Priest Without Portfolio
Finding God in new places…
Petite Retreats
Life is difficult.
We can find ourselves spending all our energy on problem solving, caring for others, earning a living…
Time for ourselves goes out the window, and time for ourselves with God seems impossible. Short arrow prayers are all that we are capable of ‘Oh God, help…’
Taking time to pause, to reflect, to nurture our physical and spiritual wellbeing is imperative to a healthy lifestyle, but how do we manage to fit it in?
Petite Retreats help you to set aside a few hours to be guided in Spiritual Reflections, to be fed physically, and to have something to take home to continue the ‘discipline’ of retreating with God.
Designed to fit in with the school run, or after work, and on a variety of different themes. Some embrace quiet more than others. There is something to suit everyone.
Prices have now been reduced to help us all with the rise in the cost of living.
Coming up:
Ashes to Ashes Petite Retreat for Lent A Saturday of guided meditations helping us to prepare spiritually for Holy Week and Easter. Three guided meditations dispersed with times to rest and to reflect. Treat yourself by pre-ordering a picnic lunch or BYO, light refreshments included. Also included: use of art equipment, mindfulness knitting project, prayer cards, take home gift, optional one2one with Retreat Leader: Rev Vanessa Cole.
All include guided reflections, reflective prayer cards, light refreshments, optional one-one time with the retreat leader, and a take home gift.
Additionally I can be booked to lead a bespoke Petite Retreat for your church or organisation.
I just wanted to say Thank you for the perfect day. God’s presence and the fellowship was wonderful. What a master stroke to do it at Ann’s and get Kate as a caterer. Your guidance was perfectly balanced too. Xxx
Online Retreats
Life has moved online in so many different ways since the outset of the pandemic. To ‘zoom’ no longer means to move quickly, but to connect with others for work or worship or even workout.
Petite Retreats also work really well online.
Although it may be harder creating a sacred space at home rather than attending one that someone else has created, it is your own private space that becomes more prayerful the more that it is used.
Online retreats are delivered over Zoom with three guided reflections and space in between. One-one conversations can be arranged with the retreat leader during these spaces.
An electronic retreat package will be emailed out to you ahead of the retreat, however, a retreat package with envelopes containing meditative prayer cards to open for each session. and a take-home gift delivered to your door can be purchased as an ‘add on’.
Coming up:
A day of guided meditations helping us to prepare spiritually for Holy Week and Easter. Three guided meditations dispersed with times to rest and to reflect.
A retreat pack with reflection cards and prayers will be emailed to you ahead of the event, or treat yourself by purchasing a retreat package to be delivered to your home.
An optional one2one with the Retreat Leader, Rev Vanessa Cole may be possible between meditations.
A wonderful evening yesterday in Petite retreat … feeling refreshed and restored. So many thanks!
Thank you Vanessa for a lovely time this evening – thoughtful and powerful.
Spiritual Direction
Spiritual Direction is a cross between counselling and prayerful listening. All clergy and ministers are strongly encouraged to have their own Spiritual Director they meet with regularly.
A Spiritual Director is someone who will listen to you, holding the space between heaven and earth, reflecting back where God may be in any given situation.
It has been a lifeline to me throughout my ministry, and now I am training to be able to offer that support to others.
Spiritual Direction, though, is not limited to clergy, but is a helpful and supportive discipline for all who seek to walk closer to God.
Spiritual Direction can be hard to define; it is a confidential space, a holy space, a non-judgemental space. It is the presence of a prayerful companion.
Spiritual Direction can be conducted face to face at The Quiet Garden, in a Private Room at the Gin Palace in Andover Town, as a ‘Walk and Talk’ around Anton Lakes Nature Reserve, or via Zoom.
‘I’m really grateful to Vanessa for the spiritual companionship she’s given me so far. Through her personal experience she understands the demands of ordained ministry and how lonely it can be. I’ve really valued her open ears, honesty and wisdom especially with regards vocation.
Not all those who wander are lost.
J. R. R. TOLKIEN
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About Me
Hello, I’m Vanessa, an ordained priest in the Church of England. For the past eleven years I have served as ‘The Walloping Vicar’ but now I find myself a priest without portfolio and wondering where God is leading me.
Priest without Portfolio 