The Challenge
Distrust, stress, isolation, and burnout are robbing society of what’s possible when people bring integrity and humanity to the places where they live and work.
As a result, we are losing competent, compassionate people in some of society’s most crucial roles – people like teachers, doctors, clergy, nonprofit leaders, and public servants. The costs are substantial as these once committed people become divided from their sense of self and purpose, grow disillusioned and cynical, and eventually distance themselves from those they serve or drop out.
To address the challenge,
we help people recover their wholeness and hope through retreat and reflection experiences. We do so, making use of the Circle of Trust® approach, where core principles and practices create safe space in which they can:
- Rejuvenate a sense of purpose by reconnecting to their core identity, values, commitments, and wellsprings of energy.
- Strengthen their resilience and well-being so that they can continue to grow, take risks, and become forces for positive change.
- Learn reflective practices that help them gain clarity around complex questions and become more intentional in their work.
- Experience ways of building community based on trust, mutual respect, and connectedness that underpin effective work.
- Cultivate the courage to act with integrity, and inspire those they lead and serve to do the same.
Retreats & Reflection experiences:
At WholeHearted, we design unique programs for every client. The following topics are indicative of past program designs:
For school communities:
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Full-day, half-day, twilight or extended overnight staff retreat program designed specifically for your formation needs
For Human Services, Community, Church or Caring professions:
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Full-day, half-day, twilight or extended overnight retreat programs designed specifically for your formation need
Formation experiences:
Formation workshops for schools:
WholeHearted Director, Greg Sunter, has extensive experience leading seminars, workshops and professional learning on topics including theology, scripture, spirituality, prayer and liturgy.
Sample topics include:
- Interpreting scripture
- Three worlds of the text
- The Jewish world of Jesus
- Who wrote the Gospels? Historical-Cultural world of scripture
- Catholic Social Justice teaching
- Praying with young people
- Approaches to prayer
- Understanding liturgy
- Gateways into spirituality
Greg also works with RE teachers to develop better understanding of the theological, scriptural, moral and ecclesial background for the teaching of Religious Education.
Retreat skill development programs
Working within an individual school or across a cluster or system of schools, Greg Sunter provides skill development and training for those involved in leading student retreats.
Many schools are becoming less reliant on out-sourcing their student retreat programs to external providers and are seeking to facilitate these programs with their own staff.
Skill development and training programs cover topics such as:
- Stages of Faith Formation and Moral Development
- Understanding group dynamics
- Working with small groups
- Communication skills
- Designing retreat programs and individual sessions
- Understanding the ‘flow’ and ‘arc’ of a retreat program
- The use of prayer, ritual and liturgy in a retreat program
- Images and metaphors
- Establishing safe sharing spaces for students
Whole of school approach to formation and student development
I work with school communities to develop an integrated, strategic approach to student formation that aligns retreat programs, reflection days and a variety of other existing activities to deliver a coordinated, developmental, whole of school plan for formation.
Greg, you organised such meaningful and powerful reflective experiences that encouraged me to reflect deeply about many aspects of my very busy life. I appreciated your ability to build such a safe place to receive and to give. You allowed me to just let things “be” which although seemed effortless on your part, took such thought, planning and such unobtrusive expertise.
As always, professional, personable and welcoming. Greg knows just how to design and deliver a program that makes people feel connected, confident and comfortable enough to participate whole-heartedly.
Greg is an outstanding facilitator and formator. He has a truly authentic approach with his programs. Your school, parish, organisation or business would definitely benefit from Greg’s input to help them ‘reconnect who they are with what they do’.