In 2024 community member Andy Swinford will lead two day retreats on Saturdays, and will speak at a Friday night on 27th September.
During these days there will be space for reflection, walking, prayer, and joy-gathering in the beautiful gardens and grounds of The House of the Open Door. For more details and to book, see the events below.
Saturday 20th April: Surprised by Joy
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.
Saturday 11th May: The Trees of the Field
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.
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.
When you make a booking, you will be given information about the measures taken to ensure your safety and precautions such as social distancing, which we ask you to take during your time with us. Please see our page Coronavirus (COVID-19) for more information.