Annual General Meeting 2019

2pm on Wednesday 30th October, at the Red Hill Christian Centre, Snitterfield, Stratford upon Avon.

The day will begin with a celebration of Holy Communion at 11.30 am, at which APR President, Rt Revd John Stroyan, will preside and preach. A simple lunch will be served at 12.30, and the AGM will follow this; the day will be rounded off with tea and cake at around 3.30pm.

All members, and non-members, are welcome for all, or part of the day, which will cost £20 a head to include food. This is payable either in advance, or in cash on the day. For catering purposes, please email the Administrator (promoting.retreats@gmail.com), at the latest, by Friday 18th October, if you would like to attend.

Autumn Soul – A day to go deeper.  Thursday 24 October

A labyrinth day retreat led by Brian Draper, writer, broadcaster and experienced retreat guide. Bothy 5, Wigwam Retreat Centre, near Diss, Norfolk

Brian writes, “We always have such a mellow and fruitful time at the Wigwam. We’ll make space to quieten our chattering minds, to let the Spirit lead and the soul respond. We’ll let the silence speak, and we’ll explore, very gently, the mysteries of the autumn season, which Parker Palmer describes as ‘real and colourful, fruitful and whole’.”

Cost: £35 including light lunch and teas/coffees (concessions available for those on low incomes).

A flyer with further details and a booking form is available to download here, by email from pwtcfl@aol.com, or by post by telephoning 020-8491-0222.

How about trying something completely different this autumn? Kate Green offers week-long creative retreats in your own home. She says, ‘No art experience is needed, just a willingness to explore and experiment’. She can be contacted on 07886 809247, or by email on kate.artoffaith1965@outlook.com, or do take a look at her website, www.katecgreen.wordpress.com

The Archbishop of Canterbury invited Trustees of the APR to Lambeth recently, for a conversation about how to better promote retreats throughout the Church of England. It was a very positive meeting. Archbishop Justin spoke both of his enthusiasm for encouraging prayer, and of his support the work of the APR as we promote the benefits of both retreats and Quiet Days, and support the work of Retreat Houses across the country, and beyond. In particular, he emphasised the value to everyone in ministry of taking regular time out to nurture their own relationships with God, saying that, ‘Evangelism or witness can only be genuine when it comes from an overflow of the love of God’.

The APR website is expanding, with a range of new resources soon to be available – the first of these are already published under the tab, ‘Signposts for Spiritual Growth’. These ‘signposts’ direct readers to a wealth of top-quality pages across the internet, concerning all aspect of prayer, spiritual formation, and growth in faith.

The pages, ‘Encountering Spirituality’, will be a virtual library of documents exploring both traditional spiritualities, contemporary role models and ‘life moments and transitions’, and are due to be published soon. Later this year, we will also be publishing a ‘Marketing Tool-Kit for Retreat Centres/Houses’.

The APR autumn retreat, held at St. Columba’s House, Woking from 6-8 November, was a refreshing and prayerful event, attended by 16 people from across the UK. Lavishly illustrating his words with a range of colourful and engaging icons, Bishop John invited participants into a deeper and more intimate relationship with God.  He also drew inspiration from writers as diverse as St Augustine and the Desert Fathers, St Thérèse of Liseaux, C.S. Lewis and Jean Vanier.

The retreat was punctuated with meditative and prayerful services in the spacious chapel at St Columba’s, and both the food and accommodation at St Columba’s were excellent. Even the vibrant autumn colours of the trees in and around the grounds contributed to what was a really meaningful and profound experience.

A full review of the Retreat, Take off your Shoes - A Review, can be found by clicking here.

It was a most enjoyable AGM at Holland House (Worcs) last month. APR President, Bishop John Stroyan, celebrated the Eucharist for member and Trustees in the beautiful chapel, and he also chaired the meeting.

There is much to look forward to with the APR in coming months, from the Conference for Diocesan Spiritual Advisers in April, to a members retreat in November… Read the Minutes of the meeting for yourselves by clicking on the link:
AGM Minutes 2017

We are pleased to announce that the Rt Revd John Stroyan, Bishop of Warwick, has been appointed as our new President.

Bishop John succeeds the Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, Bishop of Southwark, who came to the end of his term of office at the end of 2016.

(more…)

APR member Rosey Feuell is pleased to offer her services as a retreat leader to individuals, groups, parishes and retreat centres. Rosey is regularly available in London, Cambridgeshire and beyond to lead courses or offer spiritual direction.

Click here for more information and contact details

The Scottish Episcopal Church of All Saints in Kinloch Rannoch, Perthshire is looking for visiting clergy who are interested in taking Sunday services in exchange for the use of the church cottage, sleeping up to 6 (adults and children) in a beautiful part of Scotland, for a suggested donation of £22 per day.

If interested, in the first instance please contact Revd Liz Baker: 01796 72005

bethmaybaker@yahoo.co.uk