News from the London Centre for Spirituality

Safeguarding and Spiritual Direction Safeguarding and Spiritual Direction Saturday 12th December 2015, 10 - 1 pm with Dawn Watson from CCPAS (the Churches Child Protection Advisory Service) Cost: £30 From time to time spiritual directors may find themselves presented with an event which concerns child or vulnerable adult abuse, either historic or current. This morning is designed as an event for all spiritual directors & those training to become spiritual directors on the issues we need to consider when working with vulnerable adults issues concerning Safeguarding Topics that will be covered include: Who is a vulnerable adult or adult at risk? Who might be abused? What issues relating to abuse should raise our concern? Who might abuse? How to handle the matter of confidentiality Signs and symptoms Responding to concerns Read more and book here Developing Direction: The Human Role in the Planetary Incarnation The Human Role in the Planetary Incarnation with Paul Maiteny 4 Dec 2015, 11 - 3:45pm Cost £45 The ecological crisis we have created on planet Earth is symptomatic of denying the purpose for which what God has created us as a species. Today we will reflect on the extent to which we, as individuals and a species, have arrived at this point of ecological crisis, holocaust and extinctions because we have failed to have 'the eyes to see and ears to hear' what mystics and prophets have been trying, for millennia, to tell us. This is that discerning the core meaning and purpose of our lives, and engaging in the emotional and spiritual work necessary to do so, is the key to averting the crises that we inevitably bring on ourselves when we seek to find satisfaction through the only other alternative - that of consuming the planetary body of which we are part and, today, using our intellect to devise ways of doing so in ever more clever, intensive and accelerating ways.  Please bring readings, poems, artwork, etc that speak meaningfully to you of these types of themes. Read more and book Last chance to book....

RECOGNISING CHRIST The London Spirituality Centre Network Day 21st November 2015 10.30 for an 11.00 start – 4.30 Cost £25 We welcome you to the annual London Spirituality Centre Network Day. This will be a chance to : •    Re-connect with one another; •    Hear the latest news from the Centre; •    Sign up to our new and improved Spiritual Direction Network; •    Meet both Diocesan and Centre Advisors – people who are responsible for linking our work with church and community; •    Reflect together on spiritual direction; •    Pray together and bless one another in our ministry; The talk, entitled ‘Recognising Christ,’ will be from Julie Dunstan, Director of Encounter, The London Course in Spiritual Direction, psychotherapist and licensed lay minister.  She will talk on the need for good theological reflection in spiritual direction and its role in bringing greater integrity to the work, richness and depth to the ministry, and vital links to a church in need of far more ‘burning hearts’. The day will be facilitated by Robin Hepburn, Chair of Trustees, The London Spirituality Centre. Read more and book here   Open Soul Space Retreat Saturday Nov 28th - 10 to 5pm Cost £40 - bring a notebook and your own lunch Give yourself the gift of a day to nourish your soul. There will be silence, stillness, personal and group meditation and contemplative prayer – and an opportunity to develop your spiritual practice with experienced guides and facilitators. With Julian Maddock & Annette Kaye. Read more and book here   News from Centre staff and friends As well as doing events and marketing at the Centre, Beth runs leadership embodiment workshops. Her next workshop will be on Friday Friday 26th February 2016 10 - 5:00 pm (Day One) and  Friday 25 March 2016 10 - 1:30pm (Day Two) Leadership Embodiment is a set of practices that uses gentle physical movements with mindfulness techniques.  The work  ‘gives us a way to synchronize the energy of the body, speech and mind with emotions and intuition, thus increasing our capacity for somatic intelligence, discriminating wisdom and unconditional love.’ (from Wendy Palmer, founder of leadership embodiment).   Beth is a certified Leadership Embodiment teacher and is one of a handful of people in the UK trained in this work. Read more and book As many of you know the former Centre Director Mark Godson, we thought some of you might be interested in a couple of his latest offerings which are around the practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness is an integrative approach to life that helps people relate effectively to their experiences. It involves paying attention to thoughts, feelings and body sensations in a way that can increase awareness, help to mange difficult experiences and create space for wise choices. In December, Mark is offering a weekend retreat called Sit: Breathe: Love.  It is open to everyone and will be running from 5pm Mon 5th Dec 2016 to 10am Fri 9th Dec 2016.  Residential Price - £360 (20% ministry discount)  Read more and book In January, Mark is running a one day workshop called Mindfulness Now on Saturday, 23 January 2016 from 10:00 to 16:30 (GMT) Haywards Heath, United Kingdom  Read more and book

Rochester Diocese Spirituality Network Events

Training day on how to lead a quiet day
Led by Rev Susanne Carlsson and Sr Diane Reynolds
16 Feb 2016
St Justus Church, The Fairway, Rochester ME1 2LT
10.00 - 4pm
Bring your own lunch, drinks will be provided.
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On going training for spiritual directors 
Loss, Lamentations and Laughter
This   day   will   explore   the   theme   of  loss   through   scripture,   poetry,
psychology, the contemplative tradition, and reflective exercises.
Led  by Julie  Dunstan , Director  of  Encounter,  The  London  Course  in
Spiritual Direction.
5 Mar 2016 St Justus Church ,
The Fairway, Rochester ME1 2LT
10.30 - 3pm
Bring  your own lunch, drinks will be provided.
Network day
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Franciscan Spirituality
Led by Paula Pearce
21 May 2015
St Justus Church , The Fairway, Rochester ME1 2LT
10.30 - 3pm
Bring your own lunch, drinks will be provided.

Rochester Diocesan Spirituality network newsletter

The first of the new Rochester Diocesan Spirituality network newsletters is here to download. It has news of lots of upcoming events in the area and news of the development of the community house in Chatham which will be a great resource for quiet days and retreats.

Formed by the Spirit - Southwark Diocesan spirituality news

Southwark Diocese's Spirituality Newsletter for Oct 15 is here, with lots of interesting events, just over the "border" in our neighbouring Diocese.
Why not sign up for something?

Autumn events from the London Centre for Spirituality

Early Christian Spirituality

Book now for Early Bird Discount - Exploring Christian Spirituality We've extended the deadline for the Early Bird Discount to Friday October 9th!    All bookings made by 5pm on the 9th October will receive £50 off the normal cost of £350 for this 19 week course. Course Details: Led by Antonia Lynn and John-Francis Friendship Starts November 23rd  2015, 19 sessions over two terms Monday afternoons 2 - 4.45pm  Three Modules over two terms (19 sessions). The Course is open to people of all traditions, those of other faith groups, and any who are interested in exploring the theme of Christian Spirituality. This Course is intended to be experiential rather than academic – to complement personal journeys in spiritual development – and some may find the pace gentler than in other Courses. Read more and book    Open Prayer Sessions We continue to run Open Prayer Sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday lunchtimes, 1 - 1:20pm.  If you are able to join us it would be lovely to have you here but if not, we'd love it if you would  consider joining us in prayer wherever you may be at that time so as a community we actually join together for prayer Singing at the Centre!

Lombard Street Sings! Every Wednesday Lunchtime Starting on Wednesday 14th October 12:30 - 1:00pm followed by tea & coffee (and your lunch if you'd like to bring it) FREE Many of the staff working here at the Centre are keen amateur singers and have decided to start an informal singing group - open to all! No need to read music.  Group members will teach each other simple songs from a varied reportorie including pop, world/folk music and simple classical music. For more information, email Beth at programme@spiritualitycentre.org but feel free to drop in! Coming Up... We have a number of other workshops & upcoming events coming up soon including: Open Soul Space - October 12th, 5:45 - 7:30pm Praying with the Whole of Our Being - October 31st, 11 - 4pm. Developing Direction: Noticing the Unnoticed - November 6th, 11 - 4pm Spiritual Direction Network Day - November 21st, 11 - 3pm Open Space Retreat Day - November 28th, 10 - 5pm Click on the title of the event to read more and book.

Autumn reflection from Godventure

A great blog - Godventure - with lots of ideas for reflection on your own or with children.

I particularly liked these autumn suggestions.

 

 The trees are on fire!

I don’t know about you, but near us there are lots of trees on fire! Not literally, but Autumn seems to brought out a huge flash of bright red and orange in some trees, leaving the rest of the leaves green. It’s like some giant paint brush has splodged them or like they’re on fire.
I love Autumn, and I often play Top Tree Praise and pray with conkers but this year the trees ‘on fire’ reminded me of Moses and the burning bush: ..... (Read on at Godventure)