Harnessing the Holidays:
​Advent Preaching Workshop

The second in our two-part "Harnessing the Holidays" series, this Advent workshop will have you prepared for the best holiday season your church can offer. Gather with other pastors for a planning, sharing, and growth workshop designed to help you have a stress-free Advent. Participants will also enjoy personal quiet time for study, planning, and reflection in the beautiful sacred space of Olmsted Manor Retreat Center. Our retreat leader, Rev. Charles Maynard, will offer individual consultation to aid participants in making their specific plans for this central season of the church year. The event will offer ideas helpful to any size congregation. 

Retreat Leader

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Charles Maynard is an author, storyteller, and United Methodist pastor. Charles’ writes about national parks, US history, Biblical topics, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Of the 34 books that he has written, 22 of them are children’s books. His writing in Blue Ridge Ancient and Majestic won the Reed Environmental Writing Award from the Southern Environmental Law Center. Charles has always enjoyed telling stories. 
Charles was the founding executive director of Friends of the Smokies. He worked in development for the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough, TN and for Holston Conference Camp & Retreat Ministries. He served as a District Superintendent in the Holston Conference. Charles is currently the Pastor of Generosity and Traditional Worship at Cokesbury UMC in Knoxville. He married his high school sweetheart, Janice, who is a well-known novelist. They have two daughters and five grandchildren. They live in Tennessee and enjoy family, traveling, and hiking.

August 14-16, 2022

$225/person

Event Information

  • Event starts with dinner on Sunday, August 14 and concludes with lunch on Tuesday, August 16. Check-in is in Groves Lodge between 3 and 5pm on Sunday.
  • Pricing includes two-nights stay (private hotel style room with linens), six meals, and course tuition. Discount available for those willing to select or be assigned a roommate. Please contact Olmsted for commuter rates. 
  • Register online, print and mail the registration form, or call to register at (814) 945-6512
  • 1 Continuing Education Unit available upon request