Chestnut Retreat Center

10/14/2026

We’re glad to support NorthBound & Co and their mission of helping individuals and families on their journey to recovery. Thank you for the important work you do in our community, and best wishes for a successful Flash Forward event this Saturday!

Thank you to our Half Sleeve Sponsor Chestnut Retreat Center. We are so grateful for your support!
Chestnut Retreat Center is a faith-based nonprofit organization in Saylorsburg, founded by the Turkish American community and inspired by the values of the Hizmet Movement. CRC promotes spiritual and intellectual growth, brings people of different faiths and backgrounds together, and serves the wider community through educational programs, interfaith engagement, and community service.

10/13/2026

We were glad to be part of the second Faith250 multifaith gathering, hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Stroudsburg.

It was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on Emma Lazarus’s The New Colossus and exchange perspectives with neighbors from different faith communities.

10/13/2026

We were delighted to partner with Peace Islands Institute Pennsylvania for the 13th Annual Cultural Celebration Day at the Pennsylvania State Capitol!

It was wonderful to see communities from across Pennsylvania come together to share their cultures, traditions, music, and stories.

We are grateful to all participating organizations, performers, volunteers, and everyone who helped make this celebration possible. We look forward to many more opportunities to bring communities together!

10/13/2026

Earlier this month, on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, we joined members of local faith communities at St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish for the annual Stop the Hate Prayer Vigil.

The gathering also recalled the spirit of Pope John Paul II’s historic interfaith gathering in Assisi in 1986, when religious leaders from around the world came together to pray for peace.

Through prayers and reflections, we shared a meaningful time of fellowship centered on peace, compassion, and mutual understanding.

We are grateful to St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish for hosting this gathering and to everyone who took part.

09/22/2026

We’re glad to be part of Faith 250 and to support the Pocono Interfaith Council in bringing this national initiative to our local community.

We encourage our friends and neighbors to join the second Multifaith Community Dialogue on Sunday, September 27 at 2:30 PM in Stroudsburg. This gathering will use Emma Lazarus’s “The New Colossus” as a starting point for conversations about belonging, welcome, community, and the American experience.

We hope to see you there!

Join us for the second Faith 250 Multifaith Community Dialogue on Sunday, September 27, at 2:30 PM, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Stroudsburg.

This gathering will center on Emma Lazarus’s “The New Colossus,” the poem closely associated with the Statue of Liberty. After reading the poem together, participants will take part in facilitated table conversations reflecting on its meaning and on questions of belonging, welcome, community, and the American experience.

People of all faiths and backgrounds are warmly invited to join us.

Please RSVP here to help us with preparations:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSccw9cGq3fF6lykIErwUkijG2DCR1MesFqRmNqfHz9TAw_tQg/viewform

We hope you can be part of this meaningful community conversation.

09/21/2026

We were glad to be back with our friends at the Slate Belt YMCA for Welcoming Week and to join their International Potluck.

We brought baklava and Turkish delight to share and enjoyed meeting and talking with people from across the community. It was especially nice to see so many different foods, cultures, and backgrounds in the same room.

Thanks to everyone at the Slate Belt YMCA who helped make the evening possible.

09/17/2026

Our Annual Friendship Picnic brought together friends, neighbors, and members of our wider community for an afternoon by the pond.

There was plenty of delicious food, along with a water balloon toss, sack races, community trivia, and a little friendly competition. Just as nice was having time to sit together, catch up, meet some new people, and enjoy the afternoon.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make it such a lovely gathering. Here are a few moments from the day! 📸

09/11/2026

Today, on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, we remember the lives lost and honor the courage of the first responders and all those who served in the days that followed.

May this day of remembrance deepen our commitment to peace and to standing together across our differences.

08/03/2026

We were glad to be part of this Faith 250 gathering, which brought faith communities from across the Poconos together around “America the Beautiful.”

As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, the afternoon offered an opportunity to reflect together on service, shared responsibility, care for our neighbors, and the ideals that continue to shape the American story.

Thank you to the Pocono Interfaith Council and everyone who took part.

07/27/2026

As America marks its 250th anniversary, the Pocono Interfaith Council is bringing Faith 250 to our community this Sunday. Join us for an afternoon of conversation, reflection, and connection.

Faith 250: Multifaith Celebration — Less Than Three Weeks Away!

As America marks its 250th anniversary, the Pocono Interfaith Council invites you to join neighbors from across the region for a meaningful multifaith gathering centered on America’s founding ideals, our shared values, and our hopes for the country’s future.

Participants will gather around small tables for shared readings, thoughtful reflection, and open conversation. Rather than a lecture or political program, the afternoon is intended to create a welcoming space where people of different faith traditions, backgrounds, and perspectives can listen to one another and build stronger relationships as neighbors.

This gathering is part of Faith 250, a national initiative encouraging faith communities to reflect together on the civic values and hopes that can help guide our shared future.

📅 Sunday, August 2, 2026
🕝 2:30–4:30 PM
📍 Hughes Library, Community Room
1002 N. 9th St., Stroudsburg, PA

The event is free and open to all. Please feel welcome to invite family members, friends, and others from your community.*

*RSVP is recommended to help us plan seating and roundtable arrangements, though walk-ins are welcome.

Register here: https://forms.gle/FwN8cNzPS43WVxE97