Rooted in Love

The Cultivate Retreat with The Way Back To Ourselves is back IN-PERSON for 2026 in Greenville, South Carolina, June 19-21. We have a space reserved for YOU!

Have you ever had a moment that was so transformative that you questioned its reality?

This is how I felt 4 years ago before I found The Way Back To Ourselves community!

I had been struggling in my writing so much and I was living with such imposter syndrome about anything I would try and write. I told myself, “who are you to be writing about soul care, mental health and spiritual formation - look at what a mess your life is.”

I believed my writing was never going to be valuable to myself or anyone else. I was having lots of bouts of anxiety and depression in general about if I would ever do ministry that would impact people.

Then the clouds parted and (to be honest, I can’t even remember how it happened) but I came across Kimberly Phinney and this new creative community that she had created called The Way Back To Ourselves. I messaged Kimberly and we discovered that we had so much in common and so many of the same people.

I jumped into some online poetry and writing nights and started to build community. If you have been here in my Substack community, you know that I was a Pastor for over 30 years and in 2020 it all came crashing down. I had been spiritually abused and had so much church hurt and intense ministry burnout, I wasn’t sure I even wanted to talk with God ever again. I had ashes of my faith and had no desire to be part of a church anywhere.

This community was a huge part of my healing. You could say that they helped me find the way back to myself (see what I did there).

Kimberly started having conversations with us around actually getting together in person and perhaps having a retreat for other writers, artists and creatives. In 2024 we gathered for our FIRST EVER Cultivate Retreat!

Last year we gathered online due to some health challenges by some of our team and it was still a great retreat but we all missed being together.

I AM PROUD TO SAY…WE ARE BACK TOGETHER IN PERSON THIS YEAR !!!

IT’S TIME TO GET ROOTED.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR... COMMUNITY & BELONGING, WRITING & PUBLISHING WORKSHOPS, SPIRITUAL DIRECTION, INSPIRATIONAL, KEYNOTE SPEAKERS, “YOU CHOOSE” BREAKOUT SESSIONS, AN ARTIST’S MARKET, WORSHIP MUSIC, ENTERTAINMENT, AND MORE?

WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED.

We are partnering with First Presbyterian Church in Greenville. Their mission is to transform the heart of their city and we here at The Way Back To Ourselves want to transform writers, artists, creatives for the glory of God.

Downtown Greenville, South Carolina

We have some incredble people that will be speaking and sharing how they are discovering their deep roots in Jesus in the midst of this chaotic world all around us.

Over the course of the weekend, we’ll be joined by Stephen Roach of The Breath and the Clay, Amanda Held Opelt, musician and author of A Hole in the World and Holy Unhappiness. We also are blessed to welcome Ben Palpant, author of An Axe for the Frozen Sea with Rabbit Room Press.

We also will hear from our TWBTO Team - seriously this is a powerhouse team!

I hope you’ll join me and our TWBTO team in Greenville: Deidre Braley, myself Matthew Nash, Chelsea Fraser, Edward Holmes, Heather Lobe Johnson, Mariana Herrera Mosli, Sarah Steele, and more. As well as TWBTO community members, like debut poets Rosa Lía Gilbert and Deborah Rutherford, Jason Fullerton, and Lisa M. Johnson.

On Friday before the retreat, I will be leading a PRE-WORKSHOP on The Beatitudes and Spiritual Practices. If you decide to come, please sign up HERE for this workshop.

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On Friday night we are having a Community Meal to begin our weekend together and my friend Jason Fullerton will be our Dinner Host. He is an amazing writer, poet, Educator and farmer.

We only have 25 tickets left ! Grab yours today and join us!

Also, for anyone who buys a ticket from now until June 10th when ticket sales end, will get 2 FREE SPIRITUAL DIRECTION SESSIONS WITH ME as well as a FREE 30 DAY DEVOTIONAL at the retreat.

Also, Kimberly Phinney will include 3 FREE MONTHS SUBSCRIPTION to The Way Back To Ourselves Substack and Community!

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW THROUGH JUNE 10th.

Click on the link below to learn more and grab your ticket. More details will be coming soon about sessions, agenda, events, and speakers. SEATS ARE LIMITED. So, stay tuned!

Hope you can make it and be rooted in love with us!

Grace and Peace

Matthew Nash