What do our online retreats look like?
The School for Monastic Living has been working with retreat leaders to open up virtual spaces where retreats can take place.
As well as daily input, retreatants will have the opportunity to join in with our daily offices and twice-daily ‘kettle on‘ spaces. This ongoing monastic rhythm of eating, prayer, study, reflection, creativity, exercise and rest holds the space for us to be transformed through our encounters with God.
It is important that these virtual rooms are relational; that they will be places where we can both see and interact with each other. For those folk who are less comfortable with technology, there is an option to phone in to the meetings and participate in that way instead. Most retreats include a maximum of 10 participants as we feel that this number works best for our transformational spaces.
Retreat materials will be made available from retreat-specific landing pages and include downloads of key documents, video and audio links.
Unless otherwise noted, these retreats are run on a UK timezone (GMT – standard time or BST – daylight saving time). Generally, they begin at 7:30pm on Monday or Friday evening and end by 7:00pm on Thursday or Sunday evening.
Currently, these are the types of retreats being offered:
- Individually Guided Retreat (IGR) – this retreat is suitable for anyone who is interested in exploring God more deeply, on a personal level and includes three, one-to-one sessions with a retreat guide, alongside our monastic rhythms – see page 2
- Community Introduction Retreat – this retreat is an introduction for those seeking to learn more about who we are as Community – our ethos, our history and our ‘reason to be’. We are aware that many people may have ‘found’ us during this season – through our daily prayers, leadership reflections, prayer network or Monastic Living blog – and are wanting to explore further what it would mean to journey with us. Priority will be given to those who have already expressed an interest in postulancy or the novitiate but there are likely to be other spaces available – see page 3
- Led Retreats – we are pleased to offer one or two retreats each month that link to who we are as Northumbria Community, on a series of topics related to life journeys and transitions. These will include an introduction on the first evening, daily input and the opportunity to join in with the monastic rhythms of the day – see page 4
- Short Input Retreats and Courses – We have been excited to offer several short retreats / gatherings over the past year as we have continued to seek ways to grow alone/together as Community. These gatherings have been ways in which we have been able to connect with others around a particular theme and in which we have explored our Rule and way of living and being in our world and community today. Please find the details for these retreats and courses on this page.
NEW!! What Happens Next? A Journey Through Advent – 20 November to 18 December
Click the ‘Short Input Retreats and Courses’ link above for more details
July to December 2023
Finances
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 against each retreat in the programme. 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.
Deposits and Cancellations
We now request a non-refundable holding deposit be made to confirm your booking within two weeks of registering your interest in a retreat. The details of this (amount and how) will be included in the email sent to notify you if there is space available.
If an emergency arises and it becomes necessary to cancel your retreat we will be happy to reassign your deposit to another retreat.
Limited financial means
As a Community, it is always our wish that finances are never a barrier to taking part in a retreat. If you would like to join a retreat and do not have the (full) financial means to do so, please contact us at monasticliving@northumbriacommunity.org and we will be happy to work out a way to make your participation possible.
Donations
If you would like to make a donation to support the life and work of the Northumbria Community, having participated in a retreat or event or enjoyed some of our resources, please follow the link below. Further information about giving and Gift Aid (if you live in the UK) can be found HERE.
We journey alone together on this adventure beyond the familiar and into the unknown. For such a time as this, we are Community. We think of our Brendan liturgy, determined amidst all uncertainty always to trust…Our times are still in your hand, O God.