A retreat is about listening and waiting, receiving, and being.
Jane E. Vennard
Why retreat?
Retreats provide the gift of time apart from our everyday rhythms and routines to pause, to encounter that which lies beyond ourselves, to listen attentively to our own lives and to those of others.
Retreats create a spacious place of hospitality where our souls can breathe, where we are invited into the fullness of sacred presence. We retreat, not to escape, but so we can return to the varying calls on our time, with an inner stillness that grounds us.
My Philosophy:
Whatever the theme or topic, I bring a contemplative orientation to retreats and a spirit of enquiry to whatever I offer. I seek to create hospitable safe spaces that invite attention, time for reflection & allow curiosity to arise. My considerable experience in the education sector means I am can design content & be flexible in delivery methods. Any of the retreats, presentations and talks I have delivered in the past can be adapted in format, length & medium.
I will work with you to generate ideas, explore themes & create something that serves the needs of your group.
I can’t wait to work with you!
Costs will vary dependent on preparation, materials, time commitment & your budgets.
PREVIOUS OFFERINGS: retreats, workshops & talks I have presented & facilitated:
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John Calvin said, “There is no deep knowing of God without a deep knowing of self, and no deep knowing of self without a deep knowing of God.”
In this weekend long retreat for pastors and their spouses, from within the Christian Reformed Church, attendees were taken on a pilgrimage of identity.
Goals for the retreat included:
Understanding your temperament using the tool of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator
Examining your shadow self as a pathway to growth and wholeness
Examining the implications of your temperament type for relationships, ministry context, and spirituality
Engaging in spiritual practices as pathways to communion with God and self-awareness
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A weekend long retreat with a group of women from Trinity Baptist Church, contemplating the connections and tensions we experience between Being and Doing. Has busyness become an idol in our lives? Who are we when our roles are stripped away? What place does community & the practice of sabbath have in bringing us back to our core worth?
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This weekend long retreat, again with Trinity Baptist Church, asked, how do we listen to God, especially in light of our overcrowded schedules & 24/7 technology world?
Attendees were given the opportunity to learn, share & practice some of the ways we can be attentive to God’s voice. This included contemplative prayer exercises & reflecting on one’s life story.
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This weekend retreat asked young adults from the Anglican Parish of Christ Church, to hear God’s call to be & do. Through the medium of guided prayer practices, sharing in community, & personal reflection time, attendees considered the life of Jesus & their own lives, being attentive to what themes emerged around vocation, meaning & significance.
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This half-day online retreat provided attendees from Greenfield Baptist Church, with a series of pointers that help us in discerning our callings. How do we figure out to what we are called?
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Two talks given at a conference for Post-Secondary Student Life Professionals. The first reminded attendees that our foremost vocation is TO BE in relationship with God; to see ourselves as God sees us. The second challenged us to practice the hard call to be in community, if we are to flourish in our particular vocational calls.
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In this half-day retreat, participants were invited to enter into some of the hard events of Holy Week, leading to Jesus' crucifixion. Through contemplative prayer practices & personal reflection time, space was given to consider the tough places in their own stories, reflecting on how Jesus' experiences might speak solace and sustenance.
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Many of us are familiar with intercessory & petitionary prayer but are less familiar with contemplative prayer. Through a mixture of teaching, engaging in a practice, & sharing, attendees were invited to encounter God afresh. The format can be adapted for a mini series, part of a longer retreat or something in between.
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The English mystic, Julian of Norwich lived in the late 14th/early 15th century - a time of social, political and ecclesial turmoil. I have given a number of presentations on her & my own journey of formation as I have immersed myself in her texts, “Revelations of Divine Love.” This classic of medieval religious literature, is replete with theological insights. In my talks, you are invited to enter Julian's world, mind & heart. How may her voice speak to us from across the ages?
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The Enneagram is a dynamic personality system that describes nine distinct patterns of thinking, feeling & acting. I am a certified instructor in the Enneagram Spectrum Method.
See my Exploring Personality page for more information.
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The MBTI identifies our personality preferences according to four dimensions, & helps us understand our potential strengths & development areas. As a licensed practitioner, I am able to provide access to the MBTI official assessment, & generate reports through Psychometrics Canada who set the costs.
See more information on my Exploring Personality page.
Testimonials
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Slow Down & Listening to God
"Witty was the keynote speaker at our Trinity Baptist Ladies’ Retreat in 2016 and 2017. Witty is well-read, applies what she learns to everyday life, is passionate about her faith, & helping others develop their faith. She is genuine & has a great sense of humor. Her calm & peaceful disposition was evident as she led our retreat in an interactive manner. She encouraged us to be refreshed, renewed, & refocused on our relationship with God."
Gail Fraser and Betty Adam, Coordinators, Trinity Baptist Church Women’s Ministry
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Knowing Yourself for the Sake of Others
"The presentations were helpful to my life and ministry."
"Really appreciated the focus on personality and would appreciate more of this in future retreats."
"This weekend was so valuable and such a good time for us as a couple and for our personal growth."Comments by participants on CRC Church Leaders Retreat
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Take a Breath: You Don’t Have To Have It All Figured Out
"Witty facilitated an incredibly meaningful retreat for our church's Young Adults' Group on the themes of identity and vocation. Witty's facilitation style is thoughtful, warm, and inclusive; she knows how to create a trusting space that draws people in and encourages reflection. With Witty's guidance, the retreat was everything we hoped, and many participants expressed gratitude for the spiritual reflection and community-building Witty encouraged."
Mary-Ann Shantz, Young Adult Ministry, Christ Church Anglican
MYERS BRIGGS TYPE INDICATOR TESTIMONIAL
“Our MBTI workshop with Everyday Pilgrimages was so much more than a session on personality styles. Witty took time to foster a deeper understanding of how each team member’s preferences impacted the team’s overall dynamic. She expertly facilitated the session and allowed time for us to reflect on our own preferences and develop compassion for one another based on each other’s preferences. She was excellent at reading the tone of the group, adjusting as needed. We only wish we had booked a longer session!”
Natalie Wallace, General Manager, The King’s University Students’ Association