Old Fashioned Christmas Seeking Volunteers
Chautauqua’s annual Old Fashioned Christmas will return bigger than ever on November 30, the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
This extravagant event features Santa, 50-foot tree lighting, musical groups, caroling, live reindeer, a horse-drawn wagon ride, a family photo booth, six live characters such as Frosty, Grinch, Gingerbread Man, all done with the goal of keeping Christ in Christmas with a reading from Luke at the historic chapel, live nativity…and much more! Last
year, more than 1000 people attended this free community event! Read more about it HERE.
Sixty volunteers and performers are needed to make this event the best of its kind in all of northern Indiana.
Due to its growth in 2024, Chautauqua is looking for volunteers who want to join in the fun of putting on this community program. This year’s event starts at 5:30 with Christmas music prior to the tree lighting at 6:00 and ends at 8:00. Help is needed for decorating trees, staffing booths, welcoming guests, handing out free gifts, directing cars for parking and more.
If you are interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities, please contact Kip Schumm at 574-518-0678.
Super Star Shanna Zolman Mahaley Returns to Syracuse
The Wawasee High School graduate, who went on to star at the University of Tennessee and into the WNBA, is returning to Syracuse on May 7 for two programs at Wawasee High School. In the morning she will speak at a student assembly. Then, at 7 p.m., she will speak at a Chautauqua Wawasee-sponsored event, free and open to the public in the high school gymnasium. Active with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Shanna will discuss her ministry, mentoring, and faith journey.
While playing for Wawasee, the Warriors went 74-19 during that stretch as Zolman led the state in scoring all four years as the team played in front of packed gyms throughout the area. She finished her career as an All-American, the Indiana Miss Basketball winner, co-MVP of the McDonald’s All-American Game, and at that time the state’s all-time leading scorer for girls with 3,085 career points. Following an outstanding career at the University of Tennessee, where she ranks ninth in career scoring, Zolman played four seasons in the WNBA with the San Antonio Silver Stars and Tulsa Shock, averaging 7.9 points and shooting 41 percent from the 3-point line. Two knee injuries cut her playing career short.
She now lives in the Seattle area and works in ministry and mentoring with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. “I’m trying to share my passion and love of Jesus,” she said. “That’s what makes me click. I really enjoy speaking around the country and sharing my passion and experiences. That’s where my focus is right now.” “I will be coming to share about the ministry God has me involved in around the Seattle area through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes,” Zolman said. “I will also be sharing how He has been working in and through me while using my basketball experiences as a platform to share and connect with others.
The event is free to attend, 7 – 8 p.m. at the Wawasee High School gymnasium in Syracuse.
You are invited to Chautauqua Wawasee’s annual Old Fashioned Christmas Celebration!
This family-friendly occasion is perfect for people of all ages, including moms, dads, grandpas, grandmas, and kids. Come and see your favorite holiday characters such as Santa, the Grinch, Frosty, and more. Join us in the chapel for a reading of the Christmas story, and don’t forget to visit our live reindeer and take a family photo at our photo booth. The event will also feature caroling, musical groups, and many other activities.
The event will take place on November 25th from 5:30-8:00 p.m. at Oakwood Resort in Syracuse, Indiana. The Christmas tree lighting ceremony will take place at 6:15 p.m., so make sure to arrive early to take part in this magical moment. The best part? This event is completely FREE!
Please note that this is an outdoor event, so make sure to dress appropriately for the weather. Stay in touch with us at www.chqw.org or visit our Facebook page. You are also welcome to give us a call at 574-377-7543 if you have any questions.
The event is jointly sponsored by the Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation and the Town of Syracuse Parks Department.
WHEN: November 25th, 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Tree lighting at 6:15 p.m.)
WHERE: Oakwood Resort Lawn- 702 E. Lake View Road, Syracuse Indiana
COST: FREE!
Religion: Where It Came From, Where It’s Heading, and How It Continues to Change the World
First video in series- April 13th, 2023- Click HERE.
Second video in series- April 20th, 2023- Click HERE.
Third video in series- April 27th, 2023- Click HERE.
RELIGION: Where It Came From, Where It’s Heading, and How It Continues to Change the World
Michael Spath, DMin, PhD
This interactive three-part series explores faith, spirituality and religion – their origins, how they shape and were shaped by the environment, the development of the brain and human social patterns. Why is this important for our faith today as we continue to search for meaning and understanding of our place in the universe?
April 13, 2023 – Religion Before Adam and Eve. Between 50,000-10,000 years ago, Europe experienced an “Upper Paleolithic explosion,” the presence of religious thinking in human burial sites, cave art, and figurines. What do these primitive signs of religion tell us about what our earliest ancestors believed? What are the unconscious and conscious implications for us as people of faith today?
April 20, 2023 – The Creation of Modern Religion: Where Our Faith and Values Were Born. Between 800-200 B.C.E., modern religion was born throughout Greece, India, China, Persia and the Levant, a period scholars call the “Axial Age.” There was a revolution in human thought – a shift toward transcendence, contemplation of humanity’s place in the universe, and understanding of meaning, morality, and mortality.
April 27, 2023 – Religion Present & Future and What It Means to be Human. Is humanity on the verge of a second “Axial Age?” Because of globalism, rapid technological advancements, Artificial Intelligence, and more, we as a species are beginning to take control of our own evolution (homo evolutis). How are these developments changing us, and what are the moral implications of such advancements for our faith?
All sessions will be held from 7:00-8:30 p.m. in Jennings Auditorium, Greencroft Goshen Community Center, 1820 Greencroft Blvd., Goshen, Indiana 46527.
Michael Spath is the founder and executive director of the Indiana Center for Middle East Peace. He holds a PhD in Historical Theology and a Doctor of Ministry degree in New Testament.
In addition to support from Chautauqua Wawasee, other participating organizations are the College Mennonite Church, Assembly Mennonite Church, Eighth Street Mennonite Church, Goshen College Campus Ministries, and the Greencroft Chaplaincy.
Chautauqua Wawasee Old Fashioned Christmas Celebration – 2022
Chautauqua-Wawasee’s annual event for mom, dad, grandpa, grandma, and kids of all ages!
Santa, live nativity, Grinch, Frosty, plus other characters, chapel reading of the Christmas story, live reindeer, musical groups, family photo booth, caroling, and more! Come early to enjoy the music and festivities.
What: Outdoor family Event – dress for warmth
When: November 26, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Where: Oakwood Resort, Syracuse, Indiana
Cost: Free
Visit our Facebook page or call 574-377-7543 for more details.
2022 Cliff Kindy Workshop
What if Christians had the passion for peacekeeping that warriors have for war?
Participate in an evening with author and peace-seeker Cliff Kindy, an Indiana organic farmer.
Cliff will share about his many Christian Peacemaker Team journeys (Iraq, Sudan, Iran…), and how he became part of CPTs. The workshop will explore and discuss how Christians who are passionate about peace (everywhere) can pursue the vision of peacekeeping. Cliff’s session promises to be eye-opening and extremely moving.
Cliff’s book Resurrection Peacemaking recounts his thirty years working with Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), facing violent, unjust regimes in Iraq, Colombia, Israel/Palestine, Nigeria, Mexico, and other trouble spots around the world. Cliff and other CPT volunteers have repeatedly put their lives on the line as they chose to accompany targeted and beleaguered indigenous people who were striving to end violent occupation and warfare in their own lands.
This striving is not only for far-away peoples. It is for us.
Cliff says, “Why will people be willing to risk their lives to confront violence or injustice? For me, that willingness is grounded in the gospel story of Jesus’ resurrection. For others, it will be based in love and goodness. Nonviolence for me is powered by the spirit of resurrection on Easter; it topples empires. But it also exposes the practitioner to transformation; all parties are transformed, or better, ‘plowshared’. Are we willing to nurture our imaginations and take the risks required to replace violence with nonviolence? If so, how would this change America, in terms of policing, politics, wars, family disputes, mass killings, and criminal justice?”
What: Presentation/Discussion/Workshop
When: Sept 28, 6:30-8:30pm
Where: Oakwood Resort Event Center
Cost: Free– Please REGISTER HERE for this event