on the farm

Beginning in the book of Genesis, the Lord set forth a cultural mandate for all his people to follow. He called man to walk with Him, fill and subdue the earth, and have dominion over it. Later, in the New Testament, we are reminded of this same decree in the Sermon on the Mount. Christ calls his disciples to be the salt and light of the earth. From these two commands, and from the whole testimony of redemptive history, we see that our Lord has a special concern for us. His desire is that we care for His creation and grow in intimacy with Him through His Son and other like-minded believers.

We believe this kind of health and wholeness takes place incrementally over time and is a process best experienced from time-to-time in the context of the land. Ithaka is thus, in and of itself, an invitation for you to enter more deeply into this process described above. A short retreat would include things like gardening, tutoring, teaching and reflection, extended time in solitude, guided experiences with spiritual practices, and freedom to take long uninterrupted walks in the prairie. Please contact Duane if you would like to discuss details for your own personal retreat.

for your church or nonprofit

We are so glad you are interested in learning how Ithaka can benefit your church or nonprofit! Taking your staff, ministry team, young adults, or congregation on a retreat requires a certain amount of planning and faith. There is often spiritual warfare around our attempts to get away from the chaos of our everyday lives in order to be more fully available to God. And once we arrive, the enemy is often looking for an opportune time to distract and keep us from giving God our full and undivided attention.


Each retreat with Pastor Duane will include time for rest, teaching and reflection, extended time in solitude, and sharing in community. Using his experience as a pastoral counselor and spiritual formation doctoral student, Duane weaves together Trinitarian content found in his working manuscript Abiding in Christ for the Good of Creation. This manuscript will eventually be available in book form (DV).