Institute Retreat | "To See a World in a Grain of Sand" with Makoto Fujimura
2025-12-12 18:00 - 2025-12-14 14:00 (America/New_York) | Princeton, NJ, NJ, 08540, United States
Join us this December for a reflective retreat led by Goldenwood Institute Dean Makoto Fujimura.
We will explore the creative process and the power of attentiveness through the lens of his latest work, Art Is: A Journey into the Light. Drawing on the insight of poet William Blake, we’ll consider how the natural world can awaken our senses—inviting us to “see the world in a grain of sand.”
This gathering is for anyone longing to see more clearly and listen more deeply in a world full of noise.
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Details:
Weekend Schedule:

Friday December 12, 7:30p-9:30p: Opening Session, with optional Welcome Drinks + light bites beforehand.
Saturday December 13, 9:00a-9:00p: Full day of structured group and personal time, including discussions, contemplation, an afternoon public lecture (“Do Science & the Imagination Have Anything in Common?: How Wonder in the History of Science Helps Us See Our World Anew”) with Makoto Fujimura & Kerry Magruder and moderated by David Kim, and a private post-lecture dinner and talkback.
Sunday December 14: Morning listening time, worship service and viewing of Mako’s work at All Saints’ Princeton followed by group debrief, departure midday.

Location: Princeton, NJ (exact address provided after registration)
Cost: Choose your Tier – A Pricing Model Rooted in Generosity & Relationship
At Goldenwood, we believe in a gift economy—where our work and giving is not transactional but part of a relational and generative system. Like a root network, where some trees bear more fruit in one season and others in another, this pricing approach allows for a shared ecosystem of flourishing—some contribute more so that others may receive, and all are sustained together.
Our tiered pricing model reflects this, allowing participants to contribute at a level that aligns with their capacity while supporting the mission to see work revived by love. We invite you to participate in a way that reflects your own season and capacity.

1. Full Value (Sustainable Tier) – $1000 + accommodations
Reflects the true cost and value—while balancing affordability—including the unseen work that makes this a meaningful and transformative experience. Includes a signed copy of Art Is, several meals, public lecture, retreat sessions, & materials. Does not include lodging; see info below.
2. Covering Costs (Supported Tier) – $850 + accommodations
Covers only the essentials—venues, facilitators, meals, materials—ensuring the program is financially viable. Includes a signed copy of Art Is, several meals, public lecture, retreat sessions, & materials. Does not include lodging; see info below.
3. Generative Giving – $1250 (or choose amount) + accommodations
Goes beyond covering costs, helping make our programs accessible to others and investing in the long-term flourishing of this work. Includes a signed copy of Art Is, several meals, public lecture, retreat sessions, & materials. Does not include lodging; see info below.

Lodging: Your retreat registration includes several of the group meals and all retreat materials, but does not include lodging. We have a room block and group rate ($169-$189 per night) reserved at the Princeton Marriott at Forrestal, details provided at registration.

REGISTER HERE

Space is limited for this retreat. Registration will close once at capacity.
Interested, but can’t join for the entire weekend? Join the Public Lecture on Saturday afternoon only. Info & Tickets here.
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About your Guides:
Makoto Fujimura, Dean of Nature for the Goldenwood Institute, is an internationally renowned painter, cultural thought leader, and author whose work sits at the intersection of art, faith, and nature. An influential voice in both the art world and the broader cultural landscape, Makoto has authored several acclaimed books, including Art+Faith: A Theology of Making, Silence and Beauty, and Refractions: A Journey of Faith, Art, and Culture. Through his writings and paintings, he invites readers and viewers alike to explore the profound connections between creativity, spirituality, culture, and the natural world.
As a leading practitioner of Nihonga, an ancient Japanese painting technique that uses natural materials such as minerals, gold, and silver, Makoto’s work is deeply informed by his reverence for nature. His art captures the intricate beauty of creation, drawing attention to the subtle details of the natural world and offering a meditative space to reflect on life’s deeper meanings.
Beyond his contributions as an artist, Makoto is a cultural thought leader who speaks passionately about the role of creativity in society. His work challenges contemporary notions of utility and productivity, advocating instead for a culture that values beauty, contemplation, and the nurturing of the human spirit. As the founder of the Fujimura Institute, IAM Culture Care, and a former Presidential appointee to the National Council on the Arts, Makoto has influenced a wide array of disciplines, from education to public policy, with his vision of cultural renewal through the arts.

David Kim is the CEO and co-founder of Goldenwood and Institute Dean of Spiritual Imagination. Over the past several decades, Rev. Dr. David Kim has trained, consulted, and counseled hundreds of leaders and organizations in developing a robust, meaningful integration of faith and work. David’s past experiences as VP of Faith and Work, Executive Director of the Center for Faith & Work, Director of the Gotham Fellowship, and editor of the NIV Faith and Work Bible have given him a breadth of exposure to the challenges of integrating faith and work. His expertise as a key thought-leader in the faith and work space has been well-established having addressed prominent institutions and churches around the world. David’s passion is to help people and organizations see the unseen realities that give rise to the world we create.

Institute | Why Wonder in the History of Science Helps Us See Our World Anew, with Makoto Fujimura and Kerry Magruder
2025-12-13 14:30 - 16:30 | Gambrell Room, Scheide Hall, 64 Mercer St, Princeton, NJ, 08540
A Conversation with Makoto Fujimura and Kerry Magruder
Moderated by David Kim

REGISTER NOW

What do science and the imagination share? From the depths of geological time to the frontiers of artificial intelligence, both invite us to look at the world with wonder—and to ask what it means to be human within it.
In this conversation, artist and writer Makoto Fujimura and historian of science Kerry Magruder explore how the history of scientific discovery—from early evangelical geologists to Charles Darwin—reveals a vision of the world shaped not by control, but by curiosity, faith, and awe. Together, they will consider how that same posture of wonder might help us see anew in an age increasingly defined by data and design.
Moderated by David Kim, this event invites all—scientists, artists, theologians, and seekers alike—to join a dialogue at the intersection of faith, imagination, and the making of meaning.
Goldenwood thanks our friends at the Center for Contemplative Leadership for their hospitality and sponsorship of this event.

Details
Date: Saturday, December 13, 2025
Time:
2:00 pm | Doors open
2:30 – 4:00 pm | Moderated Discussion and Q&A
4:00 – 4:45 pm | Book Signing and Reception
Location: Gambrell Room, Scheide Hall at Princeton Theological Seminary

Tickets & Registration
Join us for this special public lecture!

$40 | Lecture + Signed BookAdmission to the lecture and reception, plus a copy of Art Is: A Journey into the Light, by Makoto Fujimura, with an opportunity for the author to sign the book during the reception.
$20 | Lecture OnlyAdmission to the lecture and reception.
$10 | Student Ticket
Admission to the lecture and reception (book sold separately).

REGISTER NOW

Meet the Speakers
Makoto Fujimura, Dean of Nature for the Goldenwood Institute, is an internationally renowned painter, cultural thought leader, and author whose work sits at the intersection of art, faith, and nature. Makoto has authored several acclaimed books, including Art Is: A Journey into the Light, Art+Faith: A Theology of Making, Silence and Beauty, and Refractions: A Journey of Faith, Art, and Culture. Through his writings and paintings, he invites readers and viewers alike to explore the profound connections between creativity, spirituality, culture, and the natural world.
As a leading practitioner of Nihonga, an ancient Japanese painting technique that uses natural materials such as minerals, gold, and silver, Makoto’s work is deeply informed by his reverence for nature. His art captures the intricate beauty of creation, drawing attention to the subtle details of the natural world and offering a meditative space to reflect on life’s deeper meanings.
Makoto is also a cultural thought leader who speaks passionately about the role of creativity in society. His work challenges contemporary notions of utility and productivity, advocating instead for a culture that values beauty, contemplation, and the nurturing of the human spirit. As the founder of the Fujimura Institute, IAMCultureCare, and a former Presidential appointee to the National Council on the Arts, Makoto has influenced a wide array of disciplines, from education to public policy, with his vision of cultural renewal through the arts.

Kerry V. Magruder serves as Curator of the History of Science Collections of the University of Oklahoma Libraries. He has been a faculty member of the OU Department of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine since 2000, and received the John and Drusa Cable Chair of the History of Science Collections in 2011.
He earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in biology and science education from Truman State University in Missouri, and a masters in library science and a doctorate in history of science from OU. His background includes teaching high school chemistry and biology, directing a university planetarium, and teaching university courses in biology, astronomy, geology, science education, and history of science.
Magruder has researched and presented scholarly talks at many academic conferences, universities, and research labs in the United States, Canada, England, Scotland, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Italy. Presentations in America include at the Fermi Lab accelerator in the Chicago area and NASA headquarters in Langley, VA; invited keynote presentations for annual international conferences of the IEEE Computer Society on Visualization (IEEE VIZ) and the Astronomical League (AL); and astronomy/physics programs at New Mexico State, Michigan State, and Florida State; among many venues in the history of science.
Magruder’s published articles deal with the history of geology, astronomy and cosmology, and science and religion. For example, two publications touching upon all of these subject areas are “Jesuit Science after Galileo: The Cosmology of Gabriele Beati,” Centaurus 2009, 51: 189-212; and “The Idiom of a Six Day Creation and Global Depictions in Theories of the
Earth,” in Martina Kölb-Ebert, ed., Geology and Religion: Historical Views of an Intense Relationship between Harmony and Hostility, Geological Society of London Special Publications, no. 310 (London: The Geological Society of London, 2009), 49-66.
Magruder has curated major exhibitions in the history of science at OU, including “Darwin at the Museum” in 2009-2010 and “Galileo’s World” in 2015-2016. Past digital projects include contributions to Galileotheca (Museo Galileo, Florence); Darwin Online (Cambridge); and Edition Open Sources (Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin). Ongoing digital projects include the Thomas F. Torrance Oral History Project, the Thomas F. Torrance Theological Fellowship, the George MacDonald Society (forthcoming), and The Sky Tonight.
In 2025, Magruder serves as the Editor for the International Commission for the History of Geological Sciences (INHIGEO) of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), and the Chair for the History, Philosophy, and Geoheritage Division (HPGD) of the Geological Society of America (GSA).

Meet the Moderator
Rev. Dr. David Kim is the CEO and co-founder of Goldenwood, a non-profit cultivating spiritually attentive communities to envision work enlivened by hope and the fullness of our humanity. Over the past several decades, David has trained, consulted, and counseled hundreds of leaders and organizations in developing a robust, meaningful integration of faith and work. He has served as the Vice President of Faith and Work, Executive Director of the Center for Faith & Work and Director of the Gotham Fellowship, and as Editor of the NIV Faith and Work Bible. David’s passion is to help people and organizations see the unseen realities that give rise to the world we create.

Living Stones Leadership Lab | Enlivening Emerging Managers
2026-01-01
Rooted in Love. Growing in Wisdom. Leading with Impact.

[Registration for the Fall-Winter cohort is closed. Please click here to express interest in the next cohort and receive updates when those dates are announced.]
Stepping Into Leadership, Grounded in Purpose
You’ve excelled in your craft—you’ve been the go-to engineer, the teacher everyone trusts, the healthcare worker who shows up early and stays late, the nonprofit staffer carrying quiet excellence. Then one day, someone says: “You should lead.”
Suddenly, the questions come rushing in: Am I ready? Can I guide others with the same excellence I’ve brought to my own work? How do I lead without losing my soul in the process?
This is where the Living Stones Leadership Lab comes in: a five-month, in-person leadership journey designed for those at this very crossroads.
A brand new offering developed in collaboration with Ben Grizzle and Belinda Neal (Managing Directors, Goldman Sachs) for those transitioning from individual contributor to people manager or team leader in their vocation (paid or unpaid), this experience will help you build the skills, confidence, and spiritual grounding to lead teams with clarity, courage, and care.
The Leadership Lab provides a space to grow in community with a curated cohort of peers within and across industries while also gaining focused mentorship, skills-based learning, and practical wisdom from experienced leaders as you navigate this uniquely pivotal moment in your vocational journey.
Leadership ability doesn’t arrive with a title—it’s formed through practice, reflection, and relationship. Whether you’re leading your first team, preparing for your next role, or seeking to grow as a manager, join a fellowship rooted in faith, grounded in wisdom, and built for the moment you’re stepping into now.

What Fellows Can Expect: A Transformative Structure

Kickoff Leadership Summit: Launch your fellowship with a dynamic, in-person gathering featuring keynote talks and fireside chats with senior industry leaders.
Bi-Weekly Cohort Meetings (in-person, 8x total): Small peer groups (8 people) from diverse sectors (finance, tech, nonprofits, healthcare, education, etc.) meet to workshop real leadership challenges, share honest reflections, and support one another’s growth.
Mentor Dinners (3x total): Share a meal in an intimate setting with your cohort and mentor, a seasoned leader within their vocation. Ask candid questions, gain wisdom from their journeys, and build meaningful connections.
Devotional Journey & Spiritual Formation (Ongoing): Engage with a custom devotional guide designed to ground your leadership in love, stillness, and Scripture. This five-month rhythm of reflection invites you to lead with depth in a city that prizes expediency. It is for those who want to cultivate love rather than control, to build something eternal even in the spaces of deadlines, policies, and performance reviews.
Skills-based Workshops & Fireside Chats (Optional): Focused on essential leadership skills like delegation, strategic communication, vision-casting, and giving feedback.
Final Gathering – The Legacy Session: Reflect on the journey, hear from senior leaders on long-term impact, and celebrate with your cohort.

Key Themes You’ll Explore

Making the shift from contributor to leader
Building trust and safety on your team
Communicating with clarity and conviction
Resolving conflict and leading through change
Leading with purpose, not just performance
Discerning your leadership legacy

What You’ll Gain

Practical Leadership Skills: Build essential management capabilities through interactive workshops and real-world case studies.
Peer Insight Across Industries: Learn alongside emerging leaders from other fields—and gain new perspective of your own.
Faith-Rooted Reflection: Reflect on leadership through the lens of timeless principles—drawing from Scripture and thinkers like Augustine, who explored the tension between the City of God and the City of Man. This foundational framework will help you wrestle with what it means to lead faithfully and effectively within complex systems, balancing eternal values with real-world demands.
Mentorship & Cross-Industry Connections: Connect with experienced mentors across a variety of industries—as well as peers from your own sector.
Cohort Community: Walk with a group of peers navigating similar transitions, challenges, and opportunities.

Who Should Apply
This fellowship is designed for professionals who:

Are stepping into (or preparing for) their first or second management or team leadership role
Want to lead with greater clarity, integrity, and spiritual grounding
Are open to learning from peers across industries
Value a safe space for honest reflection and skill-building
Live in the tri-state area and can travel for the various in-person weeknight and weekend gatherings (exact locations TBD, likely in & around Midtown Manhattan)

Logistics & Format

Location: In-person gatherings in NYC (venues TBD)
Timeline: 5 months (dates for next cohort to be announced)
Cohorts: 4–5 groups of ~8 participants each, led by a mentor
Cost: to be announced

*We are committed to making Living Stones Leadership Lab accessible. If cost is a barrier, full and partial scholarships are available—no one will be turned away due to financial need.

Application Process

Step 1: Submit the Fellowship Application Tell us about your career journey, leadership goals, and what you’re hoping to grow in.
Step 2: Acceptance Notification & Cohort Matching Accepted participants will be matched into peer groups that balance industry experience, goals, and complementary strengths.
Step 3: Prepare for the Kickoff Summit You’ll receive further logistical info and a warm welcome from your hosts.

Please click here to express interest in the next cohort and receive a notification when registration is open.
Questions? Email info@goldenwoodnyc.org with “Living Stones Leadership Lab” in the subject line.

Meet the Hosts
Ben Grizzle & Belinda Neal | Managing Directors, Goldman Sachs
With decades of experience mentoring leaders on Wall Street and in ministry contexts, Ben and Belinda bring depth, wisdom, and a calling to form leaders who serve with conviction and clarity. Their vision: to cultivate the next generation of managers who lead with integrity and leave a lasting legacy.

David Kim | CEO and Co-Founder, Goldenwood

Over the past several decades, Rev. Dr. David Kim has trained, consulted, and counseled hundreds of leaders and organizations in developing a robust, meaningful integration of faith and work. David’s past experiences as VP of Faith and Work, Executive Director of the Center for Faith & Work, Director of the Gotham Fellowship, and editor of the NIV Faith and Work Bible have given him a breadth of exposure to the challenges of integrating faith and work. His expertise as a key thought-leader in the faith and work space has been well-established having addressed prominent institutions and churches around the world. David’s passion is to help people and organizations see the unseen realities that give rise to the world we create.
Goldenwood
Goldenwood cultivates spiritually attentive communities to envision work that is enlivened by hope and expresses the fullness of our humanity. A nonprofit organization, Goldenwood fosters life-giving spiritual rhythms through individual and communal programs, as well as unconventional organizational consulting. Their vision is to see work revived by love.

Trellis: Guided Spiritual Rhythms | Loving in Exile
2026-02-01 19:45 - 2026-02-14 23:00 | Virtual
In a culture that prizes independence, we can forget that we are made for one another. As image-bearers of the Triune God, our lives are deeply interwoven—our identity, our growth, and even our calling take shape in relationship with others. God often speaks through the people He places around us, shaping us and inviting us into redemptive love.
This Trellis invites you to reflect on the question: Who are the others God has given me, and what calling do I carry toward them? Together we will explore how love—grounded in God’s love for us—becomes the rhythm that transforms our daily interactions and communities.
Over these two weeks, you’ll practice prayer forms that nurture a conversational walk with God and attune your heart to His voice. Trellis provides a framework of spiritual rhythms and a supportive community where you can listen, discern, and be renewed.
Through shared practices and intentional reflection, we’ll rediscover that love is not merely an emotion but a way of life—rooted in God’s presence and lived out in the ordinary patterns of our days.
REGISTER HERE
[Goldenwood Collective Members: Sign-up here. Because listening for God’s voice together is foundational to fueling the vision and mission of the Collective, Trellis is included in your membership. Interested in joining the Collective and participating in all Trellis sessions for free? Learn more here.]
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The TRELLIS structure includes:

1 Intro Session: Sun Feb 1, 7:45-9p EST. (Online experience for theological introduction and time in listening quads. Recorded for those who cannot join live.)
6 Communal Guided Listening Sessions: every Mon, Wed, and Fri 12:35-1:00p EST, during the weeks of Feb 2 and Feb 9. (Attend live or listen to the 25-min recordings at personal set times.)
Daily Scripture Meditation and Exercise Pages: Individually in your Listening Book. (Participants are provided with a digital PDF or can order their own physical copy online via Amazon.)

The communal practices of Trellis are designed to gently interrupt ordinary routines, creating openings for deeper attentiveness to the God who renews and restores. And because they can be entered into wherever you are, the journey meets you right in the midst of daily life.
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“If a vine doesn’t have a trellis, it will die. And if your life with Jesus doesn’t have some kind of structure to facilitate health and growth, it will wither away…The point of a trellis isn’t to make the vines stand up straight in neat rows, but rather to attain a rich, deep glass of wine.”
— John Mark Comer, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

Justice Film Festival | NYC
2026-02-24 13:00 - 2026-02-26 23:30
Goldenwood is honored to sponsor the 16th annual Justice Film Festival, running February 24-26, 2026 in NYC. The Justice Film Festival is the premier showcase for films that shine a light on social justice and affirm the dignity of all people.
We’re especially excited to celebrate the work of Andy Peterson, a 2023 Dream Forum alum, who founded JFF in 2012 to create a platform for redemptive stories of marginalized people and ecosystems bravely overcoming challenges and bringing hope, compassion, and light to a world in need of inspiration.
Film has a unique power to make the invisible visible—to illuminate injustice, surface beauty, and call forth courageous love. This festival is an invitation to cultivate that kind of attentiveness together. Join us at this annual gathering of filmmakers, creatives, and all who believe that storytelling can renew our imagination and reawaken hope.

What You’ll Receive as Part of the Goldenwood Community:
50% Off Festival PassReceive an exclusive code for 50% off a Justice Film Festival pass. We’ll send you the code once you let us know you’re coming (info below), and then you’ll use the code to purchase a pass on the JFF website.
A Curated Festival ExperienceWith your pass, we encourage you to attend as many screenings as you can. Below are a few we’re particularly excited about, featuring members of our Goldenwood ecosystem.
Invitation to the Filmmaker After-PartyTop off your festival experience by joining us Thursday evening at the filmmaker wrap party for a drink and conversation. This will be a relaxed space to mingle, reflect, and build meaningful connections with those shaping culture through story.

Featured Screenings to Highlight
Weds 2/24 at 1:00-3:00 PM — Live Action Shorts block
featuring HOLD
Written by and starring Kelly Strandemo (Nautilus alum), and produced by Stephen Bailey (Director of Dream Cultivation, Nautilus alum) and Colleen Castle (Director of Institute Creative & Community, Nautilus alum).
This short film block showcases storytelling that lingers in the tension between fragility and strength—echoing Goldenwood’s conviction that hope often emerges through vulnerability.
Weds 2/24 at 6:30-9:00 PM – I WAS A STRANGER Feature Film
with Mary Baldwin speaking beforehand
The evening screening will kick off with Mary Baldwin, a Dream Forum alum, sharing about her Athens-based jewelry company and the redemptive imagination guiding her work.
This is a powerful example of what happens when faith, creativity, and leadership converge—not simply to build products, but to cultivate ecosystems of renewal.
Thurs 2/26 at 3:30-5:30 PM — HANDMADE FUTURE Feature Film
with filmmaker Q&A moderated by Stephen Bailey
Join us for a screening of Handmade Future, followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers moderated by Stephen Bailey. This conversation will explore craftsmanship, vocation, and the deeper currents shaping our economic and creative systems.
In a world shaped by speed and scale, this film invites us to slow down and consider what it means to make with care—and to build futures rooted in dignity and justice.

Register Today
Justice and beauty are not separate realities—they are intertwined. The Justice Film Festival is one small but meaningful way we can participate in that by listening deeply, honoring the stories and dignity of people, and imagining a more just and hope-filled future.
We hope you’ll join us.
To let us know you’re coming, email colleen@goldenwoodnyc.org. We’ll send you the 50% discount code to use on the Justice Film Festival website to secure your pass and begin planning your screenings.

Trellis: Guided Spiritual Rhythms | Hidden Hope
2026-03-08 19:45 - 2026-03-21 23:00 | Virtual
Hope often begins in hidden places. The book of Esther reminds us that even when God seems unseen, His presence is quietly shaping lives, communities, and history itself. This Trellis invites you into a two-week “Listening Journey” to reimagine your work and calling through that lens of God’s hidden-yet-active presence.

Week 1: Journeying in an Enchanted Frame — Learning to notice God’s subtle movements in the ordinary patterns of our days.
Week 2: Listening to the Pains of the World — Attending to both personal and communal pain, and discovering how it can become soil for renewal and transformation.

Through Scripture, prayer, reflection, and guided practices, we’ll slow our pace, step into kairos time, and cultivate a deeper awareness of God’s presence in the midst of our work and routines.
Trellis provides both structure and community to help you listen for God’s voice, integrate life-giving rhythms, and renew your sense of calling. Enter this season of Lent with practices that open space for hope—a hope that is rooted not in our striving, but in the faithful presence of the God who works all things toward redemption.
The Trellis structure includes:

1 Intro Session: Sun Mar 8, 7:45-9p EST. (Online experience for theological introduction and time in listening quads. Recorded for those who cannot join live.)
6 Communal Guided Listening Sessions: every Mon, Wed, and Fri 12:20-12:45p EST, during the weeks of Mar 9 and Mar 16. (Attend live or listen to the 25-min recordings at personal set times.)
Daily Scripture Meditation and Exercise Pages: Individually in your Listening Book. (Participants are provided with a digital PDF or can order their own physical copy online via Amazon.)

The communal practices of Trellis are designed to gently interrupt ordinary routines, creating openings for deeper attentiveness to the God who renews and restores. And because they can be entered into wherever you are, the journey meets you right in the midst of daily life.
REGISTER HERE
[Goldenwood Collective Members: Sign-up here. Because listening for God’s voice together is foundational to fueling the vision and mission of the Collective, Trellis is included in your membership. Interested in joining the Collective and participating in all Trellis sessions for free? Learn more here.]

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“If a vine doesn’t have a trellis, it will die. And if your life with Jesus doesn’t have some kind of structure to facilitate health and growth, it will wither away…The point of a trellis isn’t to make the vines stand up straight in neat rows, but rather to attain a rich, deep glass of wine.”
— John Mark Comer, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

Institute Retreat | Crafting Poems of Beauty & Power
2026-03-20 18:00 - 2026-03-22 12:00 | Clearwater Lodge, Newport, WA, 99156, United States
An invitation to return to the page—and to the presence of God.
REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED.
If you’d like to join the waitlist, please provide your info here and we will reach out should any spots open up!
Join us for a two-day retreat at a beautiful lodge set on the edge of a lake just outside Spokane, WA. This gathering isn’t only for poets, but for anyone longing to awaken or rekindle their own creativity. Whether you’ve written for years, dabbled in journaling, or never thought of yourself as a “creative person,” this retreat is a welcoming space to explore the creativity inherent in all people.
Led by acclaimed poet and professor Shann Ray, this space and time will allow us to explore how language can hold what is often unspeakable: awe, sorrow, memory, and the nearness of the sacred. Rooted in the belief that we are God’s poema (Ephesians 2:10), this retreat blends creative exploration with spiritual attentiveness. And in an age increasingly shaped by AI, the call to nurture human creativity has never been more vital. Drawing inspiration from Emily Dickinson, who turned the everyday into the eternal, you’ll be challenged to take what you see and feel and craft lines alive with meaning. Through guided sessions around the fireplace and spacious time to reflect and write, you can expect to create 2–4 original pieces while learning to listen more deeply to your surroundings, to yourself, and to God.
Come not to perform, but to be present to your own unfolding words, to the voices of others, and to the God who meets us in metaphor, memory, and mystery. Space is limited, reserve your spot today!

Details:
Dates: March 20-22, 2025 | Starts Friday at 6pm with a welcome dinner and ends Sunday by 12pm after breakfast and a closing session.
Location: Clearwater Lodge, Newport, WA (45 minutes north of Spokane, WA)
Cost: Choose your Tier – A Pricing Model Rooted in Generosity & Relationship
At Goldenwood, we believe in a gift economy—where our work and giving is not transactional but part of a relational and generative system. Like a root network, where some trees bear more fruit in one season and others in another, this pricing approach allows for a shared ecosystem of flourishing—some contribute more so that others may receive, and all are sustained together.
Our tiered pricing model reflects this, allowing participants to contribute at a level that aligns with their capacity while supporting the mission to see work revived by love. We invite you to participate in a way that reflects your own season and capacity.
1. Full Value (Sustainable Tier) – $620 + choice of accommodations
Reflects the true cost and value while balancing affordability, including the unseen work that makes this a meaningful and transformative experience. Includes all retreat sessions, materials, meals, and accommodations (to select your type of room, see info below). Includes access to optional snowshoeing and hiking at the lodge, weather permitting. Does not include travel or transportation.
2. Covering Costs (Supported Tier) – $520 + choice of accommodations
Covers only the essentials—venues, facilitators, meals, materials—ensuring the program is financially viable. Includes all retreat sessions, materials, meals, and accommodations (to select your type of room, see info below). Includes access to optional snowshoeing and hiking at the lodge, weather permitting. Does not include travel or transportation.
3. Generative Giving – $720+ (or choose amount) + choice of accommodations
Goes beyond covering costs, helping make our programs accessible to others and investing in the long-term flourishing of this work. Includes all retreat sessions, materials, meals, and accommodations (to select your type of room, see info below). Includes access to optional snowshoeing and hiking at the lodge, weather permitting. Does not include travel or transportation.

Accommodations: When registering on the next page, choose your preferred accommodations. All rooms have a private bathroom and lake view, and linens & towels are provided.

Single occupancy room: +$80
Double: +$40 per person (2 x twins or 1 x king bed)
Quad: +$10 per person (4 x twin beds)

Travel: Please arrange for your own travel to and from Clearwater Lodge.
If financial support would make participation possible in this season, please email info@goldenwoodnyc.org to learn about scholarships.

Registration has closed for this retreat. Please join the waitlist to be informed of any spots that open up.

About your Guide:
Shann Ray, Czech American artist and American Book Award winner, teaches leadership and forgiveness studies at Gonzaga University and poetry at Stanford. A National Endowment for the Arts Fellow, through his research in forgiveness and genocide Shann has served as a visiting scholar in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas, and as a poetry mentor for the PEN America Prison and Justice Writers Program. He has delivered poetry engagements at Cambridge and the Center for Contemplative Leadership at Princeton Theological Seminary, and values mutual work involving art, leadership, and the reconciliation of people and nations. Having collaborated as a visiting poet with painter Makoto Fujimura on a United Nations grant entitled Intercultural Dialogues through Beauty as a Language of Peace, Ray is also an International Book Award winner, a three-time High Plains Book Award winner, Bread Loaf Fellow, Bakeless Prize winner, and winner of the Foreword Book of the Year Readers’ Choice Award. His work comprises a libretto and 17 books, of which 12 are poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction including Atomic Theory 7, The Garment of Praise, Forgiveness and Power in the Age of Atrocity, Balefire, American Masculine, Sweetclover, Blood Fire Vapor Smoke, American Copper, The Souls of Others, and Transparent in the Backlight. His poems and prose have been featured in Poetry, Esquire, Narrative, McSweeney’s, Prairie Schooner, Poetry International, Big Sky Journal, and the American Journal of Poetry.

Nautilus: Now Receiving Applications for 2026-27!
2026-04-15 00:00 - 2026-06-15 23:59
Nautilus is a unique 7-month experience designed to cultivate key spiritual competencies that awaken us to the reality of God’s presence in our world and discover how hearing His voice shapes the way we respond to all of life.
The movements of Nautilus follow an unfolding spiraling path, asking the following questions:

VISION | Kairos Time: How do I see further?
GOD | Listening to God: What is the tone of God’s voice?
SELF | Spiritual Permanence: What does it mean to be fully alive?
OTHERS | Communal Discernment: How do I love others in an exilic context?
WORK | Hopeful Imagination: How can I imagine a more compelling future?

Hear from Participants:
“The exercises of prayerful listening with imagination are quite different from anything else, I think, and differentiate Nautilus from other programs. It allows the Spirit of God to really move and to meet people, to meet me, where we are, because that looks different for different people… It’s just really phenomenally transformative.”
“It’s not about what I’ll be doing, but about who I’m becoming.”
“You’ve helped me learn how to inhabit time differently, to discern hidden spiritual realities, and to be attentive to how we are each co-creating with God.”
“There’s something really powerful about being with people who are willing to see hope.”
Included in your journey:

Five Thematic Listening Books
Weekly Online Sessions (Tues 7:30-9p EST)
Three In-Person Retreats (Sep, Jan, Apr)
Listening Prayer & Discernment Quads
Monthly Spiritual Companioning

Slow down with intention alongside a vocationally and geographically diverse, intergenerational community in order to hear again, dream anew, and enliven all aspects of your calling.
For 2026-27 dates, details and to apply by June 15…

Institute Retreat | Annual Fallow in Cambridge, England
2026-05-12 15:00 - 2026-05-15 12:00 | Jesus College, Jesus Lane, Cambridge, CB5 8BL, United Kingdom
When: Tue, May 12 (arrive between 3 and 5pm) – Fri, May 15 (end 12:00pm), 2026
Location: Cambridge, UK. All group sessions held at Jesus College.
Joined by the Goldenwood staff, Board, and Deans, this unique 4-day experience represents an annual rhythm of the Goldenwood Institute. Enjoy highlights and photos from 2024: “Slowing Down, Cultivating Community, Enlivening Work”
What is a Fallow Retreat?

The essence of a fallow retreat lies in embracing the inherent value of rest and recognizing that seasons of non-productivity can be essential for long-term growth and sustainability. Inspired by the agricultural practice of allowing land to lie fallow and rest, our hope is for you to experience a deep sense of replenishment, inspiration, and reawakening, ultimately leading to greater productivity, creativity, and spiritual vitality in the seasons to come.
Goldenwood is committed to creating this space and time annually to remember what we’ve forgotten about who we are, what we’ve been created for, and who we are becoming.
Why Fallow?

For the “over”worked (those who find themselves in seasons of great responsibility and limited margin): fallowing increases your capacity towards greater fruitfulness.
For the “under”worked (those in seasons of transition, underemployment, or retirement): fallowing opens up space for the soil to be tilled, for new seeds to be planted for future realities yet to be seen.

Included in your cost:

Three nights lodging in clean, simple rooms on the beautiful grounds of Jesus College. (Single, double, or family occupancy available.)
Breakfast each morning onsite for those lodging at Jesus College
1-2 group meals, including celebratory culminating group dinner onsite at Jesus College
Guidance for times of spiritual reflection and renewal, individually and communally led by David Kim and Amilee Watkins
Stimulating morning conversations with members of the Goldenwood Leadership Team, including singer-songwriter Sandra McCracken Nicholson, and poet and professor Shann Ray
An insider’s conversation on Haejin and Mako Fujimura’s new book Beauty X Justice.
Multimedia conversation and performance from honored guest, Theologian and Musician Jeremy Begbie

2026 Rates:

Individual (1 room, Single occupancy, private bath): $1950 onsite / $1150 offsite {Collective Members: $1650 / $1000}
Couple (1 room with 1 bed, Double occupancy, private bath): $2700 onsite / $1950 offsite {Collective Members: $2300 / $1700}

A non-refundable deposit of 1/3 your total amount is required upon registration to secure your spot, with the remaining balance due by Mar 30th. Rooms at Jesus College are available on a first come first serve basis.*
*For offsite lodging alternatives: Check out the University Arms Hotel (a Marriott Bonvoy hotel) or the Hilton Cambridge City Center for those who may have & wish to book with points. The Fellows House by Hilton, The Varsity Hotel, and Arundel House Hotel are also within close walking distance from Jesus college. There may be other lower-priced accommodations in the area as well. See booking.com to explore current rates and proximity (including helpful walking estimates!) to Jesus College.
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INTERESTED? Space is limited for this retreat. Please register below. We look forward to returning to Cambridge and invite you to fallow with us!
Updated Travel Note as of Feb 2025: All visitors traveling to the UK now need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). While this should be fairly painless and can be done digitally, it does require an extra step before traveling. Here is the guidance on how to apply.

Goldenwood Intensive
2026-08-26 14:00 - 2026-08-28 14:00
Step into a multi-day immersive experience crafted by Goldenwood to awaken your imagination, deepen your spiritual attentiveness, and reframe your vision of work. Rooted in the gospel and infused with practices of contemplative stillness, systems thinking, and experiential learning, this intensive invites you into a sacred space where pain and exhaustion become a portal to wisdom and calling.
Through embodied exercises, Scripture-based imaginative prayer, and vocationally formative frameworks, you’ll encounter a new way of seeing—God, yourself, your work, and the world. Whether you’re a leader, artist, entrepreneur, or pastor, this intensive offers not just tools but a spiritual ecosystem for hope-filled transformation. Come and rediscover work as a redemptive, relational, and deeply human act. This is more than just a training; it’s an opportunity to connect deeply with God and like-minded individuals, fostering a collaborative spirit that will inspire and empower you to revive work with love.
See highlights from a prior year’s Intensive held in Greenville, SC here.

For those new to this conversation, this intensive provides an experience in an evolving approach to Faith and Work. As Tim Keller used to say, the gospel doesn’t make bad people good; it makes dead people alive. In the same vein, we believe this new approach to F&W needs to focus on how the gospel makes dead work alive—starting with a vibrant spiritual formation grounded in listening to the voice of God.
During this time, we will explore the following distinctive approach to Faith and Work that incorporates:

Defining and Cultivating Critical Spiritual Competencies
Engaging Dreams and Spiritual Imagination
Embodying Key Spiritual Practices and Experiential Learning
Introducing Systems and Relational Thinking
Incorporating Frameworks for Redemptive Action: CityGuilds, Greenhouse, Institute

COST:
Includes two nights lodging in private room with ensuite bath at the Erdman Center (Princeton Theological Seminary), all materials, and several group meals.

Early Bird (before Jul 20): $790
Regular (after Jul 20): $950
Teams of 3+: $750 per person before Jul 20, $910 after (email us for group discount code)

SCHEDULE:
Wednesday Aug 26
2:00p-5:00p – Session 1
5:00p-6:30p – Check in / break
6:30p – Dinner
Thursday Aug 27
9:00a-12:30p – Session 2
12:30p-2:30p – Lunch
2:30p-5:30p – Session 3
Evening event TBD
Friday Aug 28
9:00a-12:30p – Session 4
12:30p – Closing Lunch
2:00p – Depart
REGISTRATION OPENS SOON (May 2026)
Check back and/or email us to express interest!
