abby d'Ambruoso, Village Pastor

Spend Thanksgiving at Holden!

Come to Holden to transform your Thanksgiving traditions. Enjoy vegetarian or traditional options and join in the fun of Holden's Thanksgiving PIE PALOOZA!

A feast meal with all of the trimmings is the pinnacle of the celebration. Beloved teaching faculty and Shackan First Nations leader the Rev. Rachel (Gemba’teh) Taber-Hamilton will lead sessions on redeeming Thanksgiving by following Indigenous wisdom and offering meaningful moments for contemplation and gratitude. Other fun festivities include the Copper Bowl Football game and commercials, Tatonka Trot 5k, and bonfire. Depending on the amount of snow in the Village, there may be some silly sledding opportunities!

Cider Pressing

New Podcast Episode

In the midst of the energy and excitement of Abriendo Caminos, two of our teaching faculty, Emilie Teresa Smith and Armando Marquez Ochoa, and their friend Flor de Marquez, representing SICSAL (International Christian Service of Solidarity with the Peoples of Latin America). Co-Director Kathie Bach discussed the Church, Holden, and social justice.

Holden Store Feedback

If you are interested in shopping at the Holden Store (in-person or online), please take a few minutes to share your input in order to help us plan for the coming year. Thank you!

Live at Holden

Join the Holden team and experience a community and work environment like no other!

Open Positions:

Services Associate (1 year)

Maverick (2+ weeks)

Fire Safety Tech (1 year)

Registrar (1 year)

Director for Advancement (2+ years)

Donor Relations and Database Coordinator (1 year)

The Holden Board welcomes applicants for Executive Director. The primary responsibility of the Executive Director(s) is to nurture the Village’s Mission, Vision, and Values, animating them and keeping them central to Village life and work.

Tax-Free Ira Distributions

A special note to all Holden retirees: Did you know that when you turn 70½, you are eligible to make charitable gifts from your IRA without the distribution counting as taxable income? It’s called a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) and it’s a wonderful way to give directly to Holden Village from your traditional or Roth IRA. QCDs can be arranged through your financial advisor or the firm that holds your IRA accounts. You can also set up a QCD to Holden to occur automatically each year.

Consider giving before Dec. 15 to beat the end-of-year rush for IRA custodians and help ensure that your gift can count for the current tax year.

Reference herein to any specific commercial products or services does not necessarily constitute or imply its

endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by Holden Village.



PHOTOS: Elli Vegdahl-Crowell, Berit Kirkegaard, Anny Joy Berntsen, Kate Rose