Dancing with Change during Spring Association
Posted by Brian Paff on Sun, May 15, 2011
Shirley Hershey Showalter frames delightful Association weekend at Laurelville
MOUNT PLEASANT, PA (May 4, 2011)—Laurelville hosted its yearly spring Association gathering on April 29-May 1. Over 100 people came together for a family-oriented retreat that was guided by the theme, Dancing with Change.
Shirley Hershey Showalter (Harrisonburg, Va.), a business consultant and former president of Goshen College, served as keynote speaker for the weekend. Jeff Raught (Talmage, Pa.) led music and worship and provided Saturday evening entertainment with a coffee house performance.
Laurelville executive director John Denlinger was well pleased with Hershey Showalter’s input. “This year's theme grew out of Shirley’s recent journey,” said Denlinger, noting that Hershey Showalter and husband, Stuart, recently moved from West Michigan to Harrisonburg, Va., to start a new consulting practice and also became grandparents.
“It complemented Laurelville’s recent journey as well, considering we are in the process of refining our vision and developing a campus master plan to respond to changing needs of guest groups and the broader church and society.”
Hershey Showalter carefully wove the lyrics from Jim Croegaart’s song, Changes, into her three meditations: “Got to keep dancing, knowing He loves us”; “Faces carrying sunshine”; and “It’s a hard job making us holy”. She played the song during each gathering in the Meetinghouse and shared words of reflection that were laced with gratitude for life’s simple joys and a strong sense of grace and forgiveness.
“The first time I heard the phrase, ‘It’s a hard job making us holy,’ it brought tears to my eyes,” Showalter said to the crowd gathered for Sunday morning worship after again playing Changes over the sound system.
“For many of us, it’s so tempting to be thinking about, ‘Oh, it’s a hard job trying to be holy.’ And this is a whole new perspective…it makes me think of God as parent—God as father, God as mother, gently encouraging us and helping us to become holy over a lifetime.”
Hershey Showalter also demonstrated a particular knack for dancing with change herself, inviting the contributions of several attendees during her addresses, including a dance choreographed and performed by Laurie Yoder to accompany Croegaart’s song, and a dramatic rendition of a poem submitted to Dear Abby, performed by Raught.
Denlinger praised the spontaneity Hershey Showalter exhibited. “There is something very refreshing about embracing the Spirit’s movement among us,” he said. “Shirley was comfortable and confident enough to know that there is something much bigger going on than just her prepared words.” Saturday featured the inaugural Spring Classic 5K, 1-mile and 200-meter Junior Jog. Over 30 people took part in the event in addition to a strong group of volunteers.
Laurelville Board president Michael Weaver (Harrisonburg, Va.) won the men’s 5K race in 25:38. In the women’s race, former Laurelville staffer Heather Monroe (New Huntingdon, Pa.) was the top finisher in 26:38. No results were recorded for the non-competitive 1-mile fun run/walk and 200 meter Jr. Jog. The event raised more than $500 for camp and program scholarships.
“A fun time was had by all,” says Brian Paff, director of communication at Laurelville and the race organizer. “It helped to have so many great volunteers, perfect race weather, and a beautiful place to run or walk outdoors.”
Also on Saturday, Association member and former Laurelville board member Alice Metzler Roth signed copies of the newly released book she edited, Things We Have Known, a collected memoir of her parents, AJ and Alta Metzler.
Aside from the festivities, Laurelville conducted its semi-annual business meeting and welcomed two new households into the Association: Kent and Megan Nafziger as well as John Nofziger and his wife, Kate Graber.
Volunteer projects were performed throughout the day on Saturday, including significant construction work on two of the cabins up the hill from the newly remodeled Witmarsum cabin. The end result will be two repurposed cabins designed for family getaways.
The next Association gathering is scheduled for October 21-23, 2011. Tom and Christine Sine, co-founders of the Mustard Seed Associates based in Seattle, Wa., will serve as keynote speakers. Music and worship will be led by members of Reunion Vocal Band.
For more information about Association weekends or to learn how to join the Laurelville Association, visit Laurelville.org/association or call 800.839.1021.
Watch a slideshow of pictures from the weekend, set to Jim Croegaart's Changes (used with permission)