Programme
Thu 3 - Sun 6 April
Retiring Well
A return of this popular retreat, aimed at those who have retired in the past year or are planning to do so in the next couple of years. Retirement is a time of significant change and this retreat helps work through key issues such as leaving work well, exploring your calling in retirement, identity, supporting others and yourself and pacing life. The retreat is suitable for those in secular work or Christian ministry.
Mon 7 Apr
Deeper into God`s Heart **FULLY BOOKED**
There are still places on the Renewal Day on Monday 6th OctoberBlind singer/songwriter Marilyn and her ministry partner Tracy would love you to join them for a powerful day of worship, teaching and time to encounter the God of love. Marilyn`s songs will draw you into His presence and all that she and Tracy share will inspire and encourage you. There will be the opportunity to let go of hurts and burdens and to listen for God`s healing voice. Additional donations welcome on the day towards Marilyn and Tracy`s Ministry.
Thu 10 - Sun 13 April
Knowing You Jesus
Open to all to book!This retreat is built around the famous prayer of Richard of Chichester which expresses his desire to know Jesus more fully in the beautiful words: `to see you more clearly, love you more dearly and follow you more nearly.`Hopefully this reflects the longing of every follower of Jesus, and by spending time in the gospel narratives we can immerse ourselves in his life so that by being with him we become like him and learn to do what he would do. There will be times for worship, personal reflection and personal accompaniment if desired.We will be using material from the book `Knowing You, Jesus` (BRF 2023) copies of which will be available at a discount price of £15 at the retreat.Tony & Jilly Horsfall
Fri 25 - Sun 27 April
Divorce Recovery Workshop
Have you been through divorce or separation; has your relationship irretrievably broken down; are you asking yourself why it all happened? Struggling with the trauma, feeling rejected, that nobody understands? At whatever stage of separation and divorce you find yourself, this workshop helps you make some sense of it all and find ways of moving forward.
Mon 28 Apr
Prayer Shawl Workshop
Come together to either crochet or knit a prayer shawl, which will be created prayerfully, spending time praying for those who will receive them. Whilst the prayer shawl is our gift to someone else, we will also experience blessing as we take time out to create, pray and spend the day together. Please bring your own yarn, crochet hook or knitting needles. If you don`t have your own, please let us know when you book your place. The day is suitable for both experienced and less experienced crocheters/knitters and will include spiritual reflection as well as time creating together.
Fri 9 - Sun 11 May
Reigniting Your Creative Spark
If God is the Great Creator and we are made in God`s image, why is being creative sometimes so hard? Why is any sort of creative expression so difficult to prioritise and protect? How do we cope with doubt and self criticism in our artistic life? We will look together at the spirituality of using our unique creativity and how to revive it when it`s gone cold, whether for a few weeks or for many years.
Mon 12 May
Creativity, Contemplation, Connection
Photographer and creativity specialist, Rachel, will gently guide participants through the day, which will include morning reflections and a contemplative smartphone photography walk. There will also be opportunities for creative writing, mark making, silence, self-reflection and sharing together, as we gently connect with our creative selves and new ways of seeing and engaging with the world around us.
Fri 16 May
Quiet Garden Day
Step aside from the busyness of life and into the peace and beauty of this place for a day of reflection and refreshment. The day will be mostly self-guided but will start and end with a reflective prayer time. You will be able to use the art room, summer houses and prayer labyrinth in the orchard. Resources and suggestions for prayer walks and reflections will be available along with refreshments during the day. Please bring your own packed lunch.
Sat 17 - Fri 23 May
6 Night Silent Individually Guided Retreat
FULLY BOOKED
Come and deepen your relationship with God on this silent individually guided retreat (IGR). You will have the time and opportunity to pay attention to God and be more aware of his work in your life, to pray and reflect on your life and to consider any decisions you have to make and priorities you want to set.
Sat 17 - Sun 25 May
8 Night Silent IGR *Fully Booked*
Come and deepen your relationship with God on this silent individually guided retreat (IGR). You will have the time and opportunity to pay attention to God and be more aware of his work in your life, to pray and reflect on your life and to consider any decisions you have to make and priorities you want to set.
Mon 2 Jun
Day of Prayer for Mission
Do you have a heart for the nations or do you know mission workers who need prayer support? Come and join us for a day of prayer for the worldwide mission community. No charge but donations towards a light lunch would be appreciated.
Mon 2 - Thu 5 June
New Directions
This retreat is for mission partners who have returned to live in the UK or are back for an extended home assignment. The focus will be on helping `unpack` and understand the process of transition and change that is involved in re-entry and to provide support strategies to process the many challenges.
Mon 9 - Fri 13 June
Silent Individually Guided Retreat *Fully Booked*
This individually guided retreat (IGR) will be a silent retreat, giving you opportunity for solitude and time to really land, reflect and pray. You will have the opportunity to meet an experienced spiritual director and retreat guide, each day, who will also lead a short morning and evening time of meditation and prayer to bookend each day. There will be plenty of resources available for contemplative and creative prayer and reflection.
Mon 23 - Thu 26 June
Invitations in the Wilderness
This is a retreat for those in vocational ministry or mission. It`s inevitable. A given. No child of God gets a free pass - including those called to minister in his name. We will all spend time in the wilderness. The wilderness is not a comfortable place; it can be a place of disorientation, of questioning, of distress and doubts. It is the place where we come face to face with the reality of our humanity; our limitations, our fears, our weaknesses and our temptations. And yet the wilderness is also the place where we are invited to encounter and embrace God`s presence and purposes for us in ever more profound ways. We are invited into a growing intimacy with God and a greater likeness to Jesus.In our time together we will draw from the Scriptures to explore the invitations which God holds out to us in the harder seasons of our lives - our wilderness days - and the lessons which the wilderness offers us which can shape our lives and ministries. Each teaching session will be followed by a time for personal reflection and prayer. There will be plenty of space for solitude and quiet, and an opportunity for spiritual direction if desired.
Mon 30 June - Fri 4 July
Restore, Refresh, Recharge
A retreat for mission and ministry partners. An opportunity to lean back into the Lord, meet him where we are and receive his love, grace and strength as we continue our journey with him. We will reflect on our connectedness to Jesus, our receptivity and our capacity to engage with him and his call for our lives.
Fri 11 - Sun 13 July
Wellbeing Weekend 1
A wellbeing weekend offers a safe and supportive space for people who feel or have felt overwhelmed, providing tools for self-management in a facilitated peer mentoring style setting. This weekend will cover subjects of anxiety, depression, disappointment and loss. The sessions include group and individual activities designed to help participants accept themselves, understand their value and worth and grow towards a more resilient and hopeful future. This is the first of three Wellbeing Weekends. Each one will look at different subjects concerning our wellbeing. You are welcome to attend one, any or all of the weekends.
Mon 14 - Fri 18 July
Watercolour Painting Retreat FULLY BOOKED
Explore the surprising, and often unpredictable technique of `Wet in Wet` Watercolour painting, here in the beauty and tranquility of Penhurst. It`s a great way to be experimental with your compositions and any landscape, still life, or portrait will undergo transformation with this varied, and bold technique. With practice, you will master soft edges, interesting skies, and patterns that loosely suggest form in a semi abstract way, it is perfect for expressing quickly changing light, a special moment in time, and your excitement about what you see before you.
Mon 21 - Fri 25 July
4 Night Silent Ignatian Guided Retreat
Come and deepen your relationship with God on this silent individually guided retreat (IGR). You will have the time and opportunity to pay attention to God and be more aware of his work in your life, to pray and reflect on your life and to consider any decisions you have to make and priorities you want to set.
Mon 4 - Fri 8 August
Refilling Whilst We Pour Out
Do you sometimes feel as if you are pouring out of an empty cup? Well, this is an opportunity to refuel and refresh. The retreat is for anyone working in Christian charities, missions, ministries or churches and also those in caring professions and roles such as medics, teachers, social workers and parents. Anyone who spends their life pouring out to others and sometimes forgets to look after themselves.
Mon 18 - Fri 22 August
Healing Life`s Wounds
A gentle retreat offering rest, refreshment and healing. Drawing on themes from Pat`s latest book we will take a tender look at the emotional wounds underlying our struggles and discover that they don`t have to become a barrier to living life in all its fullness. Combining practical exercises with image, symbolism and guided scriptural meditations, we will explore how to find healing and wholeness with Jesus. There will be times of rest and stillness and optional one-to-one ministry.
Wed 27 - Sat 30 August
Running the Race
This course is intended to help those who have been involved in full-time Christian ministry (UK and overseas) prepare for retirement and the years beyond. It will look at what we understand by `retirement`, the Biblical approach to old age and in particular the spirituality of ageing.
Mon 1 Sep
Day of Prayer for Mission
Do you have a heart for the nations or do you know mission workers who need prayer support? Come and join us for a day of prayer for the worldwide mission community. No charge but donations towards a light lunch would be appreciated.
Thu 4 - Sun 7 September
Knowing You, Jesus
This retreat is built around the famous prayer of Richard of Chichester which expresses his desire to know Jesus more fully in the beautiful words: `to see you more clearly, love you more dearly and follow you more nearly.` Hopefully this reflects the longing of every follower of Jesus, and by spending time in the gospel narratives we can immerse ourselves in his life so that by being with him we become like him and learn to do what he would do. There will be times for worship, personal reflection and personal accompaniment if desired. We will be using material from the book `Knowing You, Jesus` (BRF 2023) copies of which will be available at a discount price of £15 at the retreat. Tony & Jilly Horsfall
Fri 12 - Sun 14 September
Well-Being Weekend 2
A wellbeing weekend offers a safe and supportive space for people who feel or have felt overwhelmed, providing tools for self-management in a facilitated peer mentoring style setting. This weekend will cover subjects of perfectionism, shame and anger. The sessions include group and individual activities designed to help participants accept themselves, understand their value and worth and grow towards a more resilient and hopeful future. This is the second of three Wellbeing Weekends. Each one will look at different subjects concerning our wellbeing. You are welcome to attend one, any or all of the weekends.
Mon 15 Sep
Daring to Talk About Grief
A space for you to connect with your grief in a supportive environment. The day includes input about common themes of the grieving process, opportunities to speak about your own experience in a small and safe group and time for quiet reflection.
Tue 23 Sep
Prayer Shawl Workshop
Come together to either crochet or knit a prayer shawl, which will be created prayerfully, spending time praying for those who will receive them. Whilst the prayer shawl is our gift to someone else, we will also experience blessing as we take time out to create, pray and spend the day together. Please bring your own yarn, crochet hook or knitting needles. If you don`t have your own, please let us know when you book your place. The day is suitable for both experienced and less experienced crocheters/knitters and will include spiritual reflection as well as time creating together.
Thu 25 Sep
Quiet Garden Day
Step aside from the busyness of life and into the peace and beauty of this place for a day of reflection and refreshment. The day will be mostly self-guided but will start and end with a reflective prayer time. You will be able to use the art room, summer houses and prayer labyrinth in the orchard. Resources and suggestions for prayer walks and reflections will be available along with refreshments during the day. Please bring your own packed lunch.
Mon 29 September - Sun 5 October
6 Night Silent IGR
Come and deepen your relationship with God on this silent individually guided retreat (IGR). You will have the time and opportunity to pay attention to God and be more aware of his work in your life, to pray and reflect on your life and to consider any decisions you have to make and priorities you want to set.
Mon 6 Oct
Deeper into God`s Heart, A Renewal Day
Blind singer/songwriter Marilyn and her ministry partner Tracy would love you to join them for a powerful day of worship, teaching and time to encounter the God of love. Marilyn`s songs will draw you into His presence and all that she and Tracy share will inspire and encourage you. There will be the opportunity to let go of hurts and burdens and to listen for God`s healing voice.
Fri 10 - Sun 12 October
Crossroads Retreat
`Stand at the crossroads and look. Look for the ancient paths. Ask where the good way is and walk in it and you will find rest for your soul.` Facilitated by two experienced coaches this retreat provides a unique space for people at a crossroads in life to pause, step back and reflect on where they are, the questions they find themselves in, what they really want and to how take steps forward.
Fri 17 - Sun 19 October
Divorce Recovery Weekend
Have you been through divorce or separation; has your relationship irretrievably broken down; are you asking yourself why it all happened? Struggling with the trauma, feeling rejected, that nobody understands? At whatever stage of separation and divorce you find yourself, this workshop helps you make some sense of it all and find ways of moving forward.
Mon 20 Oct
Pilgrims of Hope
An invitation to journey together towards a future based on hope, love, mercy and friendship. Taking inspiration from Psalm 84:5 `Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage` we will explore the calling to be pilgrims in a world where many are in crisis and the example of hope and peace we can bring through the way we walk with God along the journey of our lives.
Mon 27 - Fri 31 October
4 Night Silent Ignatian Guided Retreat
Come and deepen your relationship with God on this silent individually guided retreat (IGR). An IGR offers you the time and opportunity to pay attention to God and to be more aware of his work in your life. It also gives the space to pray and reflect on your life, to consider the decisions you have to make and the priorities you want to set.
Mon 3 Nov
Creativity, Contemplation, Connection
Photographer and creativity specialist, Rachel, will gently guide participants through the day, which will include morning reflections and a contemplative smartphone photography walk. There will also be opportunities for creative writing, mark making, silence, self-reflection and sharing together, as we gently connect with our creative selves and new ways of seeing and engaging with the world around us.
Fri 7 - Sun 9 November
Well Being Weekend 3
A wellbeing weekend offers a safe and supportive space for people who feel or have felt overwhelmed, providing tools for self-management in a facilitated peer mentoring style setting. This weekend will cover subjects of forgiveness, self-acceptance and healthy relationships. The sessions include group and individual activities designed to help participants accept themselves, understand their value and worth and grow towards a more resilient and hopeful future. This is the third of three Wellbeing Weekends. Each one will look at different subjects concerning our wellbeing. You are welcome to attend one, any or all of the weekends.
Fri 14 - Sun 16 November
Living in Christ
The apostle Paul experienced a complete turnabout on the Damascus Road. How can we emulate him in `putting on Christ` - that is, how do we leave our old selves behind as we take on the new? We`ll explore some of the rich wisdom of Paul`s letter to the Colossians with plenty of time to engage in prayer exercises to encounter God. Feel refreshed, challenged and equipped to live each new day with Jesus.
Mon 1 Dec
Day of Prayer for Mission
Do you have a heart for the nations or do you know mission workers who need prayer support? Come and join us for a day of prayer for the worldwide mission community. No charge but donations towards a light lunch would be appreciated.
Mon 1 - Fri 5 December
Space to Rest
A week set aside for rest and spending time with God. Book in for the whole week or just a couple of nights. Ruth will host a short prompt morning and evening with time to chat around the fire after supper. An ideal time for anyone wanting to be with God in a loosely structured way with time for accompaniment available. Contact us in the office if you just want to stay for one or two nights.
Mon 8 - Fri 12 December
Painting the Story of Mary
Prayer and Encounter Through Art
We will dwell in the story of Mary, mother of Jesus using drawings and watercolour to describe and listen more deeply to the events that mean the most to us. No artistic skill required, it is about encountering the story and allowing it to become prayer.