Conferences may just look like events on the calendar, times and to-dos in a list. But I want to paint that picture in such vivid detail because, personally, it was an amazing experience of God’s grace and glory. It was also a rollercoaster....

“Eden Invitation has helped me to ‘speak the language’...to have the mindset and confidence to engage in conversations about sexuality when they come. Where the world says there's division, there really can be unity, since we're all brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ.”

Last month, we were blessed to receive 75 participants at our Joyful Hope retreat. To receive these participants well, we needed a Pastoral Team.

On our Joyful Hope Retreat, the Eden Invitation staff was joined by priests, religious, counselors, and other allies to form a 12-person Pastoral Team. Though they may not have experiences of same-sex desires, gender discordance, or asexuality, they see how God is building a community of striving disciples through the mission of Eden Invitation and want to walk with us.

For four beautiful days in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, we made space to receive 75 participants with a 12-person retreat team at our largest retreat ever. This year we dove into our value of Joyful Hope. Our in-person events often feel like family reunions; we eat, pray, and celebrate the beautiful things God is doing in our lives. While these retreats are a beautiful time to catch up with old friends, we are a growing community– new people join us each year!
In this month's Good Fruit article, hear directly from two of our retreatants-- one who has been with us since the first EI retreat and one who joined us for the first time!

This August (2023) marked one year of working from our headquarters in St. Paul, MN!
"The day-to-day around here in this re-purposed classroom isn’t too flashy, and yet this is where some groundbreaking work has happened these past 12 months. Being the Communications & Relationship Specialist, I have had a front-row seat and I am excited to share more of the team’s reflections on the past year."
Hear more from Bernadette and the team as they reflect on the ways this mission and community have grown because of our move to an in-person headquarters!