ST. JAMES CHURCH RETREAT | MARCH 2-4, 2012

Please join us at beautiful Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia for a time of rest, renewal, and for many, a changed life!  Everyone is welcome – you do not have to be a member of St. James to attend.  Separate activities are planned for adults, nursery, children and youth.

We are fortunate to have The Rev. Micheal Selleck (Mike), Director of the North Georgia Office of Connectional Ministries, North Georgia Conference, United Methodist Church as our guest speaker for the retreat.  He has been in this position since 2004.  His current responsibilities are in the area of advancing the key vision of the Annual Conference.  This includes looking after the health and balance of all the program ministries of the Conference, from disaster relief to disability awareness, from persons in poverty, to people in missions, and many more avenues.

Mike spends much of his time working in and with local church leadership, pastors and laity, to equip them to be as effective as possible in reaching people with the Gospel message of Jesus Christ.  He is widely known and sought as a workshop leader, teacher, and trainer in areas of leadership and program development.  In addition, he is considered one of our denominations key leaders in the area of youth ministry, and has authored four books on the topic, including The Official Youth Ministry Handbook for the United Methodist Church.

Mike is a graduate of Adrian College in Adrian, Michigan and the Methodist Theological School in Delaware, Ohio.  He has been an elder in the UMC since 1979.  Mike has served as Senior Pastor at two different churches, the most recent at North Springs UMC in the Atlanta Roswell District, two times as a member of a large church staff, and four years as an Associate Director on the Conference Council on Ministries in the area of Youth Ministries.

Mike and his wife, Chris, have been married for 41 years.  She serves as the Administrative Assistant to our Bishop Watson.  She has served in that office for 16 years.  Mike and Chris have two grown children, and five grandchildren, all of whom live in the Athens area.  Mike had a robust athletic career throughout his high school and college years in wrestling.  He has been elected two times to his College Athletic Hall of Fame for that sport.

Mike enjoys several activities that are not directly related to his church calling.  Woodworking is a hobby he hopes to gain enough proficiency with to one day, keep him occupied in his retirement.  Mike also enjoys wilderness canoeing and camping, mystery novels, and traveling with this wife and family.

IMPORTANT – TWO STEP REGISTRATION PROCESS

STEP 1 - Attendees must make their own reservations by calling 1-800-225-5292.  IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU MAKE YOUR RESERVATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.  The deadline for making reservations has passed; however, Callaway currently has rooms available, but they cannot guarantee that rooms will be available as we approach our retreat dates.  Please reference St. James UMC when making telephone reservations.  Forty (40) rooms at $93 plus tax per night at the Mountain Creek Inn (site of the retreat) have been reserved for St. James.   In order for the church to avoid paying for more rooms than are needed, we must have an accurate count for the number of rooms needed.

A one night’s deposit is required when your reservation is made.  Cancellation must be received by Callaway 72 hours prior to arrival.  Some rooms have refrigerators and you will need to make that request at the time you make your reservation.  Cribs are provided at no additional charge.  

STEP 2 – A registration fee paid to St. James UMC is required for all attendees:  $30 per adult, $15 per youth (11-18), and $10 per child (4-10), with a family maximum of $100.  This registration fee will help offset the cost of the retreat and includes the Saturday night dinner.  Registration forms are available at the bottom of this page.  Please complete your registration form and return to the church office with your full registration payment no later than February 26, 2012.  It is essential that we know how many children/youth will be attending so provision can be made for an adequate number of workers and leaders.  Make checks payable to St. James and mark as “Church Retreat”.  Scholarships are available, and as always, contributions to the scholarship fund are welcomed.

MEALS will be on your own at Callaway or at other local restaurants with the exception of Saturday night when we will all come together for a family meal.  Snacks, chips, pastries, sandwich items, drinks, etc. can also be brought to eat in your room.  

ACTIVITIES:  Admission to the Gardens is free for all overnight guests.  Other activities at Callaway include:  golf, tennis, bike trails (ten miles of beautiful bike paths – bike rental is available or bring your own), full service spa (by reservation 706-663-5125), antique shopping in Pine Mountain (one mile) or Warm Springs (20 minutes away), The Little White House in Warm Springs, the Explorations in Antiquity Center in LaGrange where you can experience ancient biblical times (20-30 minutes away), horseback riding nearby at Roosevelt State Park Historic Site.  

OTHER LODGING OPTIONS AT CALLAWAY:  Villas at Callaway - $170 + tax per bedroom per night, Southern Pines Cottages - $310 + tax per night for a 2 bedroom cottage.

• Plant Room at Mountain Creek Inn - Breakfast Buffet:  $12.95 + tax.  The Plant Room is not open for lunch and will be open for dinner based on occupancy.
• Vineyard Green - Lunch and Dinner:  appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, entrees $5.00 - $27.00.
• Country Kitchen – Breakfast: $6.95 – $13.95; Lunch and Dinner: $7.95 – $21.00.

• Days Inn Pine Mountain (800-325-2525)
• Fireside Inn Pine Mountain (706-663-4141)
• Mountain Top Inn & Resort (800-533-6376)
• Pine Mountain Club Chalets Resort (706-663-2211)
• Valley Inn Resort (706-628-4454)
• Roosevelt State Park Cottages (800-864-7275) or www.gastateparks.org
• Camp Grounds - Roosevelt State Park or Pine Mountain RV Resort (706-663-4329).

• 27th Grill
•  Krispy Fried Chicken
•  Whistling Pig Cafe
• Aspen Mountain Grill
• The Bakery & Café at Rose Cottage
• Huddle House
• The Dish
•  San Marcos Mexican Restaurante
• KFC Express
• Cricket’s Restaurant
• Subway
• Three Lil’ Pigs
• Fox’s Pizza
• Eddie Mae Gunn’s Country Buffet
• Lu Bell’s Ice Cream Parlor

For more information about the retreat, please contact Pat Bennett at (706-207-6699) or prbennett113@charter.net.  Additional information about Callaway Gardens, restaurants, and things to do in or near Pine Mountain can be found on the following links: www.callawaygardens.com or www.pinemountain.org.

Download your registration form below

2012 Retreat Registration Form

Maps and Menus

Callaway Gardens Mountain Inn Map
Callaway Gardens Map
Map of the Inn
Plant Room Vineyard Green Breakfast
Plant Room All Day Menu

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