There is an instinct in us for newness for renewal,
for a liberation of creative power.
We seek to awaken in ourselves
a force that really changes our life from within.
And yet this same instinct tell us
That this change is a recovery of that which is deepest,
most original, most personal in ourselves.

–Thomas Merton


Courage To Lead is designed to help persons engaged in a variety of professions discover again their identity as leaders and to embrace courageously the possibility of leading and living from a deep sense of integrity.

Based on the work of Parker Palmer and described in his book A Hidden Wholeness, the program uses a retreat-based, small group model of formation. The program is committed to creating open, disciplined spaces – circles of trust – where participants can discover again the deep connection between role and soul. Participants are invited to listen for their own inner wisdom, participate in a community of mutual respect and to reconnect professional identity and personal integrity.

In Courage work retreat is understood not as a withdrawal or escape from a life we don’t want to live; rather, it is viewed as an opportunity to engage at a deeper level with our own true self and our unique calling. Our lives “back there” are not separate from what we do on retreat, and likewise the benefits of what we do on retreat will have a great impact on our personal and professional lives.

In all retreats, skilled facilitators help create a quiet, focused, and disciplined space—a circle of trust—in which the noise within us and around us can subside and we can begin to hear our own inner voice. In large group, small group, and solitary settings, we explore the intersection of our personal and professional lives, making use of stories from our own journeys, and insights from poets, storytellers, and various wisdom traditions. Clearness Committees, a communal process of discernment around a difficult life or vocational issue, will be offered as part of all retreats.

Our programs renew heart, mind, and spirit. Participants report a deepened sense of purpose and meaning, expanded capacity to listen and be present, an improved ability to build trustworthy relationships, more courage to live authentically, renewed passion for work and a deeper commitment to serving others.

At Kirkridge Retreat and Study Center Courage retreats are offered in three ways.

Introduction to a Circle of Trust:  The Journey Toward an Undivided Life
Introductory retreats focus on the rejoining of soul and role, of reconnecting who we are with what we do. It will provide an experience of all the basic elements of a Courage to Lead retreat.

Introductory Retreat, October 29-31,2009 Enrolment limited to Early Career Pastors (years 1-7)
Leaders: Nathan Kilpatrick and Jean Richardson

Introductory Retreat. Nov 5-7, 2009, Enrolment limited to Seminarians
Leaders: Nathan Kilpatrick and Jean Richardson

Seasonal Retreat Series
“In the course of 20 years of working as a pastor and seeking to help others with the work of connecting role and soul, there have been dramatic changes in the institutions and cultures in which we live and work.  Conversation with colleagues in other professions confirms a widespread feeling that many are walking uncharted and unknown vocational paths.  To remain soulfully alive and professionally enthused, we need communities in which we can practice the art of deep listening.  I am convinced that the Courage to Lead offers just such an opportunity; and thereby plays unique role in the renewal and vitalization of individuals, groups, and institutions.  In an era where we have too much information and stimulation, it will be more and more necessary to protect and nurture inner wisdom.  A Courage to Lead seasonal retreat series can help us do just that.”

Committing to a series retreat is the finest way to experience the depth of this work. Participants come together five times over a period of approximately eighteen months. The Seasonal process enables participants to listen more deeply and make life giving changes in their lives.

Dates for next Seasonal Series:
Oct 23-25, 2009; Feb 5-7, 2010; April 23-25, 2010; June 25-27, 2010 & Oct 8-10, 2010

Leaders: Beverly Coleman, Valerie Brown

Intermediate Retreat: "Honoring the Soul"  Oct 9-11, 2009

Honoring our soul and our role in our daily lives takes "courage" and is not an easy task. For those who have been introduced to "courage" work, this weekend promises to remind us once again of the importance of aligning "who we are with what we do." We will again create a space where participants will reflect, in solitude and small groups, about how they can honor their soul in all aspects of their life. The retreat will also provide opportunities for participants to consider how they can use some of the principles and practices of this approach - practices like the use of poetry and stories from the wisdom traditions as third things- in their own work. This experience will NOT prepare participants to facilitate retreats.

"Honoring the Soul" is designed for those who have participated in a Courage to Lead or Courage to Teach, Seasonal program, a Circle of Trust retreat, or another introductory retreat.

Leadership for Kirkridge Retreats will include one or more of the following leaders: 

Winton Boyd has been Senior Pastor at Orchard Ridge UCC church in Madison, WI since 1999.  In this position and previous positions in Fresno, CA and Minneapolis, MN he has functioned as a retreat leader, conflict mediator, service learning experience coordinator, youth worker, spiritual guide, and political activist.  Winton and his wife Tammy have three high school and college
aged children.

 Valerie Brown
In 2003, Valerie was ordained by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh as a lay member of the Tien Hiep Order. Valerie has trained in holistic spirituality, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and with the Center for Courage and Renewal. She is a certified Kundalini yoga teacher and a frequent teacher at Kirkridge, Pendle Hill and other retreat centers throughout the United States.

Beverly Coleman is an experienced, independent consultant and facilitator. After more than 30 years experience as an educator/social worker, she retired from the public schools in 2002. She now works as a consultant/facilitator to the Center for Courage and renewal and the National Associations of Drug Court Professions. Her educational background as a public secondary school teacher and social worker, supports and maintains her interest and ability to work with various organization and professions as a retreat facilitator.         

Nathan Kilpatrick is managing director of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity School (LE@DD) with a focus on clergy leadership initiatives. In addition to Courage to Serve, he facilitates programs such as the Courage to Serve and the Institute of Preaching, and serves as the director of the Course of Study School. Prior to coming to Duke, Nathan served as a pastor in the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church and still preaches and teaches across the country. An ordained elder, Nathan holds a Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School.

Russ Moxley until April, 2002, was a Senior Fellow at the Center for Creative Leadership, a nonprofit research and educational organization headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina. Now he designs and delivers leadership development workshops in for-profit and nonprofit organizations, coaches executives, does organizational consultation work, and facilitates Courage to Teach/ Courage to Lead/Courage to Serve retreats. In addition, Russ is a well-known public speaker.

  Jean Richardson since 2005 has served as the director of Kirkridge Retreat Center. Prior to this move she spent 10 years on the staff of Ghost Ranch as the Program Director and the Development Director. A trained facilitator of the Center for Courage and Renewal and an ordained Presbyterian minister, she has worked the last 14 years in retreat ministry. Prior to moving into retreat work, Jean served as an urban pastor and as a consultant and adjunct faculty member at San Francisco Theological Seminary.