October
October 2nd to 5th (Mon to Thurs) – Inner Outer Pilgrimage Retreat
This retreat involves both inner pilgrimage – a journey of inner work, silence, study, peace and rest and an opportunity for the ‘Heart alone with God’ – and outer pilgrimage – an opportunity to explore the rich Christian heritage of Northumbria through outer, physical pilgrimage to nearby Celtic Sites. The Nether Springs Chapel, Poustinia, Labyrinth, gardens, woodland and local country and coastal walks are also available to all guests and provide time with God in Creation and space for the inner-outer pilgrimage.
A *suggested donation is £80 per night. This is based on full board in an ensuite room.
October 6th – 8th (Fri to Sun) Seasons of the Soul
It’s easy to see our physical lives progressing from spring through summer and autumn to winter, but our inner life also seems to mirror the changing seasons though not necessarily in the same logical order. This retreat provides an opportunity to reflect on life’s changing seasons, to consider which season best describes your experience here and now and to explore that in solitude and with others.
A *suggested donation is £80 per night. This is based on full board in an ensuite room.
October 9th to 12th (Mon to Thurs) – Inner Outer Pilgrimage Retreat
This retreat involves both inner pilgrimage – a journey of inner work, silence, study, peace and rest and an opportunity for the ‘Heart alone with God’ – and outer pilgrimage – an opportunity to explore the rich Christian heritage of Northumbria through outer, physical pilgrimage to nearby Celtic Sites. The Nether Springs Chapel, Poustinia, Labyrinth, gardens, woodland and local country and coastal walks are also available to all guests and provide time with God in Creation and space for the inner-outer pilgrimage.
A *suggested donation is £80 per night. This is based on full board in an ensuite room.
October 13th – 15th (Fri to Sun) LED: Integrating the Rule of Life with INTERNAL FAMILY SYSTEMS (IFS): deepening and extending the inner and outer journey
Internal family systems is an empowering form of psychotherapy that embraces all forms of spirituality and, as such, is perfectly suited for integrating with the Northumbria Community Rule of Life of Availability and intentional Vulnerability.
IFS tells us that we all have ‘parts’ to our personality, and that we can build a relationship with each of our parts from our spiritual self, the seat of our consciousness (called ‘Self’ in IFS). Self is intrinsically unharmed by life’s circumstances, whereas our parts either get forced into protective roles or carry the payload from harmful events in the form of wounds and scars. Therefore our ‘internal system’ becomes burdened.
The good news is that there are no bad parts, and healing is possible for each part when Self is allowed to lead.
The weekend will consist of explanation, meditations and creative exercises to provide a safe framework for discovery and building relationship with our ‘parts’. It can address fundamental questions such as: ‘Am I loved?’ and ‘Am I enough?’
In the section titled ‘Christ behind me’ in the Aidan reading for 8 March it says: ‘There he walks in your past. He walks in all the dark rooms you pretend are closed, that he may bring light. Invite Him into your past. Experience His forgiveness, His acceptance of you. Offer especially all that you are ashamed of … all that you wish to forget … all that still pains and hurts you … all the hurt you have caused others. Walk there in the places you are afraid of, knowing that He walks with you and will lead you on!
‘There’s nothing inside you that can hurt you if you’re not scared of it’ – Dick Schwartz, founder of IFS.
‘Trauma blocks love; love heals trauma.’
A *suggested donation is £80 per night. This is based on full board in an ensuite room.
October 16th – 20th (Mon to Fri) – INDIVIDUALLY GUIDED: Entering the Silence
Let me rest in Your will and be silent. Then the light of Your joy will warm my life. Its fire will burn in my heart and shine for Your glory. This is what I live for. Amen, Amen. – Thomas Merton This silent retreat is a time to seek God in the cell of your own heart, in a community of fellow seekers.
Each retreatant will be paired with a companion on the journey from whom they can receive individual support and guidance. Apart from the session of spiritual accompaniment each morning, we will seek God in silence from Monday after Night Prayers until after Communion on Thursday evening.
A *suggested donation is £90 per night for an individually guided retreat, which includes 3 one-to-one sessions. This is based on full board in an ensuite room.
October 27th – 29th (Fri to Sun) Small-stitched Collage
During this workshop we will explore the possibilities of using a random collection of textiles and stitches to build up a collage piece. Sometimes it is useful to work without a clear idea of what you intend to create and discover processes by chance and develop ideas by experimenting with colour, surface, texture and design.
This workshop is all about experimenting and playing and allowing the ideas to surface on their own accord.
Suitable for all ability levels. There will be an abundance of materials provided for your use and more details will be given nearer the time as to what you might like to bring.
The facilitator has had years of teaching experience working with all ages and abilities and especially loves helping the less confident discover their often-suppressed creative side.
A *suggested donation is £80 per night. This is based on full board in an ensuite room.
About *suggested donations
As a registered charity, The Northumbria Community Trust does not ask for a set fee to cover the cost of a retreat. Instead, we invite donations to support the life and work of the wider Community as a whole.
Many retreatants welcome a suggestion as to what might be an appropriate donation. This is always a difficult question to answer. However, for your guidance, the suggested donation is indicated with the retreat information. We ask that you make as generous a donation as is possible without risking hardship. Through the work of the Community, the generosity of those who can afford more will benefit those who have less. As the weekly and monthly costs of running the Community are substantial, we would greatly value your integrity and generosity in this regard.