Friends of Launde Abbey :: Committee :: Friends Retreat
Friends of Launde Abbey Annual Retreat
Friends Retreat: 8-10 December 2023
A retreat for the Friends led by the Revd Canon Brian Davis, Chair of the Friends of Launde Abbey. Brian is an experienced priest and former Leicester Diocesan Director of Wholeness and Healing and has led retreats at Launde in the past. At St. Dionysius Church, Market Harborough Canon Davis leads ‘Peace Seekers’ a meditation/mindfulness session each Friday from noon-12:30pm and those attending have found it very moving, meaningful and helpful.
The theme of the retreat will be ‘Seeking Peace and Finding Inner Strength for Living and Loving’. It is about learning to relax, breathing deeply and finding stillness and peace with the help of words, music and shared silence. Canon Davis believes it would be good to spend this weekend concentrating on seeking peace, and so discovering a few new ways of praying.
At each session Canon Davis will speak for a few minutes on various themes relating to finding inner strength and peace in the present moment. Then there will be twenty minutes of shared silence, interspersed with music and a few words. There will be plenty of time to walk around the grounds, read a book or quietly talk with a friend, Canon Davis will produce a programme nearer the time.
The retreat runs from dinner time (6:30pm) on Friday December 8th till afternoon tea on Sunday December 10th 2023 (please note, check in at Launde on the Friday is between 3pm and 5pm). The retreat is open to all members of the Friends and we especially welcome first-time retreatants. It will be a gentle, relaxing weekend. Perhaps with a social on the Saturday evening for those who wish to participate, ending the evening with the service of Compline in the Chapel.
The cost will be £198.60 per person (for couples £168.60 per person). A number of Premium (larger) rooms are available at an additional cost of £15.00.
For those who would just like to join us for Saturday (9:30am-4:30pm) inc., morning coffee, biscuits, lunch and tea with cake £34.00
Friends interested in booking for the Retreat or in further details are asked to contact the Friends Membership Secretary Jan Zientek, (j.zientek12@btinternet.com or 0116 2760360) or you can download a Booking Form here. Jan writes: For a number of years now the Friends have been holding a retreat, which has included those who are “old hands” at retreats as well as those attending for the first time.
Usually the retreat has lasted 24 to 28 hours and this year includes two nights at Launde, and has usually been held at the beginning or the end of the year – so far we have not been snowed in! There has been a variety of retreat leaders over the years, including leaders from United Reformed Church, Baptist and Salvation Army traditions as well as the Church of England and the Warden of Launde. The retreats follow a fairly consistent pattern, with input by the leader, times of silence for individual or group reflection, worship with the Abbey community, opportunities for individual or group activity, suited to the theme, conversation at meal times, and walking. The pace is gentle and most people have found the approach accessible.
Feedback on past retreats:
- Interesting, relevant to our everyday lives, good use of stories, drawings and other material to provoke thought and discussion.
- Ideal pace length of session and engagement with us on an individual level.
- I valued the friendliness of the group, being with the Launde community for worship, and enjoyed being in the lovely Launde ambience.
- Gentle, calm, comfortable, inspirational.
- Stimulated personal reflection and engagement.
The Friends of Launde: Registered Charity Number 519042