HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEND YOUR VICAR AWAY?

I recently saw a woman reading the 'Shamen in Stilettos' book on the train the other day and I thought - women like her are desperate! Desperate for peace, love, restoration - which I know they could find through God's Holy Spirit while being at the Vine. There is a real ministry at The Vine for the "trendies" - women who have done a cookery course at River Cottage, tried a burlesque class and are probably looking for a spiritual thing to do - cue a Buddhist retreat or appointment with a trendy Shamen - but they are meant to be coming to The Vine, to find the Real meaning to Life, and to find the Lord.

Stressed out female city workers, women who work in the fashion industry and have lost sight of who they really are, women who work in politics - there is a real place and space of healing for them at The Vine.

But there is another group who need to come to The Vine – the clergy and those in full time Christian ministry.

Clergy – men and women in the ordained ministry, fighting battles on all fronts, whether spiritually, emotionally or indeed physically; at home, at church, in their ministry. They come to us worn down and burned out. In need of a ‘safe’ place to let down their guard, let out those tears, and find a listening ear and a praying atmosphere.

They are each given a beautiful breakfast in bed, and time to BE. Each room is individually and pleasingly furnished, with lovely fabrics, comfortable beds – they might have an old plantation fourposter to luxuriate in, or a comfy large sofa to curl up on. Aromatherapy oils and cherry stone comforters are available to borrow and use; a well stocked library to browse; there is plenty of tea, coffee, and herbals to drink, and in the winter they can relax by a roaring log fire in either the library or the sitting room; and in the summer, take a deckchair into the wild flower meadow or the orchard. Massages and facials as well as spiritual direction are all available from experts; there’s lots of delicious food - all home cooked in the Aga, from home made soup to cream teas and always plenty of fresh fruit and local eggs.

Clergy are so often stressed out or ministried out or meeting-ed out; busy or lonely; trying to have it all and be it all and do it all. They can come to The Vine and discover afresh the peace that comes from the Lord, and which passes all understanding. It’s what they need; and many of them are finding it here.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, for the most timely and special of retreats. This really is a wonderful place of God. I will be back again, this time with my hubby. Thank you, Penelope! " (a Vicar from Kent, January 2014)

"Thank you for making your home a haven of peace and tranquillity and with such a wonderful sense of God's peace, which I needed to experience at a major crossroads in my life. Hope to be back again. and the meals were scrummy too!" (A Vicar from Hampshire, January 2014)

BUT MANY CLERGY SIMPLY CAN’T (and some won’t) AFFORD TO TAKE SOME TIME OUT TO BE.

And here’s where you come in.

SEND YOUR VICAR AWAY!

Get together with a few others from your church; buy a gift voucher from The Vine and give it to your stressed out and hard working Vicar, who will benefit enormously from a few days here and come back renewed and refreshed and better able to serve you in the strength of the Lord!

SEND YOUR VICAR AWAY TO US. We promise to send a renewed one back to you.

And do pass this on to your friends in other churches too!

http://www.thevine-at-maysfarm.com

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