March 20, 2020 Update: Event CANCELLED due to Covid-19
You are invited to spend five days in the desert with scores of other church leaders, lay and clergy, who long to be midwives in the birthing of God's new things. This is a professional development/renewal event unlike any other.
- In a desert terrain similar geographically to the Holy Land - true 'thin space' with Mt San Jacinto towering over the land - a wall of rock that rises two miles from valley floor to its heights - a purple mountain so imposing that the sun goes down an hour earlier than in surrounding communities.
- Receiving teaching from the Epicenter Group leaders on topics such as A Contemplative Life Stance (Gary Shockley), Discernment and Theory U (Beth Estock), The Rise of the Multi Church (Paul Nixon).
- Spending 1:1 time with a certified spiritual director.
- Sharing in a listening circle with four ministry peers.
- Discovering there are more people wired like you than you may have realized.
- Joining in four distinctive and memorable worship experiences across the week, with music curated by a world class DJ and a communion service built around the art of comedy improv.
- Enjoying great food catered by the famous Lulu California Bistro.
- Sharing in a piano lounge or a martini bar with friends on one day, and experiencing a silent fast on the next.
- Gathering in a world-class resort property, The Saguaro, made available to our group for about 1/3 the high season rates.
- Relishing great conversation with soulful friends, plus optional golf, tennis, hiking, spa treatments and landscape painting classes taught outdoors.
- Receiving 2.0 CEUs at the end of the week!
This is Desert Pilgrimage 2020
I grew up in this magnificent land east of Los Angeles. Then,
having lived outside California for more than forty years, my family and
I bought a home in Palm Springs a few months ago. Now I would like for
others to enjoy the bounty of blessing that God can offer here.
A little backstory: In August 2017, Beth Estock and I threw a similar (prototype) event in Estes Park, Colorado. We called it Weird Church Camp,
drawing from the title of our 2016 book. From those who attended the
Estes Park gathering, we heard: (1) they experienced a major ah ha
related to their ministry and (2) they enjoyed the deep and surprising
sense of community with rather like-minded leaders. (3) they experienced
healing. We are keeping many of the components of Weird Church Camp
and adding new components - most specifically the added day in the
middle for a silent desert fast... in the spirit of our desert-dwelling
faith ancestors.
A few Desert Pilgrimage FAQs:
A few Desert Pilgrimage FAQs:
- How much does it cost? $450 per participant, but an early bird registration of $395 is available until July 31, 2020. Hotel costs are separate, at around $100 per night - or less with a roommate.
- What airport do I fly to? Palm Springs (PSP) is five minutes from our resort or Ontario (ONT) about 75 minutes away for typically $100 less per round trip. If you wish to rent a car anyway, you may prefer Ontario.
- Do I need to rent a car? No. There will be plenty of cars among us, and there is a free shuttle to downtown Palm Springs about two miles away.
- How do I register? Click HERE
- How do I book hotel? (Temporarily unavailable) Please book as soon after event registration as possible due to limited hotel capacity.
- Can the event staff assign a roommate? No - but we can network you with others who may be looking for a roommate.
- Do I have to stay in the Saguaro resort? No - but our group prices are great - so you may not find a better value unless you are staying in the home of a local friend.
- Can I extend my hotel stay to go to Coachella Festival? Yes, but the sooner the better - and plan to pay more for these particular weekend nights.
- Where can I direct other questions or find out more about this event? Please contact us at epicentergroup.dc@gmail.com!
We have several fresh initiatives underway at Epicenter Group - but none that excite me more than Desert Pilgrimage!
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