Retreat Guides

Scott Erickson is a touring painter, performance artist, and creative curate who mixes autobiography, aesthetics, and comedic narrative to create experiences that speak to our deepest stories.

Using his passion and commitment to craft, Scott has been a working artist for over a decade, and has had his work appear on CNN, National Geographic, and various magazines, newspaper outlets, and book covers.

His current show, "Say Yes: A Liturgy of Not Giving Up On Yourself”, juxtaposes story-teaching, participation, humor, and image curation as Scott walks us through the very personal and universal conversation about the death of a dream and the overwhelming voice of Giving Up in our lives.

He is the co-author of Prayer: Forty Days of Practice and May It Be So, the author of Honest Advent and Say Yes , a Spiritual Director to brave women and men, and a professional dishwasher for his food blogging wife.

Scott lives in Vancouver, WA, and is most loved by his wife, Holly, and his children, Anders, Elsa, and Jones.

Aaron Niequist is a liturgist, writer, and pastor. Aaron recently graduated from General Theological Seminary in NYC. After leading worship at Mars Hill Church (Grand Rapids, MI) and Willow Creek Church (Barrington, IL), he created A New Liturgy - a collection of modern liturgical worship recordings. He then curated a discipleship-focused, formational, ecumenical, practice-based community called “The Practice”. Aaron released a book called The Eternal Current: How a Practice-Based Faith Can Keep Us From Drowning and continues to create resources to help others flesh it out.  But that’s just job stuff.  The best part of his life is his wife Shauna, and their sons Henry and William.

Drew Jackson is a poet, speaker, and public theologian. He is the author of God Speaks Through Wombs: Poems on God’s Unexpected Coming, which was a finalist for the Christian Book Award, and Touch the Earth: Poems on the Way. His work has appeared in Oneing from the Center for Action and Contemplation, The Isolation Journals with Suleika Jaouad, Christianity Today, Made for Pax, The Journal from the Centre for Public Christianity, Fathom Magazine, and other publications. Drew was a contributing artist on Jon Batiste’s Grammy-nominated album World Music Radio, and also appeared in the award-winning documentary American Symphony on Netflix. Drew is also a co-host of the Everything Belongs podcast from the Center for Action and Contemplation.

Drew received his B.A. in Political Science from the Univ. of Chicago and his M.A. in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. He currently works as the Managing Director of Mission Integration for the Center for Action and Contemplation, and lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife and daughters.

Becky Ykema cut her teeth in worship leadership while on staff at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, IL for eight years. She recently finished a six-year tenure as the Worship Pastor of Ascent Community Church in Louisville, CO.

Becky is currently an Associate at Slingshot Group. She coaches worship leaders in cultivating healthy and sustainable teams, as well as upping their vocal delivery and worship leading skills.

She received degrees in Bible & Theology and Music at North Park University and received her Masters of Divinity at Wesley Seminary. Her background serving in a mega-church and a start-up church provides her with a broad understanding of the unique needs within various growth stages of a church.

Becky is married to Nathan and they have two energetic and imaginative kids, August and Zeke. Becky’s most recent music project is available on any music platform under the name Hymns of the People.

Nina Barnes is a trained spiritual director and coach with a passion for accompanying others in navigating life. Through Transforming Journey, her spiritual direction and coaching practice, Nina considers it a sacred privilege to help people listen for and respond to possibilities. She creates space for people to discover purpose & meaning, discern opportunities, work through challenges and conflicts, and develop as leaders. Nina is honored to help others experience and embody love, hope, redemption, and a journey of belovedness.

Nina has extensive human resources experience, stemming from 30+ years of service within a variety of organizational settings. Along with a Master of Arts degree in Spiritual Formation & Leadership, Nina holds certifications in: Conflict Coaching / Mediation, Bias Awareness and Mitigation, StrengthsFinder Training, Enneagram Training and Coaching, Spiritual Transformation, Spiritual Direction, and Human Resources Management

Outside of work, Nina desires to make a meaningful impact as she serves as a board member for two non-profit organizations, and in her most cherished role as mother to an adult son and “daughter-in-love”, along with treasuring being “Gramma Nina” to their two beloved little girls.