Cindy Deatherage- Central Region

Prince of Peace Lutheran School’s annual retreat for the Faculty and Staff was on October 23 and 24 at Buttonwood Lodge at Signal Hill Knob ~ A Lutheran Retreat Center in Strasburg VA. 

 Preparation for our time together began last summer.  

Reservations were made and the administrative staff started planning around this year’s theme of “Circles.”

Some creative time together.

God blessed us with a glorious weekend.  The weather was perfect and God’s world was ablaze with autumn colors. Teachers begin arriving late Friday afternoon to the welcoming smells of a home cooked meal of chili, corn bread, salad, hot apple cider and apple crisp. Before dinner, we had time to explore the lodge and time to take a hike across the pasture along the North Fork of the Shenandoah River to an open meadow, where we formed a circle to pray and sang together.

Friday evening started with the Bible Story God Calls Abram, Genesis 12. God called Abram to go. Abram must have met many people on his journey.  God calls us to love one another and to go and make disciples. Using the shape of a spiral and writing tools, we had quiet time to think back over our lives and the people and places that have influenced us on our journey. After sharing our stories, we made fall candles and sang together.  Later we built a fire, played games and took a walk outside to see the shining stars.

Saturday morning we woke to the smell of oatmeal, bacon and scrambled eggs. Cooking always brings people together.  Our morning session started with The Goose Story ~ Thylacine’s Lair.  Working together for the Kingdom of God, supporting each other at school and personally, forgiving, and helping each other is what makes for a strong team. For our staff development we focused on an article Finding Questions Worth Asking, by Ann Pelo ~ differences between teaching to learn and teaching to think. As with young children, one of the most effective learning models for adults is active participation and engagement. Throughout the morning, we encouraged each other to investigate, ask questions and gain knowledge through conversations and interactions with each other.  Just like children, teachers are learners too. Before lunch, we had time to take another walk and to enjoy the beauty and peacefulness of God’s beautiful world.  

Bonnie Hughes, a Three Year Old teacher and our Kindergarten Art teacher at Prince of Peace brought all the materials and supplies needed for each of us to create our own faith collage canvas.  Painting our canvas, tearing pictures and words from old magazines, adding lace or buttons and favorite Bible verses kept us busy until it was time to pack up and head home.  Before we started the journey home we sang. . . “Go now in peace, go now in peace.  May the love of God surround you. Everywhere, everywhere, you may go.” It is a blessing to be in this community of God’s children.

Cindy Deatherage serves as the Principal

of Prince of Peace Lutheran School in Springfield, VA.

We give thanks for her reporting the story of this staff retreat.