January/February

We are entering an exciting new year of discernment here at The Trees.

Last year, through the support we’ve received and our guiding principle of providing free hospitality during our discernment, we hosted 135 events, and branched out into new communities throughout the year.

What does God desire for us this year? We invite you to help us be in the asking and the answering.

Here are some highlights from the past year and upcoming opportunities to be with us...

New gathering area benches!

Eagle Scout Gaige Miller planned, built, and installed six gorgeous live-edge benches in our gathering area, greatly expanding our potential for the space this spring and summer. Some community help included Bob Kellogg‘s trusty sawmill!

Contemplative Prayer series

Retreat leader and friend Laura Kirby hosted a six-part series on contemplative prayer, drawing in new faces from new organizations around the triangle.

Forest Bathing is decidedly in

Our very own Elizabeth Newman led a number of forest bathing sessions through the changing seasons. Our parking lot seemed fuller and fuller each time she offered it - so write in to schedule or register for the next opportunities!

Upcoming Dates:

Sunday, March 3 1:00-3:00p

Tuesday, March 19 3:00-5:00p

Sunday, April 7 1:00-3:00p

Upcoming events...

New faith community

Starting February 18, we began hosting a new community on Sunday evenings, 4:45-7pm for worship and a communal meal!

The Beloved Community at the Trees is open to all seeking healing, reconciliation, and simply a life of faith lived intentionally without being “in a church.” If you are interested or know someone who might be, please pass along the word.

We would also love to hear from you if you’d like to support in some way, including making soup, providing things like creative supplies for kids, or financially. https://www.belovedcommunitydurham.org/

Lenten Journeys

After a very successful run last year, Lenten Journeys is on offer again. While the purgative, solitary feeling of Lent may feel refreshing in an over-stimulating culture, there is no journey in which we’re alone. This program helps us come together and look toward the Resurrection at Easter and in our present lives.

Date: Saturday (morning-midday), March 16

Contact us for more information and to register.

Developing Your Memoir

In this generative writing course, we will come together to discuss different aspects of memoir and practice writing through prompts and exercises. A microsite with the course syllabus will be provided with readings and themes for each week so that writers can come to class prepared to engage in discussion.

5 weeks 3/21, 3/28, 4/4, 4/11, 4/18

Thursdays, 1:30-3PM

Cost: $75-150 (sliding scale)

We are very excited to welcome Shawna Ayoub, a Durham-based writer who practices and instructs classes focused on writing through trauma to truth and other forms of non-fiction. Her work has appeared in numerous publications and she regularly teaches at the Center for Creative Writing and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Duke.

Contact [email protected] on or before March 7 to register.

Quiet Days

We are continuing to offer Quiet Days on the first Tuesday of the month. This is an opportunity to come out free of charge to spend an hour or several in our space, reading, writing, reflecting, or going on a walk on our trails. This is open to the public and there is no registration required. We serve a free light sandwich lunch at noon. 9am-5pm

Playing with Shape and Color: Painting with Debra Wuliger

Have you been longing to paint freely but the white canvas and choosing which paints to use feels like a mountain too high to climb? Sign up for “Playing With Shape and Color”, where artist Debra Wuliger will guide you to create an abstract shape design on a 9×12 inch canvas board by following her prompts.

Then Debra will lay out the perfect mixing paints so that you can easily create a dazzling array of colors. This way you can relax and let your heart and hand move across the canvas. When we are done we will share our paintings and what moved us to create it.

Leader: Debra Wuliger delights in painting joyous geometric paintings full of vibrant color. She also delights in guiding others to listen to their own intuitive voice and create. You can explore her work here.

Date: May 19th, 1:30-3:30PM

Cost: $40. Includes all supplies. Feel free to bring your favorite brushes and a painting smock.

Please register here.