Entrance to Pocono Plateau’s Eco Eternity Forest
Pocono Plateau honors the sacred gifts of life and creation—in both the nature and nurture it offers to people of all ages through camping and retreat ministries. So, it’s ideal that this place apart should also honor death and the grief that it brings to so many.
Amid the beauty of its vast mountain-area landscape and lakescape, the Plateau will offer two special events in November to gather people acquainted with loss for reflection, wisdom-sharing and communal support. In addition, the camp and retreat center offers its Eco Eternity Forest as a haven for people seeking a final resting place for themselves or loved ones.
Through the Valley of the Shadows: A Workshop for Clergy, Lay-Ministers, and Grief Workers—on Friday, November 10, at 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.—will offer insights and inspiration to people who seek to help those grieving from loss. It will address fundamentals of the “anthropology and psychology of spirituality,” distinctions in how our whole human selves are affected by grief, principles of doing griefwork, and helpful biblical readings and tools to use in offering spiritual direction and formation on the path toward healing. Learn more.
My Tears Have Been My Bread: Grieving, Mourning, and Loss on Life’s Journey, November 10-12—from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon—will gather members of the grieving community in retreat to examine ways in which grief impacts their lives and identities. They will consider ways of expressing and interacting with grief, and how to cope with the well-meaning efforts of others. There will be time for journaling, artistic creation, personal remembrances, exploring the Psalms and other scriptures, and reviewing tools used in spiritual direction and formation to “help us in the true work of grieving and mourning.” Learn more.
Pocono Plateau’s Eco Eternity Forest offers a unique opportunity for people seeking a final resting place for themselves or loved ones. Nestled on 750 acres of northern hardwood forest, this environmentally sustainable alternative to traditional burials is a cost-effective option for nature lovers who desire eternal rest in a beautiful, serene landscape.
Cremains are placed in biodegradable urns and buried at the base of selected trees. This process allows remaining nutrients to be absorbed by the tree roots, and in essence, they become a living memorial.
Guests are welcome to visit their loved ones anytime during the year while enjoying the beauty of the surrounding forest and meditative space. Learn more. For a tour, call 570-676-3665 or email director@poconoplateau.org.