AADVENT Young Adult Retreat 2008

A three-day retreat is held each summer at McCormick Theological Seminary for Asian American young adults. Through inspiring worship, Bible study, theological reflection, and hands-on mission experiences, the retreat will challenge young adults to link their faith with the mission of the church, and to help them explore possibilities for a call to pastoral service and leadership. The next retreat will be held August 14-17, 2008.

Registration

Click here to download the registration form. Also, be sure to save the dates: August 14 - 17, 2008. Registration fees are as follows:

Registration Fees

Regular Registration Fee
Students - $100
Professionals - $125
Observers - $400

Travel scholarships up to $300 are available. Click here to download the scholarship application form.

Retreat Leaders

Sandhya Rani Jha, Retreat Facilitator

Sandhya Rani Jha serves as Minister for Transformation and Reconcilition in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in northern California-Nevada and as senior pastor at the multicultural and multi-generational First Christian Church of Oakland.Of both Indian and Scottish descent, Sandhya serves as co-moderator of the Christian Church's racial reconciliation commission and is actively engaged in the North American Pacific and Asian Disciples. She is currently finishing a book on the history of people of color in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Her true loves, in order, are Jesus, Indian food and jazz music.

Yena Hwang, Retreat Chaplain

Yena Hwang is an associate pastor at Wheaton Community Church, serving the English speaking congregation of a Korean-American church and is also working towards becoming a licensed therapist. Yena received her M.Div from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1997 and served as an unordained pastor for 5 years before going back to Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary to receive M.A.in Marriage and Family Therapy in 2005. Yena is married to Rick Choi and has two sons, Justin (7) and Nathan (5).

Site Visits

Chinese Christian Union Church

The Chinese Christian Union Church, comprised of three missionary groups (the Presbyterian, Baptist and Congregationalist), was established in 1903 with the vision to reach the increasing number of Chinese immigrants to the Chicago area that had begun to settle in what is present-day Chinatown. This union was motivated by the sense of the suffering and desperation experienced by the immigrants and the desire to meet their physical needs as well as their spiritual needs.

Today the church is made up of people from many different backgrounds and walks of life. CCUC has fellowship groups and small groups all around Chicago for adults and children and youth activities. Our visit on Saturday will give us an opportunity to learn more about the history of this church in Chicago. We will also learn about the church’s commitment to the Chinese American community expressed in the founding of a non-profit service center.

Cambodian Association of Illinois

Founded in 1976, Cambodian Association of Illinois is a social service agency which enables refugees and immigrants from Cambodia residing in Illinois, especially those in metropolitan Chicago, to become self-sufficient, productive participants in American society while preserving and enhancing their cultural heritage and community.

CAI was established by a group of Cambodian refugee volunteers responding to the need of Cambodians resettling in Chicago, having fled the tyranny, brutality and torture of the Khmer Rouge genocide in which two million people perished. CAI services some 5,000 Cambodians in Illinois (3,000 in Chicago), all of whom are Cambodian refugees or the children of refugees who escaped the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge’s "Killing Fields." Cambodian Association of Illinois is the only non-profit in the Chicago metropolitan area which provides bi-lingual programming to address the interrelated social and economic needs of the Cambodian American population.

Our visit on Saturday will give us an opportunity to learn more about the history of the Cambodian American community and their current concerns and contributions in Chicago

Retreat Schedule

Thursday – August 14

1:00 - 4:00pm Registration
4:00 - 5:30pm Orientation/Introductions
5:30 - 6:30pm Dinner
6:30 - 8:00pm Worship
8:00 - 9:00pm Small Group
9:00-10:30pm Recreation/Community Building

Friday – August 15

7:30-9:00am Breakfast
8:30-9:00am Morning Movement
9:00-12:00pm Morning Gathering
12:00-1:45pm Lunch
2:00-4:30pm Afternoon Gathering
4:30-5:30pm Free Time
5:30-6:30pm Dinner
6:30-8:00pm Worship
8:00-9:00pm Small Group
9:00-10:30pm Recreation/Community Building

Saturday – August 16

7:30-9:00am Breakfast
8:30-9:00am Morning Movement
9:00-10:00pm Morning Gathering
10:00-12:30pm Site Visit I
12:30-1:30pm Lunch
1:30-4:00pm Site Visit II
4:00-5:30pm Free Time
5:30-6:30pm Dinner
6:30-8:00pm Worship
8:00-9:00pm Small Group
9:00-10:30pm Open Mic

Sunday – August 17

7:30-9:00am Breakfast
9:00-10:00pm Small Group
10:00-12:00pmSmall Group
12:00-1:00pm Lunch
Good Bye!