Winter Retreat
February 24 – 26 | Lake Waubesa Bible Camp
Winter Retreat is a great way to take a break from your normal routine and enjoy some time away from campus with friends! We eat, play, and make memories together while holding space for spiritual reflection and conversation. Whether you are brand new to Pres House or have been a part of the community for years, Winter Retreat is one of the best ways to build relationships at Pres House.
The registration fee is $70. However, if this is your first Pres House retreat, you will automatically receive a $10 discount. Scholarships are available if you are unable to pay the full cost of the retreat; please contact Nii Addo if you need a scholarship. The deadline to register is February 20.
*** All participants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and receive a negative COVID test 48 hours before February 24.
FAQ’s
Fall Retreat is in McFarland at Lake Waubesa Bible Camp, a 20-minute drive from campus. The rooms are dormitory style with bunk beds (2-4 people per room). There are two shared bathrooms with multiple sinks, stalls, and curtained showers. All the meals are cooked on-site and served family style.
During free time, there are lots of fun activities to choose from: basketball, frisbee, paddling (kayaks & canoes), hiking, and more.
Please note that this schedule is subject to change. We give everyone an updated schedule at the retreat.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24
5:15 ~ Meet at Pres House
6:00 ~ Arrive at Lake Waubesa Bible Camp
6:30 ~ Dinner
7:15 ~ Session 1
7:45 ~ Small Groups
9:00 ~ Free Time
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25
8:15 ~ Breakfast
9:00 ~ Session 2
10:00 ~ Break
10:30 ~ Small Groups
12:30 ~ Lunch
1:30 ~ Free Time
6:00 ~ Dinner
7:00 ~ Session 3
8:00 ~ Small Groups
9:00 ~ Free Time
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26
8:15 ~ Breakfast
9:00 ~ Session 4
10:00 ~ Closing
11:00 ~ Pack up and Depart
12:00 ~ Back in Madison
4:30 ~ Worship at Pres House
Brooke Matejka will be our guest speaker and facilitator for our retreat. The retreat topic is “Poetic Tools for Religious Imagination.” Read more about Brooke below!
Brooke Matejka (she/her) is a 4th-year graduate student at Princeton Seminary, focusing her studies on gender, sexuality, spiritual formation, and theology. She learned a love for poetry and prose at Missouri State University, where she studied religion and creative writing. She is interested in exploring questions of the sacred through creative practices in community. She has previously taught creative writing as a chaplain on an eating disorder recovery unit. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys what she considers the basic trio of a good time: live music, a good film, and good food with friends. You can read some of her writing here.
- Clothing:
- Clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty (on Saturday afternoon, we have lots of free time to play: cross-country skiing, hiking, sledding, etc.)
- Warm clothes for sitting/playing outside (weather permitting, we will have a campfire on Friday and/or Saturday evening)
- Comfortable shoes
- Check the forecast!
- Toiletries (shampoo, soap, toothbrush, etc.)
- Personal items (medications, etc.)
- Water bottle
- Journal (if you have one)
- You do not need to bring bed linens, a pillow, or a towel; the retreat center provides those.
- Please DO NOT bring alcohol, drugs, controlled substances, fireworks, firearms, or weapons of any kind (this includes pocket knives).
You’re not alone! There is free time on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon if you need to work. But we also encourage everyone to put down the books if they can. It’s important to make time for rest and play! Just ask Kevin (or anyone else who’s been to a Pres House retreat).
Registration Deadline: February 20
You should receive a confirmation email after submitting your registration. If you do not receive a confirmation email, your registration was not successful. If this happens, the first thing you should do is check the registration box again to make sure you filled out your registration correctly. If your registration was filled out correctly and you still did not receive a confirmation email, please contact Nii Addo (nii@preshouse.org).
The registration deadline has passed. This form is no longer available.