Hinton to Host Life in the Garden Conference

By: Karen Kluever

Hinton Rural Life Center welcomes nationally known author, speaker, minister, and passionate gardener Terry Hershey to lead “Life in the Garden: Mindfulness, Grace, and the Power of Presence,” a conference and retreat for those who experience — or who want to experience — gardens as restorative, inspiring, and life-giving. Those participating in the upcoming November 5-7 event will celebrate gardens, gardeners, and the role of gardens and gardening in our spiritual journey.
 
Hershey believes there is something fundamentally spiritual about dirt under your fingernails. “Gardens are sacred places,” said Hershey. “They can offer healing for mind, body, and soul for both gardener and visitor.”
 
Participants at the weekend event will experience indoor and outdoor workshops led by Hershey. They will explore and work on “sanctuary” gardens, as well as enjoy personal time for walks, prayer, rocking chairs, and renewal.
 
“Hinton Rural Life Center is on 33 acres of mostly wooded property, with some beautiful views of the mountains and Lake Chatuge,” said Rev. Karen Kluever, Hinton’s minister of church relations. “Hinton wants to be a good steward of this property and provide enhancements, such as sanctuary trails and gardens, that our guests and community neighbors can enjoy and to promote physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.”
 
Hershey, who lives in Washington State, divides his time between designing sanctuary gardens and sharing his practice of “pausing” and “sanctuary,” to encourage rest, renewal, and living wholeheartedly. He is the author of This is the Life, Sanctuary, and The Gift of Enough and posts the weekly blog Sabbath Moment at www.terryhershey.com.
 
Registration is underway for “Life in the Garden,” but spots are limited. More information, as well as registration forms, are available at www.hintoncenter.org/retreat and at Hinton Rural Life Center, 2330 Hinton Center Road, in Hayesville. To promote safety, participants must submit proof of COVID-19 vaccination.
 
Hinton Rural Life Center is a United Methodist nonprofit mission outreach and retreat center that serves the local communities of Clay and Cherokee counties, NC, and Towns County, GA. The agency also hosts individuals and groups from across the Southeast and beyond who come to this area for renewal, training, and/or to serve in Hinton’s Safe & Healthy Home Repair program.