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Holland House is a well established Christian retreat house open to people of all faiths and none.

Set on the banks of the river Avon in the pretty village of Cropthorne, Holland House is a 17th Century black and white timbered building with a partly thatched roof and four acres of gardens.

Home-cooked food from the best of Worcestershire produce, local beers, fruit juices and honey from our own bee hives make Holland House an ideal venue to meet and be creative.

Anniversary Appeal

If you would like to support our Anniversary Appeal you can make

a donation via our website or send a cheque payable to ‘Holland

House’ to Holland House, Main Street,

Cropthorne, Pershore

QUIET DAYS WITH MARIANNE RANKIN 10am—4pm

Tuesday 6th February: ‘Spiritual but not Religious’ Are you someone who has drifted away from formal religion … but … would admit to being spiritual? This is a day to explore just how religion and spirituality are understood and practised today and what that means for you.

£32 per person including refreshments and lunch

Monday 10th September: ’Quiet Days at Home and Experiencing Nature’ How about taking a Quiet Day at home on your own? Marianne will guide you through. Then she will suggest imaginary journeys of reflection in nature.

£32 per person including refreshments and lunch

Marianne Rankin is Director of Communications for the Alister Hardy Trust and is currently researching spiritual experience for a PhD.

Friendly Lunch

Arrive from 12noon to enjoy a drink from the bar,

a 2 course set lunch will be served at 1pm followed by the talk

Tuesday 27th March: Nathan Amin will be speaking about The House of Beaufort & the Battle of Tewkesbury. £15 per person

Chris Long Piano Recitals and lunch

Chris will be joining us for a trilogy of piano recitals following lunch on:

Friday 11th May

Monday 13th August

Friday 19th October £15 per person

Booking essential on-line via our website

Yoga for Christians in Lent

Tuesday 20 February, 12 noon until

Thursday 22 February 2018 4pm

Whether you're a Christian who already goes to a yoga class, have an

interest in how yoga can support your faith, or would simply like to

experience yoga within a Christian framework, this short Lent retreat

is for you. Revd Ian Spencer will introduce Yoga as a practice

Christians can use to deeply connect with faith, working with body

practice, breath, and meditation to explore the Lenten season.

Biblical scripture, chanting and times of silence and stillness are

combined to create three days of a very special Lenten practice.

Cost is £185 includes accommodation and meals

CARM Retreats and Quiet Days

Dazzling Darkness led by

Christine Dodd

Friday 6th April 2018 from 10—4pm

An exploration of darkness and light in the spiritual life and how

we reflect this in art.

This day comes just after Easter during which many of us will

have travelled along the darkness of the way of the cross to the

light of the resurrection. Light and dark are great themes in the

Christian faith and in the Christian life. All of us experience

times of darkness and light, sorrows and joys, ups and downs.

Life teaches us that they are an inevitable part of our humanity.

What does it mean to discover God in both the light and the

dark? Can our darkness “dazzle” with the light of God even in

difficult times and can we experience the light of God when our

prayer seems dry and dark?

This day will explore these two elements using times of silence,

times of input and time to pray. We will use paint and pastel as

a way of expressing our prayer in a different way. You do not

need to bring anything (though if you have some art materials it

would be helpful to bring them) and you do NOT have to be

good at art – just to have a desire to let go, pray and see what

comes.

This day is for everyone who would like to explore how

spirituality and creativity can go

together.

£32 per person includes refreshments and lunch

Residential Conference at Holland House

‘Healing and Wholeness in New Testament times and today’

27th April 5pm – 29th April 2pm 2018

A wonderful opportunity to step aside, take a prayerful look at the

ministry of healing and wholeness, and relax together.

The Reverend Steve Clark, who has great experience in this ministry

and was formerly Chaplain at Burrswood, and Crowhurst, will guide

our reflections. We will cover the following topics:

Exploring the Jesus way: How did He touch peoples’ lives?

What is our model for prayer ministry?

The truth that heals – being gently honest

The self-awareness of the wounded healer

The healed church – functioning as the Body of Christ.

There will also be a Eucharist at 10am on Sunday

President: The Venerable Nikki Groarke, Archdeacon of Dudley.

A very warm welcome awaits all engaged in the ministry of healing

and wholeness in their church; and those interested in doing so (with

their Minister’s endorsement).

LIMITED SPACE: BOOK SOON!

Cost: £150 inclusive.

Limited bursary assistance may be available.

To book please contact Peter Perry:

01386 861791

or email peterandsue@gmail.com

CARM RETREATS AND QUIET DAYS

Poetry and Prayer

led by

Revd Clive Harper and Ann Parker

Friday 1st—Sunday 3 June 2018

£190 per person

includes accommodation and meals

THE BLACKHEART ORCHESTRA

Join us for supper on Saturday 30th June which will be

followed by the 3rd visit to Holland House of the Blackheart Orchestra, a British singer/songwriter and

multi-instrumentalist duo comprising long term collaborators Chrissy Mostyn and Richard Pilkington.

The band blend musical styles in a non-conformist way seam-lessly sidestepping boundaries to create their unique, highly

individual, emotion-drenched music.

A night not to be missed

£18 to include supper at 7pm

FRIENDS of HOLLAND HOUSE

WEEKEND

From 4pm Friday 4th May to 11am Sunday 6th May

£125 per person

‘A Weekend in Harmony with Creation’

Additional accommodation is available on Thursday 3rd May for those

travelling a distance.

Guests are welcome to stay for dinner, b&b on Sunday in return for help at

the ‘Cropthorne Walkabout’

Quiet Garden Days Quiet Garden Days are held monthly on a Thursday, between April and September from 10am to 4pm. The theme for 2018 is ‘Colour’ £10 to include refreshments. For an additional £10 you can pre-book a two course set lunch. The dates for 2018 are: Thursday 19th April Thursday 24th May (tbc) Thursday 14th June (tbc) Thursday 19th July Thursday 16th August Thursday 20th September

Join us for Afternoon Tea

Cream Tea £5

Homemade plain and fruit scones served with Hol-land House raspberry

preserve and clotted cream Pot of tea or coffee

Full Afternoon Tea £10

Including homemade plain and fruit scones served with Holland House

raspberry preserve and clotted cream, cakes of the day, selection of finger sandwiches and a pot

of tea or coffee

Pre-booking is essential

Richard Rohr Meditations: One Day

Retreat’s A series of day retreat's are on offer throughout 2018, working with the teachings of Fr Richard Rohr, Franciscan Friar, author and leader of the Centre for Action and Contemplation. Taken from "A Spring Within Us" Meditations by Rich-ard Rohr the themes will be:

Thursday 15th February — ‘Inner Experience’ Wednesday 11th April— ‘In the Beginning’ Thursday 14th June—’Leaving the Garden’

Thursday 9th August—’Open heart, mind and body’ Thursday 1st November—’Life as participation’

Each day will be led by Revd Ian Spencer and carry on from the very popular 2017 series of Practice Experience Prayer days (PEP): one day retreats on the history and practice of Christian contemplative prayer. Each day will include a short act of worship, teaching, discussion and free time to practice/consider what we have learned. Starting with morning coffee at 10am the day will con-clude at 4.00pm with afternoon tea.

Cost £35 to include lunch and refreshments

Yoga for Christians 10am—4pm

Thursday 15th March Thursday 3rd May Thursday 26th July

Thursday 18th October Thursday 6th December

Led by Revd Ian Spencer, Ian is an Anglican Priest and member of Christians Practicing Yoga. He received his Yoga training through the Sadhana Mala Teacher Training School, affiliated to the Association for Yoga Studies (AYS).

£35 per session

includes refreshments and vegetarian lunch

Quiet25 Retreats for the Quiet Garden Movement

10am Wednesday 28 March until 4pm on Thursday 29 March 2018

at Holland House

An opportunity to rest and explore contemplative and medita-tive practices from our Quiet25 Exploring Silence

Course and connect with others involved in Quiet Gardens. Drawing on different aspects of Christian contemplative

tradition, the retreat is intended to be inclusive, flexible and accessible to a wide range of participants. We are an ecumenical Movement and the retreat is open to everyone, those of faith or none. The retreat will include space for individual reflection and silence, as well as group time where we will explore a variety of

exercises and practices that nurture our relationship with silence.

The retreat will be led by Matt Freer and Tina Jefferies, both ex-perienced retreat facilitators and authors of the Quiet25 course.

Contact: info@quietgarden.org call 01494 578909 or visit www.quietgarden.org for more information and to book.

Neil Douglas-Klotz

Breathing Life of All: Chant, Movement and Contemplative Prayer with the Aramaic Jesus

Friday 28th September 5pm until Sunday 30th September 4pm

Since the publication of Neil Douglas-Klotz’s Prayers of the Cosmos in 1990, which Dr. Matthew Fox called the “seeds of a revolution,” chanting and meditating with the words of Jesus in his native Aramaic language has become one of the leading methods of next-generation, community-based ritual. Using Aramaic (either aloud or silently) offers one a direct connection through vibration, sound and breath to the spirituality of person who used the words, as well as to the indigenous Christianity of the Middle East, which predates the Western creeds and original sin-based theology. In the same way that Eastern mantra can, it bypasses the overly-busy, conceptual mind and allows one to enter deeply into feeling and body. Similar to the use of “centreing prayer” and “contemplative prayer,” over the past thirty years ministers, therapists, spiritual directors and laypeople around the world have shared Aramaic body prayer in informal, inter-spiritual gatherings as well as congregations of various denominations. This meditative art combines simple, mantra-like chanting, similar to the songs of the Taize community, along with contemplative, body-based awareness, either sitting in silence or with gentle circle dance movement. It can also be used as a type of spiritual therapy process, when various sayings are combined in par-ticular ways. This retreat will offer an experience with its originator, who will also offer suggestions for starting and leading one’s own group. “Ripe and blessed are those who realize that breath, and its connec-tion to Holy Breath, is all they have. To them belongs the reign of Unity.” – First Beatitude in Matthew, translated from the Aramaic.

Cost: £255 per person includes all meals and accommodation

JOHN BELL RETREAT

4pm Friday 16th until

4pm Sunday 18th November 2018

'IN ADVANCE OF ADVENT'

“Reflections on the midwinter seasons before they begin, avoiding

Christmas carols, nativity plays, mistletoe and partridges in pear

trees".

£255per person includes accommodation and meals

The Richard Rohr Retreat

12 noon Friday 14th until

2pm Monday 17th December 2018

For several years Holland House has been offering four day

retreats based on the teachings of Fr Richard Rohr OFM and the faculty

of the Centre for Action and Contemplation (CAC).

This year’s retreat will be focusing on "scripture as spirituality", using the

books "The Wisdom Jesus" (Bourgeault), "Scripture & Spirituality" (Rohr)

and “Jesus plan for a new world" (Rohr).

The retreat is led by Revd Ian Spencer, Urs Mattman and Dorothy

Littlewood (graduate of the Rohr "Living School"). Richard Rohr no

longer travels outside the USA and will not be present.

Only 25 places are available. As these retreats are

booked-out quickly with waiting lists, it is advisable

to book early.

£295 per person includes accommodation and meals

2018

Diary Dates

January:

Thursday 11th Friendly Lunch

February: Tuesday 6th ‘Spiritual but not Religious’ Thursday 15th Richard Rohr Meditation Tuesday 20th—Thursday 22nd Yoga for Christians in Lent

March:

Thursday 15th Yoga for Christians Tuesday 27th Friendly Lunch Wednesday 28th—Thursday 29th Quiet25 Garden Retreat

April:

Friday 6th CARM: ‘Dazzling Darkness’

Wednesday 11th Richard Rohr Meditation

Thursday 19th Quiet Garden Day

Friday 27th—Sunday 29th ‘Healing and Wholeness’ Residential

Conference hosted by Kingdom

People

May:

Thursday 3rd Yoga for Christians Friday 4th—Sunday 6th Weekend organised by the

Friends of Holland House

Monday 7th Cropthorne Walkabout

Friday 11th Chris Long

June:

Friday 1st—Sunday 3rd CARM Retreat: ‘Poetry & Prayer’

Thursday 14th Richard Rohr Meditation

Saturday 30th The Blackheart Orchestra

July:

Thursday 26th Yoga for Christians

Thursday 19th Quiet Garden Day

August:

Thursday 9th Richard Rohr Meditation

Monday 13th Chris Long

Thursday 16th Quiet Garden Day

Visit our website and join our mailing list to keep up to date with our latest events or

follow us on facebook www.hollandhouse.org

All days and retreats are available to book on-line

September:

Monday 10th ‘Quiet Days at Home and

Experiencing Nature’

Thursday 20th Quiet Garden Day

Friday 28th—Sunday 30th ‘Breathing Life of All’ with Neil Douglas-Klotz

October:

Thursday 18th Yoga for Christians

Friday 19th Chris Long

November:

Thursday 1st Richard Rohr Meditation

Friday 16th—Sunday 18th ‘In Advance of Advent’ with

John Bell

December:

Thursday 6th Yoga for Christians

Friday 14th-Monday 17th The Richard Rohr Retreat:

‘The Wisdom Jesus—scripture

and spiritual truth’

THE VIEW FROM THE HILL

Need to step back for a while and take a view as to what's happened in your life, your faith, your health or work? If there's one certainty in life, it's that things change - including long-held beliefs, aspirations or desires.

The View from the Hill is for anyone who needs to step back from their life-situation and have some time to take stock and perhaps deepen their experience of the presence of the divine in their life. It's an individually guided retreat (IGR) that lasts for three days during which time we sit together on our (metaphorical) hilltop.

Day one involves asking “why have I come to this place?” and re-membering the journey.

Day two is about laying the past and future down, and learning to become very aware of the present moment, and what the im-

plications are for our lives when we do that. Day three involves preparing to leave the hill, returning to the life-situation from whence we came, but perhaps better pre-pared for encountering it afresh. I meet with the participant twice each day, once in the morning, once in the afternoon – to listen and to be a companion “on the hill”.

Dates for the retreat by appointment Cost: £270 fully inclusive

Do get in touch if you'd like to find out more, just email me at this ad-dress ian.spencer@hollandhouse.org

“For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs

gushing out into the valleys and hills” Deuteronomy 8:7

27 Bedrooms

19 Singles

7 Twin

1 Twin accessible room

Drawing Room

Library

Conference Room

Chapel

Individual Prayer Room

Study

Holland House

in Harmony with

Creation

Book on line at www.hollandhouse.org

Holland House, Main Street, Cropthorne, Pershore WR10 3NB

Telephone 01386 860330 www.hollandhouse.org