The Enneagram is a powerful tool for personal and spiritual development which combines ancient wisdom from the Christian tradition with insights from modern psychology. As well as introducing the Enneagram, the day will also shed light on how our different personalities colour our approaches to spirituality, prayer, and faith. It will be relevant both to Enneagram newcomers and those already familiar with the system.

Dave Tomlinson is an Anglican priest, author, and broadcaster. He is also a qualified teacher of the Enneagram in the Narrative Tradition with over 20 years’ experience. He has taught it in churches, charitable organisations, and businesses, as well as using it as the basis for marriage preparation and couples counselling.

Adrian Newman had to retire early a few years ago on health grounds. After spending the majority of his life in full-time ministry in the Church of England, most recently as a Dean and then a Bishop, he has spent the past few years reflecting deeply on what ‘retirement’ means and how this phase of life can be lived to the full. He writes about this quiet day:

In human terms, after a working life of ‘composing’ – making lots of things happen – retirement is an opportunity to de-compose in some crucial areas and discover that later life is fertile ground for the wild hope of a new human flourishing.

Join us at this ExtraOrdinary Oasis to take time side and hear from Sarah, as we explore how in our lives we might Navigate change. Transform conflict. Reimagine Peace.

Sarah has over thirty years of experience working with communities and senior religious figures around the world to promote faith-based ways of finding peace and rebuilding relationships. Sarah is Founder of the Rose Castle Foundation – an international centre of peace and reconciliation offering a safe space in which to address misunderstanding of the “other’, particularly those of different religious traditions. Their residential programmes equip emerging leaders to act sustainable and resiliently across deep divides within their spheres of influence.

Following the wonderful day last year we are thrilled to host another of these powerful days led by Junior as he helps us explore how the rich spiritual anthems can enliven our call to Christian Prayer today.

It is a delight that The Spirituals have a close relationship with RFSK and so it is a joy to welcome Junior to lead this day with us.

The Spirituals were formed in October 2020 by music director, Junior, and arranger/ conductor Marsha B Morrison. Their first EP with the lead single 'Wade in the water' has gained over 10 million views on YouTube, clearly there was a niche in the market and The Spirituals found it. The reimagining of spiritual anthems and songs is their speciality and fans across the world love it. This led the way for future projects, more reimagined songs, appearances on the BBC including Songs of Praise, filming in the iconic St Paul's Cathedral and Lambeth Palace

A Quiet Day led by Roger Bretherton
18th July
An introduction to Strengthening Prayer

In this Quiet Day, psychologist Dr Roger Bretherton will gently explore the four core spiritual movements of Strengthening Prayer: how God sees us, how we see God, how we see ourselves and how we see others. Taken together these prayerful exercises can foster wellbeing, enhance spiritual connection, and inspire effective action. Strengthening Prayer blends character strengths psychology, mindfulness practice, contemplative prayer and biblical meditation.

Living With Cancer – Walking In Hope

A personal reflective day for those who have ever experienced cancer

A diagnosis of cancer can turn life upside down and affect every part of our being, even years after the initial diagnosis and treatment. Yet in the tumult of medications, discomfort, tiredness, ongoing uncertainties and fears it can be hard to find time and energy to process and make sense of what has happened and what we continue to experience.

‘Living With Cancer – Walking In Hope’ is a day for people who continue to live with the reality of a past cancer diagnosis, who would appreciate a time of quiet to reflect on where their journey with cancer has taken them, and space to allow ‘soul’ to catch up with body.

The Kingdom of Heaven is like…? Reading the Parables with fresh eyes.

The parables are, arguably, the most characteristic of Jesus’ teaching. During this day we will spend time with some well loved (and some much well-known) of Jesus’ parables asking how they can speak to us afresh today. We are thrilled to welcome Paula to lead another popular Study Reflective day with us.

Canon Dr Paula Gooder is a writer and lecturer in Biblical Studies. Her research areas focus on the writings of Paul the Apostle, with a particular focus on 2 Corinthians and on Paul's understanding of the Body. Her passion is to ignite people's enthusiasm for reading the Bible today, by presenting the best of biblical scholarship in an accessible and interesting way. She is currently the Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral in London.

A Discernment Day

Discovering God’s purpose for me, and my next step.

In 2018 the Church of England published Life is for giving written by Andy, outlining a discernment model that 100’s of Anglican interns, discerners and ordinands have used to understand and become sure of God’s call on their life. During this Quiet day Andy will creatively use this to enable participants to explore their own sense of purpose and calling. A great day for anyone wondering where God may be calling them both now and in the long term.

A Quiet Day led by Mark Oakley
'I will lament, and love': a day exploring George Herbert

George Herbert's poems have been described as 'heart-work and heaven-work'. Many of us know one or two of his poems because they are sung as hymns. The full range of Herbert's poems, however, reveal both devotion and dereliction, reverence and rebellion, peace and restlessness. The love he experiences from God required him to be honest about his life and faith, including his agitated mind, which he referred to as a 'case of knives'. In this quiet day, we will spend time with Herbert's poems to discover how the resonance of his poetry introduces us to him but also to ourselves, the world and to God.

We are delighted that Richard will be leading this morning online retreat with us. Meditations of Gratitude will be based on his new book 100 reasons for living; the Diary of a Grateful Heart.
In a world of so much anxiety and conflict, Richard will lead this quiet morning and help us look at reasons to still be thanksful.
Richard Carter is the founder of the Nazareth Community whose members gather from everyday life to seek God in contemplation and to learn to live generously. He is the author of The City is My Monastery: A Contemporary Rule of Life and Letters from Nazareth: A Contemplative Journey Home.

What do our encounters with nature reveal and teach us about God, self, neighbour and planet?

Come and join this quiet day where we will contemplate what nature means to us, meditate on nature based scripture verses, and form a creative response to the flora and fauna that inspires us.
Grace is a spiritual director, retreat leader and life-writer. She is committed to the greater flourishing of people and planet through accelerating social justice impact. Professionally, Grace spent 30+ years developing global leaders, she is studying for an MA in Christian Spirituality at Sarum College, Salisbury. A British Ghanaian, living in London, Grace enjoys art, culture, heritage and music in daily life.

The power of technology has revolutionised the way we work and connect with the world.
How do we appreciated all the positive aspects of the digital world, whilst protecting ourselves from what causes harm to our souls? During this day we can disconnect from the virtual world and reconnect with ourselves, to power down and recharge.
Roger is Master of the Royal Foundation of St Katharine and an experienced executive coach. As a former IT Director with a degree in electrical engineering, he is fascinated by all things technical, but has been reflecting for many years on the unintended consequences of the digital revolution to create harm to ourselves and to society.

For 2,000 years, the Virgin Mary has been depicted throughout art, literature and culture as symbolising the perfect mother: chaste, beautiful, meek, mild and white. These supposed virtues and symbols have shaped not just Christianity but wider popular culture; and have contributed to harmful views about motherhood and what it is to be a woman. This retreat will offer a time for reflection on the impacts of these tropes on us, and attempt to create a space to exhale; freeing ourselves from the burden of perfection.

Chine is Director of Theos, the religion and society think tank. She was previously Head of Public Engagement at Christian Aid and spent two decades working in journalism, media and communications across faith, media and international development.

Come to spend a day at this urban oasis of the Royal Foundation of St Katharine.

This special day will be led by Brother Samuel

Joining God's Repair Shop
'Kneeling before a large crucifix in the ruined church of St Damian outside the walls of Assisi, the young Francis, seeking the Lord's will, heard the words: "Repair my house, which you see is in ruins". Setting about the task with a few companions who became the nucleus of his brotherhood, the work in the years ahead grew wider and deeper. It involved the repair of relationships within the Lord's family, within and between communities in conflict, and with those considered enemies or outcast.

For Francis, Christ's gentle repair extended even to the family of creation. On this Quiet Day we'll be reflecting on how, by becoming artisans in the Lord's "Repair Shop", we may ourselves be restored, renewed and transformed.'

‘Presencing’

Chris will introduce us to meditative and contemplative practices for presencing in a fuller state of awareness in order to be more wholly available to the Divine Presence which is always with us if we can attune to it. Drawing on his recent book and using the First Commandment and Romans 12 as a starting point, he will explore what it means to be present in heart, soul, mind and body. The day will combine interactive sessions with space for personal reflection.

In conjunction with St Pauls Cathedral a retreat day with Debbie Lewer.

In conjunction with St Pauls Cathedral a retreat day with Debbie Lewer

Agony in the Garden: Art and Faith from Eden to Gethsemane
Over centuries, artists of all kinds have vividly imagined gardens as places of abundance and desolation, as the settings for temptation and transformation and as the stage for human and holy drama. This retreat day is a chance to explore gardens real and imagined in visual art from these perspectives. We will look at gardens designed and made by artists, and as they appear in paintings, prints, drawings, photographs and more. Drawing on imagery from Eden to Gethsemane and beyond, we will reflect especially on the theological significance of these green spaces, sites of solace, turmoil and life-changing encounter.