Opening oneself to God through praying scriptures and sharing that experience with a trained companion each time you meet.

Rather than drawing apart from regular activities, a  Guided Prayer retreat is a retreat in the midst of daily life. 

Purchase the Theme material which includes a  Manual from the Guided Prayer Network.

Plan your retreat.

Recruit and train your companions.

Hold your retreat.

Share your experience with the church and the network.

Imagine 

• use God’s gift of imagination to picture the passage in detail
• experience the setting by engaging all the senses, eg. feel the breeze, smell the sea, taste the salt air, hear the waves, see the crowd gathered on the shore
• put yourself into the passage as a person or thing … there are no rules or shoulds, you can be anyone, even Jesus
• speak to someone and let others speak to you
• be free to go beyond what is written 
• be aware of your feelings and notice any changes in them

Meditate

• listen to God speaking to you
• linger over words or phrases that stand out
• let the passage sink deeper and deeper into your heart
• be aware of your feelings and notice any changes in them
• experience, rather than analyze
• let the passage stir your own experience, associations and memories

The retreat teaches the participants how to prepare for their prayer time, pray scripture using imagination or meditation,  journal about their experience and share with their companion.

                       LIVING IN GOD’S TIME

      a time to be silent and a time to speak

Sunday/Monday

1 Kings 19:9-13 ... a sound of sheer silence

Job 2:11-13 ... no one spoke a word to Job

Matthew 15:22-28 ... a Canaanite Woman ... started shouting John 8:1-11 ... neither do I condemn you

In the early 1990’s, I attended an ecumenical church conference in Minnesota. Over the several days in assigned table groups, we risked sharing our stories. I will never forget one young woman who was struggling with a decision that faced her and her female life partner. They had been asked by a dying mother to adopt her children after her death. This momentous decision was even more complicated because their same sex relationship had no legal or religious recognition. I consider myself an ally and supporter of people who are LGBTQ+ and yet listening to her words as a fairly new parent, I wondered if those children wouldn’t be better off with a mom and dad.

I kept those thoughts to myself and continued to listen. My mind and heart began to shift. A dying mother had made her choice. How could anyone argue with that? I began to hear a person who was facing the death of a friend, wanting desperately to honour her wishes and prayerfully discern what was best for the children. We looked at pictures and heard stories about them. Around that table, I hope we modelled for her what a loving supportive Christian community could look like for her new family. I left believing that she and her partner would become parents to those children and praying that they would find a Christian community that would surround them with love.

Can this be how change happens? Someone is brave enough to share their story. Others are open to really listening and examining their own hearts before expressing an opinion. In the story of Jesus’ encounter with the Canaanite woman, when he paused his own agenda and took the time to listen and engage with her, she had the courage to step up and speak up in the crowd. Her words and his willingness to be open to the possibility of something new shifted his ideas of ministry. For her, there was healing.

Sitting together in silence. Listening until someone else can speak. Being willing to wrestle with our own discomfort over what we might hear. Pushing our own boundaries out a little further and learning to speak up in a new way. These are gifts we have to share with the world.

For Reflection and Journaling:

1. When did my silence allow another to speak?

2. When did my speaking up bring healing for myself or others?

Meditative Prayer:

God give us the courage to risk sharing our stories and to listen with love to the stories of others. Amen.

J. Cameron

How do we begin?

Materials can be purchased through Guided Prayer Network Website. @ For your first retreat you will want to begin planning several months in advance. A detailed outline of how one church structured their committee and retreat can be found in the Part E of the Manual – Additional Resources – Planning Committee and Proposed Timeline for the Planning. Committee

How do we proceed?

A Planning Team of two or three people who are committed to plan and organize a Retreat for the congregation gather to prayerfully review the materials and decide what your retreat will look like – will it be a week, weekly or monthly, in person or online.

What is the Difference Between a Planning Team and the Leadership Team?

The Planning Team does the preparatory work for the retreat and attends to hospitality and logistics/housekeeping during the week. The Leadership Team made up of the Coordinators and Companions leads the retreat. In some churches, one team fulfills both roles. Especially in a large church, it is helpful to have a separate planning  team so the Leadership Team can focus on companioning and prayer.

Do we need Coordinators and Companions?

It is helpful to have two Coordinators who oversee the week and support the Companions. Having trained Companions to guide the Retreatants on their prayer journey has proved to be very meaningful for Retreatants and Companions.

How do we find Companions?

Choose people you see as prayerful and share Part B – Companion Training materials with them to read. Gather to model praying scripture and companioning. Arrange training for the people who feel called.

How are Companions trained?

Companion Training is offered by the Network periodically for six or more participants or you can train your own Companions by following the outline in the Manual.

How many Companions are needed?

New Companions can usually Companion two Retreatants comfortably. Having at least two Retreatants helps them experience the diversity of the Retreatants’ journeys. Experienced Companions can Companion up to four participants effectively.

Does a Companion have to be a Retreatant first?

If Companions have not been Retreatants, it is helpful to meet together before the retreat to pray scripture and practice companioning.

Do we need to meet with the Companions and Coordinators each day?

Communities of faith that have the time and resources find it very meaningful to meet for a meal each day as a Leadership Team to connect with God and each other. Some groups meet two or three times during the week to share devotions and experiences of companioning with or without meal.

How do we promote the week in our community of faith?

Posters, display materials and registration forms are provided that can be customized for your retreat. It is very helpful to have people who have experienced the week share their story and invite people personally who they feel would appreciate the week. Some churches have a registration table so that people can ask questions or offer online information and registration.

Why do we need a cut-off date for registration?

The cut-off allows for preparing resources and matching of Companions and Retreatants. Sometimes you are able to accommodate one or two late Retreatants.

How does the Retreat proceed?

Before the Week

  • purchase retreat materials

  • confirm dates/timing of retreat with church leaders

  • prepare budget

  • book space for large group gatherings,  individual companioning sessions and Leadership Team meetings

  • inform groups who normally meet in the church about the retreat

  • arrange hospitality for large group and  Leadership Team meetings

  • engage, screen and train Companions and Coordinators

  • publicize the retreat

  • register participants

  • arrange for a book table

  • prepare participants materials

  • prepare worship for the opening and closing sessions including arranging for music and communion if you are celebrating the sacrament

  • create worship centres and prayer stations

  • prepare mementoes for participants

  • borrow a 25’ or 30’ labyrinth from the Network if you have space

During the Week

  • plan for safety and security of participants and opening and closing of building

  • set up rooms for group gatherings and companioning

  • hold Leadership Team meeting prior to opening gathering

  • hold opening gathering

  • complete Companion schedule

  • meet with Leadership Team for prayer and meals as planned

  • handout evaluation sheets

  • write thankyous for volunteers

  • write notes to Retreatants

  • prepare closing including communion

  • hold closing gathering

Following the Week

  • review evaluations

  • check that payment of materials and other
   expenses has been made

  • send report to Network

  • report to community faith