01/12/2026
Sacred Spaces/Sacred Stories
Please join us for a Women’s Ministry Workshop
Saturday, January 24 ,2026 9:00am-1:00pm
Fellowship Hall – Emerson Center
What happens when an ordinary wooded ravine speaks volumes about the presence of the Divine Spirit among us?
On the precipice between a life rapidly fading away and a new life in the offing, spiritual memoirist Barb Bodengraven ordered a pre-fab shed and created an enchanting retreat in the backyard of her one-time Topsfield home. Equal parts writing studio, animal blind, sanctuary and chapel, the shed provided refuge from the busyness and distractions of life in the 21st century. It also unexpectedly became a sacred space for interacting with the underlying regenerative force of the universe. Please join us on Saturday, January 24th, 2026, at 9:00am to hear Barb speak about the impetus to build her shed, the forest creatures that accompanied her through an unexpected spiritual transformation inside it, and how you, too, can pen your own sacred story. Participants will be guided by Barb as she presents various writing prompts for reflection and sharing. All participants will need a small notebook and a pen.
Light morning refreshments will be served as well as a light lunch of soup and bread.
Cost will be $10.00. Checks can be made out to CCoT with the words “Sacred Shed” in the memo line.
For additional information feel free to contact Dolly McIlvaine at 978-790-2635.
To RSVP, please connect with Dolly McIlvaine via [email protected] by January 15th.
If you are interested in learning more about Barb’s spiritual memoir, The Sacred Shed on the Edge of the Ravine, it is available from local libraries or on Amazon. Copies of the book will also be available for sale at the workshop. This is not required reading for the workshop but it is fun reading about and seeing through Barb’s eyes, the familiar places we have regularly experienced along Boston’s North Shore.
