October 9 – 11, 2026

Ladies Retreat

Our Speaker: Susan Felch

Why Stories are Good for the Soul

Have you ever wondered why God loves stories? Why the Bible unfolds as the grand story of God’s covenantal actions from the garden in Genesis to the city in Revelation? We may not be able to answer the “why” question, but we do recognize how important stories are in scripture. And we understand that stories do not mean “fiction” or “made up” or “only for children.” Instead, God invites us to better understand himself, his world, and our redemption through stories. He begins the Ten Commandments with a story: “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” We are introduced to Jesus with stories about a young woman, a confused fiancé, angels, shepherds, wealthy eastern travelers, and a murderous king.
Because we are made in the image of God, we too are story-reading and story-telling creatures, so it makes sense for us to think together about how stories work and how to read them well. Stories don’t give us simple recipes for the Christian life, but they can help us slow down and meditate on what it means to know God and cultivate a life that enjoys and glorifies him.

Susan Felch is a longtime member of the OPC. Her husband, Doug, was the founding pastor of the Matthews Orthodox Presbyterian Fellowship (now Resurrection OPC) in North Carolina and later pastor of Bethel OPC in Leesburg, Virginia. In 1992, they moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan where Susan was a professor of English at Calvin College (now University) and Doug was a professor of theological studies at Kuyper College. They are both now retired. Susan has authored articles and books on the English Reformation and Christian higher education, including Teaching and Christian Imagination with David I. Smith.

Registration

Registration Details to be announced.