Sketching as Prayer  Retreat

You are invited to give yourself an afternoon to slow down and reflect, as we together open our eyes to see God's sustaining presence in a world that sometimes seems to have gone haywire. We will have times of solitude and times to connect, albeit virtually, so we can encourage one another by our individual glimpses of the holy in the ordinary.

Details: Looking to do this quarterly
Saturday, January 30, 2021
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Zoom Online Retreat
We will alternate brief presentations via Zoom with periods of silence for meditation, prayer, and sketching, followed by opportunities to share thoughts, observations, and sketches. 

In this retreat we will open our sketchbooks, eyes and hearts to God's presence in His creation. We will cover some basics of sketching to capture the essence of a subject and to help us look with eyes of faith into the world to see God's touch all around us, as we enter into prayer through the pages of a sketchbook.

Artistic experience is not necessary and there is no fee, but you will need a few supplies. Email Melissa Fischer (melissafischerartist@gmail.com) for more details and to let her know you will participate.

THE PARK

Nature is one of God's beautiful creations. Through nature, God is able to teach us, speak to us, and provide for us. For this reason, we can find in scripture that we humans are called to protect all which is of He has created.


Job 12:7-10

7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; 8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you; 9 Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? 10 In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.


Activities (as scheduled)


  • nature trail

    Enjoy our 1/4 mile nature trail around our property. Take a walk and enjoy nature and bird walking. Stop at intervals to meditate on our benches.

  • paint and sip

    Enjoy an evening with our artists painting and sipping a beverage. Last year we did paintings of Van Gogh Starry Night.

  • Chess night

    Play against a chess champion as he plays up to 20 people at a time in a round-robin fashion. 

  • Movie night

    Enjoy a movie evening. Last year we watched Up. Popcorn and drinks are provided.

  • Game night

    Enjoy a night of games and puzzle making. Chess, checkers, jenga, 

  • Basketball

    Enjoy or outdoor courts for a game of basketball.We also have an indoor basket if it rains. We have had several competitions of free throw shooting.

  • Volleyball

    Enjoy our outdoor volleyball court.

  • large chess set

    Enjoy our large chess set indoor or outdoors.  A large board is provided.

  • Magic show

    We had a local magician or illusionist entertain us with various tricks.

  • Pot luck dinners

    We enjoy eating and fellowship.  We have had chili cookoffs in the past along with many pot lucks after the worship service.

  • BOOK cLUB (coming soon)

    A book club with a mix of Immanuel people and neighbors from the area and beyond in order to grow relationships over shared reading and discussion. With a focus on memoir as a genre, since that involves real-life stories that people can relate to and often involves grappling with challenging situations of some sort that result in character growth. This could open doors to more authentic sharing and opportunities to encourage one another and to be encouraged.


    Meeting monthly or possibly every other month, initially via Zoom, and would ideally like to have 8-12 members of the book club. We would start by emailing a list of possible memoirs to members of the club and make a decision on which to read based on feedback. For meetings we would have some basic discussion questions, but discussion will most likely flow fairly freely as people get to know one another.