Clare Center Campus

As you enter the Clare Center property, you see a sign which tells you that you’ve found COR.  Attached to that sign is another that stays:  “The Clare Center:  A place of peace.”

Peace can mean many things.  It means getting away from a world that won’t slow down and a to-do list which grows incrementally every time you look at it.  It means caring about people, while at the same time feeling exhausted about their needs. Peace means a quieting of one’s mind, one’s body, and one’s heart.

Groups can also find peace.  The word applies to a staff that moves so fast that they never have the time to stop and have a real conversation with each other about the most important aspects of their work and what it means to each of them – and now, they do.  Peace happens when people in a group have a time and safe place to tell the truth as they see it, surrounded by others who really want to understand them.

Peace for a group means being “held” symbolically as its members struggle to respond to challenging problems, knowing that any resulting decisions represent the best of themselves and people  and their collective reflection.  The Clare Center is a protected space for individuals and groups to slow down and renew their resources.

A little peace goes a long way these days.

Everything about the Clare Center campus is centered around providing a sense of peace for its guests.

Situated on 140 acres of prairie and forest, and only a 20-minute drive from downtown Spokane, the Clare Center provides simplicity, space, and quiet.  Besides its human guests, deer, pheasant, wild turkey, and coyote are frequent visitors to the campus.

Our facilities are not large, but they are intimate.  The rooms of our remodelled working barn are simply, but tastefully furnished and decorated, and include many modern amenities; however, you won’t see telephones or televisions in the common areas or individual rooms.  The Clare Center doesn’t feel like a motel, a bed-and-breakfast, a conference center, or a convent.  Our guests tell us that its unique character promotes a sense of “Why haven’t I come here before?” as, little by little, thepeace of the place helps them reclaim the important pieces of their hectic lives.

Spaces, Functions, and Services

A range of events can be held at the Clare Center, from contemplative individual retreats to holiday parties and banquets.   An inviting, recently renovated barn houses the majority of the meeting/retreat space at the Clare Center. A summary description of this building includes:

• The Francis Room [former Library]  (capacity 25 people)

• The Hayloft Room (capacity 12 people)

• Dining Room (50 people seated at tables)

• State of the art kitchen with gas stove, dual ovens, commercial grade dishwasher, refrigeration/freezer space, large counter tops

• Full banquet amenities [tablecloths, dinnerware, glasses, coffee makers, buffet equipment, baking and cooking equipment]

• A small chapel/meditation room

• Level entry and all doorways accommodate wheelchairs

• All bedrooms have private full bathrooms

• Wireless internet, LCD projector, built-in speaker system

• 140 acre campus with gazebo, labyrinth, stream, two miles of trails, and grassy open spaces

• Parking capacity for 35 vehicles

These spaces can be reserved in many combinations at extremely reasonable fees, depending on the needs of our guests.

The Clare Center does not have a kitchen staff. To help tight budgets, our kitchen facilities are available to groups who wish to bring or prepare their own food; there is a moderate fee for renting the kitchen facilities.  If you prefer food prepared for you, we have worked with several excellent caterers in the region, and can help you find the right caterer for your needs and budget .

COR urges every guest – as an individual or member of a group – to spend time outside while at the Clare Center.  Our grounds include a large outdoor labyrinth nestled in a natural garden meadow alongside a small stream invites guests to slow down in their busy lives. Two miles of trail and 130 acres of open space provide adventurous guests a chance to explore the surroundings.  Abundant grassy hillsides make great alternative meeting spots and places for private reflection.

For groups: Approximately 50 people can be seated in the main dining room for banquets, with more capacity if other rooms and/or outdoor areas are utilized.  A large pergola with built-in seats is an excellent site for locating hor d’oeurves and beverages for outdoor receptions.

A number of different sized spaces are available for meetings and trainings, from the large main dining room, a magnificent former library with stained glass windows composing one wall, to an intimate small-group room in the barn’s former hayloft.  Several arrangements for small break-out rooms/spaces can be created both indoors and outside.  Audio-visual equipment, chart easels, and wireless internet provide the necessary tools to help groups achieve their meetings’ goals.

Overnight accommodations for groups are also somewhat flexible.  Seven guest rooms, each with a private full bath, offer several sleeping options:

Room 1:  two twin beds

Room 2:  one double bed, one twin bed

Room 3:  one double bed, one twin bed

Room 4:  one twin bed [under the eaves]

Room 5:  one twin bed [under the eaves]

Room 6:  two double beds

Room 7:  two double beds

In addition, a staff room houses a sofa bed which makes the room an additional sleeping area.  We’ve also housed larger groups of students and extended family reunions with the use of sleeping bags throughout the barn.