We were delighted to gather and reconnect at our August 2025 faculty retreat. Our theme was “Educating the Heart,” and in the age of AI the question of how we get beyond cognitive outcomes to affective outcomes in education has never been more important. Early feedback reviews are highly enthusiastic.
Thanks as always to our partners at Asbury Theological Seminary, and the Center for Transformational Churches at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, for helping make this retreat possible!
By ancient tradition, Fellowship retreats begin with dinner at Solomon’s Porch, the restaurant with the world’s most theological menu.
Twenty years of faithful service to God, customers, employees and the world – wow!
At Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill we considered how the Shakers defied expectations by putting their faith into their work – and then collapsed when they couldn’t adapt to changing economic circumstances.
The music and dance presentation at Shaker Hill (including energetic performances) was amazing. To prepare the building for hundreds of people stomping their feet in unison, the Shakers installed a series of vertical limestone slabs in the ground to absorb the vibration so the floor wouldn’t collapse!
It wasn’t all fun and games. The Shakers were governed by four people (two men, two women) who lived above the meeting house, apart from the rest of the community, and avoided forming relationships with anyone so they could rule impartially. They had small windows installed on both sides of the worship space so they could keep an eye on everyone. A member of our group (sadly, unidentified) volunteered to give a demonstration.
Lunch at Shaker Village is always a treat. Try the sampler platter of authentic Kentucky fare, and follow it up with the creme brulee (which contains ingredients that may or may not be compliant with your seminary’s conduct policy – eat at your own risk!).
Nathan Hitchcock of Sevensided Consulting, who has been part of our community as long as almost anyone, led us in a series of workshops on how to move from merely “cognitive” educational outcomes to “affective” outcomes. He helped us think about envisioning, defining and even measuring outcomes that AI can’t reproduce.
On our second evening we got a special treat – Erin Gibson, the heart and soul of Solomon’s Porch, talked to us about how the restaurant was launched with a vision to serve God and neighbor, and how that has developed over the years. Unlike the Shakers, Solomon’s Porch has learned to adapt!
Our final day brought the most amazing part of the retreat. We visited Old World Timber, which takes down barns that are no longer in use and recovers the wood for new uses. The amazing part is that they partner with a local Christian rescue mission to employ formerly imprisoned persons, mentoring them back into the workforce when no one else will give them a job.
It’s a vast workspace! And it has a vast philosophy. OWT says that every person has value, and every employee contributes value to the enterprise.
Here’s the first workstation new hires get assigned to at OWT – metal detecting. The wood in all those old barns is full of nails, staples, BBs and bullets that will damage saw blades. New hires are taught to use metal detectors to find and remove everything metal – as well as new behaviors that will help them keep a job and build a new life.
This is what the wood looks like when it’s finished. OWT sees something that no one else values – something that is so much of a problem, the owners will typically pay five figures for someone to tear it down and get rid of it – and sees the value God put in it. So they found a way to restore its beauty and usefulness. We think their philosophy that every person has value, and every employee contributes value, has something to do with that vision.
We were honored to join the crew at OWT for lunch as we closed our retreat. Thanks, everyone, and we look forward to seeing you again soon!
