Conferences & Retreats

The Mustang Island Conference Center is an excellent place for religious, educational, and non-profit organizations and families to gather. Our facility and campus, with their many amenities, are conductive to focusing on any task. To stepping outside or gazing out a window, to lying in a hammock or strolling on the beach, Mustang Island Conference Center allows guests to unwind and take care of themselves as well as the task at hand.

Come, see, and feel God's presence in your life at the Mustang Island Conference Center.  We are a place for Christians and others to come for retreat and renewal.  Our beautiful facility, natural surroundings, and warm but unobtrusive hospitality offer an excellent place for prayer, reflection, worship, healing, and yes, even work.

Whether your group needs to train, plan, consult, relax, worship, or heal, come join us at this very special place.

Please contact us directly at 361-749-1800 or nita.shaver@dwtx.org for questions about a reservation for a specific date.

2010 Conferences & Retreats: Learn more & click to register

All diocesan Conferences & Retreats will also be listed on the Special Events page.

March 1, 2010 - Updated Retreat and Conferences flyer, click here.

	Vocare - College & Young Adult Weekend March 5-7,2010 at Mustang Island Conference Center Vocare is a renewal weekend for college students and young adults. As these two groups discover worthwile relationship choices, careers and life commitments, Vocare makes clear that all of these are calls from God. Questions about Vocare? Contact Stacy Dowdy at stacy.dowdy@dwtx.org    To register online, click here.
	March 7-10 Annual Clergy Lenten Retreat at Mustang Island Conference Center The retreat will begin with dinner on Sunday, March 7 and end with lunch on March 10. Our speaker this year will be Dr. Anthony (Tony) Baker, Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin.  Tony has been enthusiastically recommended by several of his former students, who say that he is very engaging and will bring a conservative or orthodox perspective to the retreat.
	Mustang Island Family Camp Spring Break! March 15 – 18, 2010    Four days and three nights of seashore fun for you and yours in a Christian community. Mustang Island Family Camp will host Spring Break from Monday, March 15, through Thursday, March 18. Visit www.mustangisland.org to learn more, or contact Nita at 361-749-1800 or nita.shaver@dwtx.org.    Cost: $605 for DWTX member family;$705 for others. Includes 3 nights/1 room and 9 meals per family member. Add $100 for each adult beyond the first two in the room and $100 for each guest who is not a member of the immediate family. Click here to register.
	Clergy Easter Retreat, April 4 – 7, 2010 The Mustang Island Conference Center    Clergy and one adult guest can enjoy the shore following the joys and demands of Lent and Easter. Arrive Easter evening or Monday morning. First meal - Monday breakfast and last meal - Wednesday breakfast. Consider staying over until Thursday for The Call of Stories led by the Rev. Charlie Cook. Cost: $275 for clergy + one guest; contact Nita for more information at 361-749-1800 or nita.shaver@dwtx.org. Click here to register.
	The Call of Stories April 8 – 10, 2010 ~ Thursday – Saturday On this retreat, you will explore with stories of some of the great Southern writers of our own time—Walker Percy, Robert Penn Warren, Alice Walker, and Flannery O’Connor. Selections of their work will be provided for discussion and we will have an opportunity to engage in dialogue with one another about our own perspectives of what they appear to be telling us about the meaning of life and God’s relationship in it all.  In the process, we will discover how their stories are really our stories as well. Single occupancy: $360 and Double occupancy: $300. This includes 2 nights and 6 meals.    Retreat Leader will be The Rev. Charlie Cook, an Episcopal Priest and beloved Professor Emeritus of Pastoral Theology of The Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest. A flyer will be posted soon.
	April 15 Clergy Training on recognizing and dealing with mental illness The National Alliance on Mental Illness will participate in training for clergy on recognizing and dealing with mental illness in a one-day retreat at Mustang Island Conference Center. The training is being organized by the diocesan Faith-Based Mental Illness Ministry Initiative and the cost will be $40.00 which will include the work book. To register online, click here.
	April 30 – May 2, 2010, Mustang Island Conference Center  Clothing Ourselves with Christ: How to Live as Christ in the World Retreat Leader:    The Rev. Dr. Ray Pickett, Professor of New Testament at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago. This weekend will be a time to reflect more deeply on how to live our faith in the many contexts and commitments of our lives. The Rev. Dr. Ray Pickett, a renowned New Testament Scholar and valued retreat leader, who is concerned with the integration of faith and daily life, will lead group conversations on interpreting the scriptures of the New Testament for wholehearted living. Jane Patterson and John Lewis, of The Work+Shop, will join in the discussions. There will be plenty of time for relaxing, walking and bicycling on the beach, informal conversation, & journaling. Contact Katherine Buzzini at kbuzzini@theworkshop-sa.org for more information and to pre-register.
	Cursillo #249 May 13-16, 2010 at Mustang Island Conference Center
	Three - Day Intensive Christian Contemplative Christ Centered Prayer Retreat Save the Date ~      May 20-23, 2010      October 17-22, 2010    Join the Rev. Sandra Casey-Martus, former Director of the Alta Retreat Center in Wyoming and co-author Carla Mancari for an intensive (primarily silent) retreat of Christ Centered Prayer, engagement of Sacred Scripture, optional daily celebration of the Holy Eucharist, and theological reflections on the spiritual journey.  Under the direction of the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ, Christ Center Prayer is a simple, silent practice of awareness within one's spiritual heart center.  Christ Centered Prayer distills traditional contemplative practice while responding effectively and obediently to Jesus’ invitation to, "Come unto me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28). For more information about the retreat e-mail the Rev. Sandy Casey-Martus at allsaintsccsandy@sbcglobal.net or go to www.christcenteredprayer.com    To register for retreats, contact Nita Shaver, Director of the Mustang Island Conference Center at 316-749-1800 or nita.shaver@dwtx.org.  Registration is not online. A 50% non-refundable, non-transferable deposit is required to secure your reservation with balance due upon arrival.  In a effort to keep fees low, the Rev. Casey-Martus is gifting her time and teaching expertise; however, any wishing to make an love offering towards her continued ministry may do so.
	September 24-26 Education for Ministry (EfM) Mentor Training A fall training will be held at the Mustang Island Conference Center. A Basic and a Formation session will be offered. The Basic session is open to 6-12 participants. The Formation Event (Design Skills) is open to 6-12 participants. Trainers have not been assigned at this time. Questions or to register, contact Ada Sutherland, EfM Coordinator for the Diocese of West Texas at adasuth@suddenlink.net or 361-572-4816.
	Soul at Work:  Discerning God’s Will in Daily Life October 8 – 10, 2010, Mustang Island Conference Center Retreat Leader: Margaret Benefiel, CEO of ExecutiveSoul.com, with The Rev. Drs. John Lewis & Jane Patterson of The Work+Shop    Do you ever wonder whether you’re really doing what God wants in your daily life at work or at home? Would you like to be equipped with some Christian practices that will help you discern God’s will for your daily life?  If so, this retreat is for you.      Over the course of the weekend, Margaret Benefiel will lead a series of guided meditations aimed at improving your skills for discerning God’s will in your life. Margaret’s presentations will include an introduction to the work of Quaker clearness committees and she will explore opportunities for practicing corporate spiritual discernment.  She is a celebrated educator and author of Soul At Work: Spiritual Leadership in Organizations (2005) and The Soul of a Leader: Finding Your Path to Success and Fulfillment (2008). Margaret also teaches at Andover Newton Theological School in Boston in the area of spirituality and organizational leadership.  Margaret speaks widely, leads seminars and retreats, and offers coaching and spiritual direction to executives and organizations.  Contact Katherine Buzzini, kbuzzini@theworkshop-sa.org for more information and to pre-register.
	October 22-24 Food for the Soul - A weekend of tasting, preparing, laughing, listening, eating and praising God for our blessings. Prepare favorite Mustang Island recipes in your island kitchen, taste some wine, and share the fruits of your efforts.
	October 14-17, 2010 at Mustang Island Conference Center Cursillo #250   The Rector is Rachel Davies, St. John's McAllen. Spiritual Director is Rev. John Badders. Registration is not yet open.
	November 24-27 - Thanksgiving on the Island - Escape to the island for a memorable Thanksgiving. Unwind while the staff takes care of you and your family. Arrive Wednesday and depart Saturday. Experience a truly relaxing and beautiful Thanksgiving at your Island Home.

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