Foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina
St. Francis Springs Prayer Center
477 Grogan Road Stoneville, NC 27048
(45 minutes north of Greensboro, NC)
Parts & Prayer
June 14th- 16th, 2024
(Father's Day Weekend)
Registration is open! We are almost full!
Registration closes on May 1st or once the retreat is full.
Register Here
This retreat is open registration, first come first serve basis with no criteria. However, this retreat may go beyond your comfort level.
Before registering, please read about the retreat and our prayer for your discernment at the bottom of this page.
- Previous knowledge or experience with ancient Christian prayer methods listed below is not required.
- Previous knowledge of psychology or IFS is not required but a fundamental acceptance of one’s inner multiplicity is foundational to this retreat. If you’re uncomfortable thinking of yourself as multidimensional, ie. having various parts or aspects of yourself that may take the lead at times in your prayer life, this workshop may not be a good fit for you.
- This retreat may have up to 25 participants, men and women.
- Interest in growing in your ancient Christian contemplative prayer practices in community with other like-minded souls.
- Notice, who inside is doing most of your praying?
- Overview of various methods of prayer to help engage the senses and your particular personality traits. (See a full list of types of prayer at the bottom.)
- We'll explore how your inner world impacts your prayer life by mapping out the parts that are involved in your prayer life.
- We'll look at personality types and how they fit, or don't fit well, with the various types of prayer.
- You will have plenty of time to rest and restore in God's creation.
$850/ $690 each, if you share a room. (Please Note: The shared room rate was miscalculated when the email went out.)
View the cancellation policy.
Join us in the foothills of North Carolina at the St. Francis Springs Prayer Center for a long weekend of rest, reflection, and recreation with yourself, God, and other like-minded souls. This retreat center is nestled in the woods providing many opportunities for all fitness levels to soak in God’s beauty. There are over 30 benches on the 140-acre property and a myriad of indoor nooks for private reflection in spaces such as their meditation rooms, library, bookstore, or lounge.
You will have time to explore the surrounding beauty and the grounds at St. Francis Springs during free time, or before & after the retreat.
- 2-nights in a private room (Double occupancy is available if you want to come with a friend and share a room.) Photos
- 7 meals that you don't have to cook or clean up!
- Healthy snacks
- Workshop materials
- Unlimited coffee and tea
- Weather permitting, we will take field trips to the labyrinth, glass outdoor chapel, boulder water feature, and stations of the cross. We will not be in the same room all weekend!
- Outdoor reflection amenities on the 140-acre property More Info
- Amenities of St. Francis Springs More Info
- Cobblestone sidewalks throughout the grounds making it easily walkable. No car is needed once you arrive.
We will use ancient contemplative practices infused with modern psychology to help you restore your soul and enhance your prayer life. Our group time together will include 8 workshops.
- Multiplicity, temperament, attachment style, Enneagram number, Myers-Briggs type, EQ & IQ, Sensory type, etc.
- Praying for parts of yourself, writing prayers, breath prayers, centering prayer
- Praying with music and the body through a guided meditation prayer
- Walking prayer through the prayer Labyrinth
- Spirit Stretch / Doxa Soma
- Contemplative Prayer with the Jesus Prayer & Praying with Icons
- Praying with beads and making a prayer bracelet (optional)
- Lectio Divina
There will be a break-out session for those who have signed up for a spiritual direction meeting or confession/reconciliation with the resident Franciscan priest. Everyone is welcome to this break-out session, however, those who are scheduled to meet with someone will be given priority to have their questions answered.
You will be prompted at registration to indicate if you're interested in a Spiritual Direction meeting for an additional fee ($60).
*There will not be a bibliography provided at the retreat since most of the books on my recommended reading list heavily inform the retreat content.
TRAVEL
We will begin at 10:30am on Friday so if you need to arrive Thursday, unfortunately, onsite availability at the retreat center is not available because SFS is hosting another group. If you're traveling far, you may want to stay at a hotel in Greensboro. SFS is in the middle of small towns and the hotels that are closer to the retreat center are not chain hotels.
We will end at 3pm on Sunday and check-out is at 11am. We have reserved a block of rooms for Sunday night. Priority will be given to those traveling out of town on Monday. There is limited availability at SFS for Sunday night accommodations. You can make your own reservation for Sunday evening here at SFS for Sunday evening if you'd like to extend your stay.
FOR THOSE FLYING
You can plan to fly into Greensboro, NC (30min.), Roanoke, VA (1.5hr), or Charlotte, NC (2hr.) on Thursday the 13th. Greensboro, NC airport is Piedmont Triad International.
LODGING
Your 2-night stay will have you lodging in a private room with your own bathroom and a patio balcony or picture window looking out at the woods. Double occupancy is available if you want to come with a friend and share a room. Some rooms are suitable for couples to come together. Please inquire. All lodging accommodations must be finalized by May 15th or upon retreat capacity, whichever is sooner. Linens and towels are provided. You will need to bring your own toiletries.
We have reserved a block of rooms for Sunday night for those who would like to extend their stay for an additional $160. Priority will be given to those traveling out of town on Monday. You will be able to indicate your needs and preferences when you register.
There is limited availability at SFS for Sunday night accommodations. You can check SFS availability for Sunday evening here.
FOOD
Meals are served buffet style and are standard retreat center food with fresh salad provided at lunch and dinner. Guests are encouraged to go back for seconds :) Some dietary specifications can be accommodated, however, you are encouraged to bring any non-perishable foods to make your visit more comfortable. There is not a refrigerator available to guests.
This retreat is designed to be minimally informative and largely experiential to deepen your relationship with the Lord. All of these methods are vehicles of prayer to enliven your prayer life, giving you ways to connect with God intimately. The stations are at the bottom of a ravine down a gravel path so those with physical limitations may not be able to participate in this one.
While Julie and Vanessa are not experts on any of these methods of prayer, they offer their expertise as Christian therapists with tools to help you track your inner movements and pace your prayer life with grace and gentleness based on what your inner world needs in any given day or moment.
Learn more about the retreat leaders.
Here's a list of all of the methods of prayer we will look at, some very briefly and others in full depth.
- Walking the Prayer Labyrinth
- Stations of the Cross (contemplation)
- Prayers of St. Francis of Assisi
- Praying with beads (Jesus Prayer, Intercessory for yourself and others, Rosary)
- Prayer of Examen
- Lectio Divina
- Praying with Icons (contemplation)
- Jesus Prayer
- Listening prayer (centering prayer)
- Journaling- writing prayers, praying for your parts from your Spirit led self, not just from other parts like the fixer
- Confession
- Guided meditation prayers
- Spiritual Direction
- Praying with the body with Doxa Soma (Christian yoga-ish)
- Praying with the body through guided meditation
- Prayer Apps: Listening to prayers and meditations
- Praying the daily office (prayer rule)
DISCERNMENT
If you’re considering this retreat, we are praying for your discernment of whether this is the time for God to meet you where you are through this place set apart from everyday life. In the practice of soul care and exploring one's inner landscape, Julie and Vanessa have trekked their own journeys by utilizing IFS as a vehicle to grow in their relationship with the Lord. They are honored to guide you where the Lord is nudging you, gently yet deeply, because they know what it’s like to seek health and wholeness through painful experiences with Christ at the center.
