You are invited to take part in a six-week Ignatian individually guided retreat in daily working life. The retreat is flexible, to fit around the demands of working life.
What does the Retreat in Daily Working Life involve?
- Daily private prayer: The heart of the retreat is private individual prayer. You are invited to make a commitment to pray privately, daily, over the six weeks, for whatever period you can manage each day, but we recommend at least 30 minutes a day.
- Weekly individual meeting with your prayer companion: Once a week, you will meet with your allocated prayer companion for about 30 minutes, at a time that works for you both, fitting around your work commitments. These meetings may be in person, online or by phone. Meetings usually take place on Monday-Friday, during the working day or before work, during the lunch hour, after work or in the evening. You will be asked about preferences for day/time/place/platform when you book your place – and beyond that, you will sort this out with your prayer companion at the beginning.
- Group meetings to begin and end the retreat: Although this is not a group retreat or prayer group, there is a sense in which everyone making the retreat is journeying together. Everyone will be travelling on different paths depending on where God calls them, but towards the same goal – a deepening of their relationship with God. So we create community by sharing the retreat – and we ask everyone participating in the retreat to make a priority of joining us in person in the city centre for both:
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- Our Opening Meeting on Tuesday 23 September at 5:30pm for 6-7pm at ChaplaincyPlus’s offices (with Agapé) at 167 Newhall Street, Birmingham, B3 1SW (a 10-15 minute walk from New Street and from the Church of England cathedral), where there will be further explanation and prayer for a fruitful time for everyone, as we set out on our individual journeys; and
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- Our Closing Meeting on Tuesday 11 November, also at 5:30pm for 6-7pm at ChaplaincyPlus’s offices, where we can give thanks to God for all we have received.
What kind of retreat is this?
It is called an Ignatian retreat because during your daily prayer time you are encouraged to use prayer styles that were developed by Ignatius of Loyola in the sixteenth century. These styles are Bible-based and Christ-centred: they help you to explore how God is speaking to you through Scripture. Everyone is given the same passage of Scripture to focus on for the first week. The weekly conversations with your prayer companion focus on what you have felt and experienced during your daily prayer and afterwards. The prayer companion may then check with you whether you feel called towards another passage for the coming week that links to what you have shared, and if not, they may then suggest another Scripture passage or other material for you.
Why make this kind of retreat at this time?
Through so much change, challenge and uncertainty in recent years, the retreat space offers the opportunity to take stock, returning to what really matters as we move forwards – so it’s a great time to make a retreat. Yes, you could just decide to spend six weeks praying by yourself. Or you could go on a retreat that has a set theme. Both of these would be great! This retreat involves working with a prayer companion, and the theme is your individual journey, at this point in your life. And it fits in to the ordinary path of life through the six weeks of the retreat, at work and at home. Having a listener helps you to recognize how and where God is present in your life and where you are being led.
Who are the prayer companions and what is their role?
The prayer companions are volunteers a variety of Christian traditions who have themselves experienced these kinds of retreats and who have trained to accompany others on their prayer journey. They do not advise, persuade, judge, assess, approve or disapprove of those who are making the retreat; rather, they are there to help you to become more perceptive and more responsive to the Spirit of God at work within you and around you.
Can anyone make this retreat?
Yes, the retreat is open to Christians and to anyone who is searching for or curious about God.
What does the retreat cost?
The retreat is free! There is no set charge. However, we ask everyone to consider a donation of £20 towards Manresa Link’s expenses, if you can afford it. Additionally, ChaplaincyPlus relies on donations to deliver our vision to help people encounter the depth dimension of faith and life, so you may decide to support ChaplaincyPlus with a further donation to enable our work to remain open to all – making your total donation up to, say, £30 or £40, to give ChaplaincyPlus a donation of £10 or £20.
That said, we do not want the cost to preclude anyone from participating: if the cost would be a problem, please speak to Sarah Thorpe. In appropriate circumstances, our conclusion may be that’s it’s appropriate to come anyway and receive the Retreat as a gift.
When you have booked on to the retreat, you can make the donation by clicking on the “Donate” button in the top right hand corner of the screen. Alternatively, the confirmation email will come through immediately and it will include the “Donate” link, to enable you to make your donation. Please do this straight away, giving your name and then adding “(Retreat)” after it, so that we can identify retreat donations simply e.g. “Sarah Thorpe (Retreat)”.
What about confidentiality and safeguarding?
Everything that you share with your prayer companion is confidential, unless it involves safeguarding issues. Your prayer companion will seek advice/guidance on any allegation or disclosure of information that indicates a child or adult may be at risk of significant harm, including:
- Past abuse where the perpetrator still has contact with children or adults at risk of harm; and
- A person currently experiencing abuse, witnessing it, or directly or indirectly involved.
Here, any necessary steps will be taken, which may include the possibility of making a report to the statutory authorities. Equally, if there is believed to be an immediate risk/danger, we will report to the Police. When you book on to the retreat, you confirm your awareness of and acceptance of this.
How do I find out more information?
This year’s Retreat in Daily Working Life is being organised by a team of three from our network – Susan Winsor and Claire Broadbent, and Sarah Thorpe . For more information, please contact Susan, Claire or Sarah on retreat@chaplaincyplus.org.uk.
How do I book a place?
Places are limited – first come, first served – and bookings close on Sunday 14 September. Please use our form to book your place.