Upcoming events at the House of the Open Door Community
The Community hosts many events throughout the year, using some of the facilities in our Retreat Centre; we list those coming up in a calendar below.
Our Tithe Barn is sometimes reserved for guest groups but is at other times is an ideal event space for meetings or conferences hosted by the community such as our Friday night Fellowship meetings, or those visiting for discipleship. Smaller meetings such as craft retreats take place in our Craft Studio.
If you are visiting for one of the events it may be possible for us to cater for you in our Dining Room; during your visit you are welcome to spend any spare time in our Retreat Centre Gardens.
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Friday 13th May – Sunday 15th May 2022
The House of the Open Door community offers a retreat on the theme “Narnia, Middle-earth and God’s Creation”
The retreat leader will be our longstanding friend Andy Swinford.
Andy writes:
On this retreat we shall explore God’s wonderful creation, drawing inspiration from the Bible and from the stories of C S Lewis and J R R Tolkien (no prior knowledge needed!).
It will be a time for drawing close to God, and receiving his grace-filled refreshment and rest, with plenty of opportunity for encountering God anew, both indoors and outside in the beautiful gardens and countryside surrounding The House of the Open Door. There will be time to listen and pray, and just to Be as we are refreshed by his Spirit and delight in God, enjoying his presence.
Suggested donation £150
Although Covid-19 restrictions are lifting at the moment in the UK, events at HOD are subject to current restrictions. Please see our page Coronavirus (COVID-19) and your safety for more.
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Andy Swinford
Andy has frequently given multimedia presentations and lead retreats on C S Lewis. He has also written scripts for tours of places in Britain connected to Tolkien for Authatrails. He gave a presentation for the Three Shires Festival last year on links between these two authors and their love of the natural world.
Now retired, he taught English in secondary school for 25 years in Birmingham. Walking in the countryside and beekeeping are among his chief pleasures. He is currently writing a book on Joy in the fiction of C S Lewis.
He is a longstanding friend of The House of the Open Door, and has spoken before at our Friday Night Fellowship Meetings
Escape to the Cotswolds and explore your Creativity on Retreat with us….
From 1st-3rd July we will be holding our Six Senses Creativity Retreat.
The vision for this event grew over a long time. And now it’s sprouting!
What…?
The weekend retreat is for anyone who wants to discover something new about their creative perception. You don’t need to call yourself a Christian to come!
- Explore their creativity through nature and experimental Art techniques.
- Led by an experienced and friendly team
- Creative Workshops available:
- Power Drumming
- Physical Poetry
- Paper Making
- Acrylic Flow Painting
- … and more
- Suitable for all levels of ability.
- All materials provided.
In between times you are welcome to relax in our Retreat Centre Gardens. Refreshments will be provided.
When…?
We suggest you book in to stay with us from Friday and Sunday so that you can take part in all of the activities on offer.
Stay the weekend to take part…?
Please Contact Us to book in to stay in our Retreat Centre.
Recommended donation for your stay: £150 (full board).
The retreat is supported by the community’s registered Christian charity.
Questions…?
Please contact us with any queries, for instance if you would like to come for only part of the time or prefer to stay in the local area.
Join us!
Come, and be refreshed. Come and just BE, be yourself.
Come, especially if you have never been before! ?
Click for our Six Senses Retreat poster PDF to share with others.
Photo below: Ibi and Silvie, two members of the Creativity Retreat team look forward to meeting you!
Join us for a quiet day of reflection for Lent.
This quiet day for Lent will be led by community members, as a a time of waiting on God in reflection and prayer.
We will reflect together on the theme “Finding Joy in the Wilderness”
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing.
Isaiah 35:1-10
Through prayer, reflection on Scripture and silence during the day, we will seek to enter into this time of preparation for the Passion and Death of the Lord Jesus.
Suggested donation of £20, including drinks and biscuits.
Please bring your own packed lunch
To book a place, please contact us by phone or email.
‘Under cloud and under star’
(The Hobbit)‘A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God”’
(Isaiah 40.3)
Friday 19th May – Sunday 21st May 2023
The House of the Open Door community offers a retreat on the theme “Narnia, Middle-Earth and the Way of Life”
The retreat leader will be our longstanding friend Andy Swinford.
Andy writes:
Come and explore with us on this retreat the theme of Journeying through the life God has given us, drawing inspiration from the Bible and from the stories of C S Lewis and J R R Tolkien (no prior knowledge needed!). We shall look at such themes as leave-taking and home-coming, pilgrimage, companions upon the way, the great grace that sustains us, God’s loving protection, our resting places, risky living and probably much more.
It will be a time for drawing close to God, and receiving his grace-filled refreshment and rest, with plenty of opportunity for encountering God anew, both indoors and outside in the beautiful gardens and countryside surrounding The House of the Open Door. There will be time to listen and pray, and just to Be as we are refreshed by his Spirit and delight in God, enjoying his guiding light.
Suggested donation £200
Please Contact Us for more details, or to book.
__________________
Andy Swinford
Andy has frequently given multimedia presentations and lead retreats on C S Lewis. He has also written scripts for tours of places in Britain connected to Tolkien for Authatrails. He gave a presentation for the Three Shires Festival last year on links between these two authors and their love of the natural world.
Now retired, he taught English in secondary school for 25 years in Birmingham. Walking in the countryside and beekeeping are among his chief pleasures. He is currently writing a book on Joy in the fiction of C S Lewis.
He is a longstanding friend of The House of the Open Door, and has spoken before at our Friday Night Fellowship Meetings
The House of the Open Door community offers a ladies’ Fitness and Faith Day on the theme “Grace and Strength”.
The day will be hosted by a team led by community member Ibi Gyorgy. Ibi is a qualified fitness instructor and personal trainer.
Ladies, come and join us for a day of Fitness, Faith, Food and Fun!
- Fitness: Ibi will be leading a program including classes for stretching, Gentle Pilates, Dancemix workout, and Ab blast workout. All fitness classes are optional and will aim to suit all abilities.
- Other elements of the day will explore…
- Faith: the relationship between Fitness and Faith
- Food: the role of food and nutrition in our lives
- Fun: time to unwind in fellowship with others!
‘My dear son, be patient, because the weaknesses of the body are given to us in this world by God for the salvation of the soul. So they are of great merit when they are borne patiently.
St. Francis of Assisi, The Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi
There will be spare time during the day to enjoy our beautiful Retreat Centre and Gardens. Refreshments will be provided.
Here you can find a detailed programme. The poster is here.
Recommended donation for the day is £35 including all classes and refreshments. Please, bring your own lunch.
Please Contact Us to book in for the day, or to stay in our Retreat Centre.
Ibi Gyorgy
‘In your presence is fulness of joy’
(Psalm 16.11)‘In a sense the central story of my life is about nothing else’
(Surprised by Joy – C S Lewis)
Saturday 20th April 2024
The House of the Open Door community offers a retreat on the theme “Surprised by Joy” led by Andy Swinford.
This is a retreat for the refreshment of the spirit as Andy Swinford leads us on an adventure into the world of C S Lewis. The wind of joy breathes through his writings (no prior knowledge needed!) and we will draw close to God by using insights they provide, arising out of the deep faith of the author. During the day there will be space for reflection, walking, prayer, and joy-gathering in the beautiful gardens and grounds of The House of the Open Door.
Suggested donation £20
Please bring your own lunch – refreshments provided.
Please Contact Us for more details, or to book.
Surprised by Joy Retreat Poster (PDF)
__________________
Andy Swinford
Andy formerly taught English Literature and is the author of 14 essays in ‘The Christian Tradition in English Literature’. He is about to publish ‘The Practice of Joy: insights from the stories of C S Lewis’. He also delivers multimedia presentations and on-line classes about the authors C S Lewis and Tolkien.
Walking in the countryside and beekeeping are among his chief pleasures. He is a long-standing friend of The House of the Open Door, and has spoken before at our Friday Night Fellowship Meetings.
‘The trees of the field will clap their hands’
(Isaiah 55.12)
Saturday 11th May 2024
The House of the Open Door community offers a retreat on the theme “The Trees of the Field” led by Andy Swinford.
Using the beautiful grounds of The House of the Open Door and scripture, we find inspiration in the different trees of the Bible to help us in our walk with God.
This is a retreat for the refreshment of the spirit as Andy Swinford leads us in a prayerful walk among the trees of the Bible. The oak, fig, willow, vine, olive can all inspire us as we draw close to God. During the day there will be plenty of space for reflection, walking, prayer, and enjoying God’s wonderful creation, including the majestic trees, in the gardens of The House of the Open Door.
Suggested donation £20
Please bring your own lunch – refreshments provided.
Please Contact Us for more details, or to book.
The trees of the field poster (PDF)
__________________
Andy formerly taught English Literature and is the author of 14 essays in ‘The Christian Tradition in English Literature’. He is about to publish ‘The Practice of Joy: insights from the stories of C S Lewis’. He also delivers multimedia presentations and on-line classes about the authors C S Lewis and Tolkien.
Andy Swinford
Walking in the countryside and beekeeping are among his chief pleasures. He is a long-standing friend of The House of the Open Door, and has spoken before at our Friday Night Fellowship Meetings.
