The Association for Promoting Retreats (APR) was founded in 1913 to promote the development of the Christian life through retreats, particularly within the Anglican Communion.

Today the APR works in partnership with the Retreat Association, serving alongside each other in strengthening the understanding and importance of retreats within our own Church traditions and to promote the value of retreats: for individuals, for the Church, and for society as a whole. Take a look around and discover how a retreat could be just what you are looking for.

We support Retreat Houses across the UK (and beyond) by promoting their work and individual retreats, and through our cycle of prayer. This week, do join us in praying for Maggie Kingston, and all who seek stillness and refreshment at the ‘Peastwing’, near Tenbury Wells.

A selection of members’ events is shown below – find more by clicking the Retreats and Events heading.

Noticeboard

Annual General Meeting 2022

Our AGM will be held at 2pm on Thursday 10th November 2022, at the Royal Foundation of St Katharine, 2 Butcher Row, London E14 8DS. It will also be accessible via Zoom.

We start with a celebration of Holy Communion at 12 noon, at which our President, Rt Revd John Stroyan, will preside and preach. After a simple lunch, the AGM will start at 2.00 pm. For those of you attending in person, the day will cost £20 a head to include food; there is no charge to attend via Zoom.

Please register your interest by emailing promoting.retreats@gmail.com, specifying whether you would like to attend in person or via Zoom; the Zoom link will be circulated nearer the time.

Friends of APR

We are delighted to welcome new Friends of APR to the fold. These generous donors of our work choose to double (or more) their annual subscription in order to support our Bursary Fund. Every year, we receive dozens of applications for financial assistance for people who cannot otherwise afford the full cost of going on retreat. Since 2013, we have supported more than 150 retreatants to attend retreats at 30 different retreat houses, at a cost of more than £15,000. With the current cost-of-living crisis, we anticipate many more applications for help in the coming months and years.

Would you like to help? Would you like to become a Friend of APR?

If so, please do follow this link, to our membership application page, and choose the ‘Friend’ option. If you are an existing APR member, and would like to upgrade your membership, please contact the APR Administrator directly, by email on promoting.retreats@gmail.com, or by phone on (01395) 272243.

‘Taster’ Retreats

Do you want to go on retreat, but are anxious about what might be expected of you?

Many people are nervous about going on retreat for the first time – but there’s really no need! All retreat houses welcome ‘first-timers’ through their doors, for all their retreats, but some also offer retreats specifically for people who haven’t been on one before.

This year, why not try going to the Penhurst Retreat Centre in East Sussex from 28 Nov – 1 Dec?

And many of the individually guided retreats at the House of Prayer, East Molesey, are suitable for beginners too – including their retreat from 7-9 Oct.