You simply cannot miss this opportunity!

Mark your calendars for October 11-12 (and Sunday the 13th) as very special guest Ben Westlund leads us in a fascinating, in-depth, and life-changing tour of Moses’ wilderness Tabernacle.

Recent Epiclesis travelers to the Holy Land were captivated by their amazing guide at the Timna Park Tabernacle replica. Ben Westlund was his name (left), and we have invited him to come all the way to Sacramento to spend two days unpacking the many ways that the Old Testament Tabernacle points to the person and work of Jesus.

Said Pastor Chris, “We were astonished at the depth of knowledge and the passion of this outstanding young man– all of us. I can only say that it’s a huge blessing that Ben is coming here, and I can’t wait for folks to meet him!”

Be sure to see the biographical sketch, plus pictures, of Ben just down below…

Some Details For You:

The retreat location will be the Fair Oaks Community Clubhouse (in Old Fair Oaks, directly across from the Epiclesis Chapter House). See handy maps below.

The cost (including lunch on Saturday) is $40 per person.

You MUST reserve your spot with a paid reservation of $40; space is limited and we are expecting heavy interest in this rare opportunity.

You Can Reserve Your Spot Three Ways:

1) Online with a Credit Card via our secure payment portal. Very Important Note: Please add $2 for each reservation to cover electronic processing fees. Mark “Fall Retreat” (and the name[s] you’re registering) in the notes field.  Click here to go to our secure online payment portal.

2) By Mailing a Check: Payable to “Epiclesis” and marked “Fall Retreat” in the notes (please also list the name[s] you’re registering). Mail to 11230 Gold Express Drive, #310-214; Gold River, CA; 95670-4484.

3) In Person by Check on Sunday mornings at Epiclesis. NOTE: Please write a separate check for your registration(s) [e.g. separate from tithes or offerings], make a note that it is for the fall retreat, and also list the name[s] you’re registering.

Mini-retreat schedule/overview: Friday night, 6:30-9 PM; Saturday, 9-5. (Note: This is not an overnight retreat). Ben will also teach in the Sunday morning service at Epiclesis (10:30 AM). For Friday night, consider coming to the Village early, finding a bite to eat (there are several wonderful spots), and getting a good parking space.

An important note about parking: Parking in Old Fair Oaks Village can be a challenge. We picked the retreat date, in part, because there were no other known scheduled Village events. However, parking everywhere, including at the Clubhouse, is on a first-come, first-served basis. We strongly encourage you to come early and find a spot at the Clubhouse, or surrounding lots where appropriate (including across the street at the Fair Oaks Park and Rec building), at the Epiclesis Chapter House, or where allowed on nearby surface streets. We also strongly recommend that you carpool with friends.

Maps? Questions? Retreat Brochure?

• Old Fair Oaks Village Map-Simple (showing the Chapter House and the Community Clubhouse).
• Old Fair Oaks Village Map-Satellite (showing the Chapter House, Community Clubhouse, and primary streets).
• Questions? Email us by clicking right here.
• Want a copy of the Tabernacle Retreat brochure for printing? Click right here.

Be on the lookout for more information soon, but in the meantime mark your calendars and share this amazing opportunity with a friend!

About our retreat leader…

Ben Westlund (right) was born in 1992 in the city of Eilat, located on the Red Sea at the southernmost tip of Israel. His father, an American from Minnesota, moved to Israel at 23 to marry his mother, an Israeli of Finnish descent from Beersheba. Her grandfather had moved to British Palestine from Finland after being called by God to import, and later print, Bibles for Jews who were returning from around the world after a 2,000-year exile, resulting in the subsequent creation of the State of Israel.

He writes, “All 12 years of my education were spent in Israeli public schools, except for 5th and 6th grades which I spent in Minnesota. Two weeks after my final matriculation exam in 12th grade I found myself in the green Israeli Defense Forces uniform.

“My 3-year army service saw much disappointment, hardship, and spiritual warfare, but always accompanied with great blessing, learning, faith, and God’s grace. My army service finished with a bang as I spent my last two weeks as part of Israel’s 2014 invasion of the Gaza Strip.

“After my army service I traveled in the U.S. and other countries, spent 6 months with an Israeli Christian discipleship program, and worked both in Israel and the U.S.

“Now I am back in Israel, and for the past year and a half I have worked as a guide for the Tabernacle replica in Timna Park (see photo, left). Since working at the Tabernacle, I have made great strides in my understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures as I keep reading and studying their relevance to living a full and complete life in Christ.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the art used in our retreat logo: “Joy” is the title of the stunning profile depiction of Jesus. The artist is Yongsung Kim, a favorite of ours at Epiclesis (he’s the creator of the “Hand of God” found on the wall of our Chapter House). He writes, “I spent my youth in the beautiful countryside of Korea, which is rich with the emotion that I hope is captured in my paintings. I started painting in middle school and spent much of my time growing up drawing. After I became an adult, I began to worry about the path my life would lead, so I prayed. Through the inspiration I gained while painting, I decided I would live a life devoted to bringing glory to God. Even though I didn’t formally study painting, I felt I had been blessed with natural talent and aesthetic taste and I began a life as a Christian artist.”