The Rev. Dr. John Philip Newell and Fran McKendree on October 25 will present A Day of Listening and Learning, at Grace Episcopal Church, 303 South Main Street, Kilmarnock.
A Day of Listening and Learning is sponsored by Grace Church and Bay Center for Spiritual Development and supported by grants from The Grace Trust and The Robert B. Lantz Foundation, reported committee member Deborah Lockhart.
A program from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. will cost $25, including lunch, said Lockhart. Register for the morning session by October 16 at baycenterva.com, or 436-3191.
A musical program with McKendree will be held from 5 to 6 p.m., she added. A Celtic service led by Rev. Dr. Newell will be offered from 6:15 to 7 p.m. and a reception will follow. There is no charge for the evening sessions. Books and CDs will be available for purchase.
Rev. Dr. Newell is an author and Christian teacher of spirituality, said Lockhart. Formerly warden of Iona Abbey in the Western Isles of Scotland, he has since founded the School of Celtic Consciousness (SCC) in Colorado, New England, California and Richmond.
The author of Listening for the Heartbeat of God, Rev. Dr. Newell is a Church of Scotland minister with a passion for peace in the world and a fresh vision for harmony between the great spiritual traditions of humanity, Lockhart added.
McKendree’s music has been described as a “spiritually engaging experience.” He’s enjoyed success in a folk/rock ensemble and played such venues as Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall before he felt called to musical ministry in the late 1970s, said Lockhart.
Today, McKendree calls Hendersonville, N.C., home. He leads musical worship at conferences, retreats and national gatherings as well as records and produces original and collaborative CDs, she said.
