Overall vision and purpose
Penhurst Retreat Centre has been established as a place where small groups and individuals from all parts of the world can find rest and refreshment in body, mind and spirit whilst preparing for or returning from their place of work and service.
The Centre seeks to provide a place where people can:
· Find an environment of prayer
· Help people deepen their relationship with Christ and each other
· Work through personal issues such as fear about the future and disillusionment
· Recover from trauma or loss
· Seek guidance about the next step
· Resolve uncertainties about how to deal with a difficult situation or relationship.
Guests
The Centre was established with mission partners working overseas in mind. However while seeking to maintain this emphasis, the Centre welcomes guests from both near and far, those in full-time Christian work, those in secular employment and anyone in need of spiritual refreshment. All are welcome here, including those of other faiths or none, provided that they respect the Christian ethos of the Centre.
Centrality of relationship and prayer
The trustees and staff seek to live out a gospel of peace and to demonstrate this through their daily activities within the Centre, and in their relationships both with guests and with one another. Everything that takes place within the Centre is under-girded by prayer.
Welcome and responsiveness
The aim of the Centre is to be responsive and sensitive to guests and their individual needs. The warmth and quality of welcome given is much more important than items or practices which speak of one particular Christian tradition. In order to achieve this aim, active listening, prayer and debriefing is on offer to guests within the Centre and professional counselling, mentoring and spiritual direction can be provided on request if booked in advance.
Place of quiet and reflection
The Centre recognises that the ideal balance between quiet time and engagement, reflection and action, rest and activity, study and prayer, may be different for each individual. We advocate, therefore, a spirit of acceptance and tolerance to enable the needs of each guest to be met as fully as possible. Guests and staff will be encouraged not to make noise that disturbs others. Guests who come to retreat in personal silence are given every opportunity to do so including meals in their rooms if desired and others around them are asked to be sensitive to their needs. Silence is an important part of many retreats and the Centre seeks to provide opportunities for silence at the discretion of the retreat leader and/or wardens.
Open to all God’s people
The Trustees and staff are committed to providing an ecumenical environment for guests respecting the diversity in understanding and practice of the Christian faith and enabling the full breadth of Christ’s body to feel both accepted and welcomed. To help fulfil this aim the Centre accommodates a wide and varied range of liturgy, retreat support materials and Christian artwork. All traditions, insights and forms of worship that bring glory to God are valued and respected.
Length of stay
In order to enable people to listen to God as fully as possible, we endeavour to find ways of encouraging guests to spend 4-7 days at the Centre. Consequently discounts are offered for longer stays.
