A growing aspect of Briarwood Retreat Center/Briarwood Leadership Center is offering Leadership Journey opportunities. These are to be varied travel and interactive experiences that challenge and broaden participants through their encounters.
One such journey is happening right now. 23 (well 22 right now, we will get to that) individuals from four different NT-NL Synod, ELCA congregations and a few from non NT-NL communities, are journeying in Turkey and Greece on a trip entitled “Paul and Beyond: Early Church Leadership.” The goal of this trip is to engage not just historical Paul sites but also to think about how the gospel he proclaimed was received and persisted based on the context and development of the community. The leaders of this trip are myself and my spouse Dr. Kendra Mohn whose area of academic expertise includes Roman culture and civilization.
The first full day the group began east of modern Antalya in the ancient city of Perge. This was the first place Paul preached on Asia Minor and where he and John Mark had their falling out. They then drove the beautiful Turkish countryside, climbing to elevations of over 5,000 ft to reach Pamulkalle. There they take in the fascinating white rock formations formed by the hot springs and thermal pools. They will then visit Hierapolis and Laodicia tomorrow and continue their tour through Istanbul and into Greece.
Currently I am the one keeping the group from being whole. Saturday while at Synod Council our youngest came down with sickness. We did not feel it responsible for both my spouse and I to leave the country until he was well enough for school. Given my spouse’s expertise and that she had traveled in Turkey before we decided for the group’s experience it was best I stay and she go. As he is on the mend I will leave Saturday to join the group in Istanbul on Sunday. Grateful for the gracious manner in which the travelers understood our primary vocation and locus of responsibility is as parents. #NTNL #BWTX #InMissionTogether