What is the Work That Reconnects?
The Work That Reconnects is an inspiring, interactive group process for anyone who longs to serve the healing of our world in a more powerful and effective way.
“The Work That Reconnects helps people discover and experience their innate connections with each other and the self-healing powers of the web of life, transforming despair and overwhelm into inspired, collaborative action.”
– Joanna Macy
Eco-grief and climate anxiety are important psychological, emotional, spiritual and communal problems that need tending.
“Climate grief and anxiety are perfectly appropriate responses [to the climate crisis]. We should be heartbroken at seeing, as Greta Thunberg said ‘exactly what is happening.’ Yet there is beauty in grief because it comes from love. Our grief can be a wellspring of will to act because it reminds us of what we love, what we have not yet lost and want to protect.”
Susan Bauer-Wu
from: A Future We Can Love: How We Can Reverse the Climate Crisis
with the Power of Our Hearts and Minds
In this 2-hour introduction to the Work That Reconnects, Justin will guide you through the Three Stories of Our Time and offer experiences with the Work That Reconnects Spiral, a mode of moving with and through eco-grief and/or any other social justice issue that is of concern for you in this time. In this workship you will experience the gift of community as together we explore a taste of the Work That Reconnects. You will leave this workshop equipped with references for free online learning, references and tools to learn more about this open-sourced work and how you might adapt it to your personal, professional and community contexts.
Please bring:
- pen, highlighter, notebook
- water, snack for yourself
- hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, footwear appropriate for walking in on the grass and gravel paths (weather permitting)
About Justin Ferko:
My experience with the Work That Reconnects has been an apprenticeship over three years. I have co-facilited this experience in-person at both a national conference setting and a retreat setting for university students and adult learners as well as online for leadership at the BTS Center. This process is based in community, makes space to explore your own emotions and inner life, and invites your imagination and creativity to bring to climate change and other areas of social justice work.
Justin Ferko (he/they) is an Interspiritual Companion, Certified Relational Nature and Forest Therapy Guide with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy, spiritual companion supervisor and professional chaplain. Justin offers in-person and online forest bathing walks and spiritual companioning. You can learn more at his website www.wildspiritpaths.com or email [email protected].
This is a Park Rx wellness program sponsored by Highmark Blue Shield.
Program Contact: Nancy Gates | Assistant Program Manager | [email protected] | 717-599-5188, ext. 2113