Rooted and Grounded: Going Deeper Into Spiritual Practice.
A retreat hosted jointly by Renovaré Britain & Ireland (renovare.org.uk) and the Launde Abbey community (laundeabbey.org.uk)
Paul shared with the Ephesians his yearning “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith as you are being rooted and grounded in love“ (Ephesians 3.17). Do you want to develop those same deeper spiritual roots? Would you like to be able to cultivate a listening heart? Do you long to be transformed to become more like Christ?
Rooted and Grounded is a retreat for those who want to tap into the rich wisdom and experience of the various Christian spiritual traditions: contemplative and charismatic, catholic and evangelical, political and personal. We’ll take time to find rest and refreshment in prayer, worship, silence and rest. And we’ll explore a wide range of spiritual practices you can take away with you to deepen your life of faith. You might want to be more resilient in the face of exhausting demands. You might be looking for a deeper foundation for your ministry. You might be wrestling with the question: how do I live a flourishing life? If so, this retreat is for you.
And for those who want to go further still, we hope to follow this retreat with regular gatherings (at the Abbey or on Zoom) to support one another as we develop our spiritual practice. This is a pilot project for us, so we don’t know exactly what shape this will take … come and pioneer it with us!
The team for this retreat is the Revd Roy Searle, Bishop Alan Abernathy, the Revd Alison Myers, and the Revd Chris Webb.
Revd Roy Searle
Roy is a Companion and one of the founders of the Northumbria Community. He has served as a past President of the Baptist Union of Great Britain and is a founding member of Renovare Britain and Ireland. A popular conference speaker, writer, retreat leader, pioneer mentor and spiritual director, Roy is passionate about encouraging people to love God, listen well, think deeply, and live authentically and generously. He is an associate with the Northumbrian collective and The Commons Cooperative. He is married to Shirley and lives in their beloved Northumberland. They have four children and eight grandchildren.
Bishop Alan Abernathy
Alan was ordained in the Church of Ireland in 1981 and served in different parishes, and in 2007, he was ordained bishop and served in the Diocese of Connor until Dec 2019 when he retired on health grounds. He has written three books and the latest “The Jewel in the Mess” focused on how the incarnation helps us discover that God is with us in our mess. He has suffered from burnout and mental health and has found the need to refresh his resources to live in God. Married to Liz, they live in Ireland and have two children and two grandsons.
Revd Alison Myers
Alison came to Launde Abbey having been a Team Rector in rural ministry in Cambridgeshire. She has crafted and led many reflective services and gatherings using spoken word, music, silence and creative prayer stations. She is also an experienced workshop leader and mentor, combining spirituality and theology with the practical challenges of leadership, team-working and managing change, informed by her working life before she was ordained as well as theological study and lifelong faith. Alison loves praying outdoors, a good cup of coffee, noticing the cycle of the seasons and encouraging a wondering faith. She lives with her family on-site at Launde Abbey.
Revd Chris Webb
Chris Webb is an Anglican priest, author, speaker and teacher dedicated to helping people experience a richer walk with God by growing in prayer and the spiritual life. He has ministered in a wide variety of contexts: as president of Renovaré, a spiritual formation ministry in the USA; as parish priest in Welsh farming communities and steelworking towns; and even in a church for the homeless. Chris is the author of two books: The Fire of the Word (2011) and God-Soaked Life (2017).
Retreat price: £495 (standard room) or £540 (character room)
EARLY BIRD RATE: £465 (standard room) or £510 (character room) if booked by 28th July 2025!
Price includes en-suite accommodation, all meals, and all retreat resources.
It may be possible for you to extend your stay with us by adding an extra night before or after this retreat. Please contact the Abbey directly if you would like to extend your stay.
Click below to book your place now on this retreat:
For any questions, or queries or if you’d like to know more, please call 01572 717254 or alternatively email us: [email protected]
This silent individually guided retreat, over the course of 7 nights, is for those who want to come away and spend a week in silence with God. It is designed for those who regularly seek time away in silence with God and for those who have experienced shorter silent retreats and wish to spend a little longer. As well as being able to join with the Launde community in prayer you will have the opportunity to meet with a spiritual accompanier each day. The retreat will be led by Rhona Knight and a team of experienced accompaniers.
Rhona is a theological educator, pastoral supervisor and spiritual director and is a regular retreat leader at Launde Abbey. She is the author of a number of books on discipleship and spirituality.
