July Courses 2008
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Friday 11 July to Sunday 13 July R4108 LEARNING TO LISTEN Residential: £155, Non-residential: £103 Please arrive by 6pm on Friday. Course ends after lunch on Sunday. The weekend, run in partnership with the Acorn Christian Healing Foundation, is open to all who want to become better listeners, for their work or simply to enhance their personal lives. As the Foundation explains, effective listening is a life-skill that everyone can benefit from: “Listening is different from counselling. Listening is simpler to learn and therefore more accessible. The simplicity of the training belies the remarkable effectiveness of good listening, which has brought healing and freedom to countless lives.” The course puts great emphasis on practising the skills that are being taught, so each session will include discussion times and practical exercises as well as teaching. As Diane, one of the ACORN trainers, testifies, the course could be life-changing – for you and for the people around you: “I don’t believe we can overestimate the changes real listening could bring to a family, a community, a church, etc. People need to talk out their own hurt, resentment, fear, anger, sadness and all the other emotions that make them need a good listener. To learn to listen is a gift. The effect we can have is immense.”
Monday 14 July to Friday 18 July R4308 OUR CHAOTIC TIME – Birth Pangs of a New Consciousness? Residential: £275, Non-residential: £183 Please arrive by 12noon on Monday. Course ends after lunch on Friday. No one will deny that our world is in a chaotic state. During his presentation Adrian Smith will claim that this is not a sign of humanity’s deterioration but, on the contrary, that we are experiencing the birth pangs of a new consciousness, a breakthrough to a new era, a higher order. He will identify the signs of the times with the values of the vision proclaimed by Jesus of Nazareth. There are, he suggests, already signs to be seen that we are coming closer to that new era of human evolution which Jesus referred to as the Kingdom of God. Together we will explore what is happening in our world, with visual presentations, conversations with like-minded people and periods of silent group meditation. Adrian Smith M.Afr is a Catholic missionary priest, lecturer, facilitator of workshops and the author of fifteen books including several on the emerging new consciousness. He is much admired for his excellent presentation skills, his imaginative visual aids and his great sense of humour. His book A Reason for Living and Hoping on which the retreat is based will be for sale during the week, together with some of his other books.
Tuesday 15 July to Thursday 17 July R4408 RETREAT FOR HOSPICE WORKERS Residential: £155, Non-residential: £103 Please arrive by 6pm on Tuesday. Course ends after lunch on Thursday. This two day course was so successful last year that we had no hesitation in asking Peter Gilbert to run it again. As Peter explains, “For many in the hospice movement there are tensions between the founding values and the business environment of today. This retreat will enable you to have the space to explore these issues with colleagues in a safe and listening environment. Topics covered will be flexible depending on what the group requires, for example spirituality, leadership, spiritual needs and organisational culture.” Peter Gilbert is Professor of Social Work and Spirituality at Staffordshire University and National Lead on Spirituality at NIMHE (National Institute for Mental Health in England). Peter is author of Leadership: Being Effective and Remaining Human (2005) and also has many years experience as a social worker.
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