Updated 25 May 2023 with new information

This retreat has happened. 

Click here to read reports from the retreat. 

REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED

To go directly to registration, click one of these links
Register to Attend in Person
Register to Attend Online via Zoom

We live in challenging times — news of pandemics, wars and climate catastrophes floods the mind-boggling number of information sources we have competing for our scattered attention. An atmosphere of fear and even open hatred often permeates the headlines and the common discourse. It’s understandable that it all feels overwhelming at times. How do we navigate our lives through our todays with hope for our tomorrows?

Our UU tradition can be an anchor for our little boats in the storm, when we engage with our faith in mindful and conscious ways. When we ask, who are we as UUs in this world today? Who do we want to be as we move day by day into the future? How can our faith community both sustain us and support us so we can live our values actively in a world that desperately needs our light?

You are invited to explore these questions with us at the EUU Spring Retreat in Bad Homburg, Germany, from April 14th to 16th 2023! 

Our Speaker

Our theme speaker is the Rev. Meg Riley, Co-Moderator and Chief Governance Officer of the UUA. This is Meg’s second time with us. She was also the speaker at the 2014 retreat in Spa, Belgium.

Read more about her here.

 

The Retreat – Attend in Person or Online

We welcome all for a weekend of learning, discussion, worship, contemplation, singing, socializing, and friendship for all ages!

Our EUU community brings the experience of four fully-online pandemic-era retreats and nearly 40 years of in-person retreats to offer another “hybrid” retreat like the one in Mittelwihr last October.

If you can’t be there in person, participate in the whole experience anywhere you can log into Zoom! People attending by Zoom will be able to share their talents in the Open Stage, for example, and as many workshops as possible will be open to people attending via Zoom.

Covid Considerations: The Retreat Committee is cautiously optimistic about the pandemic conditions in the spring. We will continue to be prudent and respect all required covid protocols at the time of the retreat.

The Weekend

EUU retreats are not weekends of silent contemplation, though there is time for that too.

We gather on Friday afternoon, eat together, make new friendships and renew old ones. Members and guests take part in our in-gathering ceremony and group icebreaker, before we break for the evening and retire or stay up late and make music or mix at the bar for coffee or just relax with new friends and old. If you are a musician, bring your instrument for the informal jam sessions; professionals and amateurs are welcome!

On Saturday morning we listen to our invited speaker. Saturday afternoon is the time for workshops.  Saturday night is our Open Stage, featuring all kinds of talent shared by people of all ages. Start working on your act now or decide spontaneously to share your talent. We jokingly say that no talent is required but are frequently amazed and always entertained!

Sunday morning we hold our worship service, followed by lunch, before saying goodbye.

Sharing Your Talents at the Retreat

How can the EUU offer so much at a low cost? We are powered by dedicated volunteers, and we invite you to offer your talents to make the weekend special. Can you offer a workshop, help with the children’s RE program, entertain us on the Open Stage, sing in the choir, play or sing along in the evening? Or in other ways? You will have an opportunity to tell us when you register. But note that the deadline for offering a workshop is Mar 15.

Young People

Young people will have their own program of Religious Exploration.

Religious Exploration at the Bad Homburg retreat will be led by Janie Spencer and Jim Carlson. As usual, RE will begin on Saturday morning and continue until the Sunday service. Parents will also have the opportunity to spend an hour or two actively participating in their child’s/children’s RE experience by rotating in as volunteers for short shifts. This will enable us to keep faith with our EUU policy of always having two adults present in RE at all times and is a requirement for RE participation.

Calling All Workshops! A note from Susie Bowe – Deadline for offering a workshop is Mar 15

Happy New Year!  It’s time to start thinking about the Spring Retreat.  I am looking for anyone who wants to host a workshop.  I know it’s a few months away but we need to start planning now.  The workshops will be hybrid (physical and virtual) so we need to make sure you have everything you need to conduct your workshop.  Please contact me with your workshop topics, ideas and needs. workshops@europeanuu.org

I look forward to seeing everyone.  For me, it’s been way too long.

Retreat Site and Accommodation 

Bad Homburg is a beautiful town, very close to Frankfurt. The town offers many things to do and places to explore. Based on her years of living there, Bonnie has written an insider’s guide that may well entice you to spend a few more days before or after the retreat itself. 

Jugendherberge Bad Homburg
Mühlweg 17
61348 Bad Homburg
Tel. 06172 23950
jh-bad-homburg@jugendherberge.de

 

The retreat itself will take place in a youth hostel familiar to many of us, located very close to the castle.

  • Double rooms, single rooms (very few) and family rooms with 3–5 beds
  • Vegetarian and non-dairy meals will be available

Note about rooms:

The hostel has VERY few single rooms, so please consider sharing with one (or more) other people. If you don’t have a roommate/roommates in mind, we can help match you with a person/people who share your preferences!

While most/all of the meeting rooms are accessible without stairs, most of the sleeping accommodations are upstairs, and there is no elevator. If you have mobility challenges, please register early to secure an accessible room. Consult the retreat committee if you have questions.  

Prices

The Grant Fund for EUU Members

Are the retreat fees a challenge to your household budget? We know that they can be for some in our community, so we maintain a grant fund to help EUU members who might not otherwise be able to come to a retreat. If you are a member and would like to ask for a grant, click here to find out how. You have to act promptly, so read the information right away.

Attending in Person

Prices are per person for the entire cost of the retreat including meals, from dinner Friday night through lunch on Sunday.

Room description Adult Adult
EUU Member
Young
Adult
(20-25yrs)
Teen
(13-19yrs)
Child
(4-12yrs)
Infant (0-3yrs)
Single 315 € 295 € n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Shared Double 265 € 245 € 185 € 85 € 55 € 0 €
Shared Triple/ Quad/Quint 220 € 200 € 180 € 85 € 55 € 0 €
Sleeping off-site 170 € 150 € 150 € 50 € 40 € 0 €

 

Participating Online 

The online retreat fee is 50€, 45€ for EUU members

To register now, click one of these links
Register to Attend in Person
Register to Attend Online via Zoom

Extra Nights at the Hostel.

Would you like to stay at the hostel for an extra night before or after the retreat? Arrangements for additional nights must be made through the EUU Treasurer: treasurer@europeanuu.org.

The pricing system for additional nights is different than for the weekend.
Prices per person/per additional night, including all meals:

  • Adult (in single room): 75 €
  • Adult (in double room): 65 €
  • Adult (in triple/quad/quint room): 55 €
  • Age 14–27 (in triple/quad/quint room): 47 €
  • Kid 2–13 (in triple/quad/quint room): 23 €
  • Baby up to 2 years is free

Transportation

Bad Homburg is a 15–20 minute train ride from the main Frankfurt train station. If you are flying to the retreat, you can also conveniently take a train from Frankfurt Airport to the main train station and connect to Bad Homburg there.

We Look Forward to Seeing You!

If you have questions, contact the Retreat Committee.

retreatcommittee@europeanuu.org