Our Ministries Text

Community of the Sisters of the Church

An international body of women within the Anglican Communion

UK: Hospitality Ministry at Ham | Programme

Our Ministries

Having told us that our first work is the call to personal holiness and union with God, Mother Emily said that we are a Community which combines the life of prayer with active and demanding work for others.

Joy comes to us in our being open to a costly yet fulfilling way of serving through our work, whatever it may be, by which we not only give glory to, but are co-workers with God.

from the Rule (1999)

Hospitality

Hospitality is an important part of our Community's ministry and takes different forms in each of our houses: befriending people who come to the Sisters’ door, offering a place ‘away from the hustle and bustle’ to rest, think, pray... companionship, friendship... being active in our local communities...

To contact us for further information, please click here.

Retreats and Quiet Days

Retreats and Quiet Days are essential to our life as a Community. Since we value these times of prayer and reflection so highly, wherever possible, Sisters also lead Quiet Days for groups or individuals, and offer accompaniment to those in private retreat.

To enquire about the possibility of making a retreat, please contact us by clicking here.

For further information about retreats offered at St. Michael’s Convent, Ham Common (UK), please click here.

Listening Ministries

Sisters engage in a wide variety of listening ministries, both formally and informally.

A number of sisters offer Spiritual Direction. There is also a sister available for professional Counselling (by appointment).

Spiritual Direction

Sisters are sometimes available to offer spiritual accompaniment and/or direction either to guests, or, as an on-ongoing arrangement.

Spiritual accompaniment for guests and help with a retreat are available subject to reasonable notice and an appropriate sister being available. If spiritual accompaniment is offered a donation is suggested in addition to that for accommodation.

To contact us for further information or to make an initial enquiry, please click here.

Counselling

To contact us for further information or to make an initial enquiry, please click here.

Justice and Peace

As part of our engagement with the world in which we live, we try to maintain an informed engagement with issues of justice and peace.

In our Bristol house that engagement is a very direct one: working alongside and befriending those who are living at the margins of society.

At St. Michael’s Convent we maintain a justice & peace desk which reflects our commitment to a number of agencies working for justice & peace. Our engagement with issues of justice & peace includes lobbying our local MP, writing letters of protests to corporations and seeking information and comment from government departments such as the Home and Foreign Office.

Often our Newsletter will reflect current themes relating to justice and peace and the environment.

Sisters in the Solomon Islands have also been entrusted with major roles in maintaining peace between warring factions in their country.

Local Parishes

We maintain a close and friendly relationship with our local parishes. Work undertaken by Sisters in nearby churches includes preaching, leading quiet days, offering seminars, facilitating courses and offering a listening ear to clergy and parishioners.

In our larger houses our cycle of worship and daily living is much enhanced by local church groups coming to us for quiet days and sometimes sharing in our services, by local priests celebrating at our Eucharist, by members of local churches working for us on a voluntary basis and joining in our programme events.

The relationship between our Community houses and local parishes is enriching and life-giving.

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