The gathering for all Upper Peninsula faith communities is the third of many events that are scheduled through the summer of 2008 under the Grand Island Conference and Retreat Program.

The retreat is scheduled from 10 a.m. -  4 p.m. on Friday, November 9, 2007 at Eden on the Bay Lutheran Church in Munising.

Rev. Dr. George Cairns of Chesterton. Indiana will lead the retreat. Cairns is an experienced practitioner of many forms of traditional Christian spirituality and an expert in Celtic Christianity.

In the Spirit of the Earth: Ecology and Spiritual Liberation

The interfaith Grand Island conferences, retreats and seminars are one leg of the TIP in Munising that promotes respect for the environment and Native American culture.

The TIP encourages all religions to work together and listen to Earth-based cultures like Native Americans, Celts and others.  A research professor of theology at the Chicago Theological Seminary, Dr. Cairns is TIP co-founder and board chairman.

Dr. Cairns has led inter-faith prayer groups and has developed methods for people of many faiths to be in prayer, authentic to their own traditions.

"As a Christian, I believe that it is my duty to pray with people of other faiths in ways where I do not forget that I am a follower of Christ and where I do not coerce them to follow my path." Dr. Cairns said.

The ecumenical retreat is for faith communities “seeking to learn how to pray with others,” said Rev. Dr. Lynn Hubbard, TIP director and co-founder.

“This will be a contemplative and prayerful time - shared in a caring community of fellow Christians and anyone else who wishes to be with us,” Hubbard said.

“Dr. Cairns will lead us in an exploration on the history of Christian spirituality, and the importance of nature, in the Christian tradition,” Hubbard said.

The series is free but pre-registration for ecological seminar is required by October 30, 2007.

To register call 906.387.5615 or website: turtleislandproject.org