 HAVEN noun [C] (SAFE PLACE): a safe or peaceful place. (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/haven) At the start of this month, CSF Team had our Annual Workplan discussions. One of the words we used to capture an aspect of the CSF Space was: Haven. People who have come to spend some time at CSF, experience the space as a safe and peaceful place. A space where they can meet with God, and be listened to. In the past year, like everyone else, CSF has had to respond and adjust to the many changes in external guidelines. We are a small ministry, our reach and impact (hence consequences) is relatively contained. But each time the guidelines are tightened, we ask ourselves how to make choices which align to our values.
Next week 27 Sep - 01 Oct, CSF is closed to external visitors for our Quarterly Rhythm of Rest. The team will take our own time of rest and reconnecting with God. Please excuse us if your e-mails and calls remain unanswered to during this time. In the month of Oct, in line with the guidelines to work from home, we will close the CSF Physical Space. We will review again according to the government's timeline of 24 Oct. There is a sense of loss that we are unable to provide the space as a haven for those who need it, we hope to re-open again as soon as the external situation allows. Meantime, if you would like to meet for 1-1 spiritual accompaniment virtually, you can e-mail us: [email protected] In prayer, the CSF team.  Jesus says: "Take heart; it is I." (Mark 6:50) CSF Physical Space will be closed from 22 Jul to 18 Aug 2021, following the external guidelines. The team just met this morning, holding in silent prayer some of the very troubling situations, both globally and locally. As CSF space has been shelter for many seeking a time of quiet with the Lord, in this month of closure, we would like to offer some alternatives virtually. 1) Guided Morning of Quiet: 30 July, Friday, 9.30-11am.
*Note that the 1-1 SA sessions are not counselling sessions. They are spiritual accompaniment for you to talk about your walk with God in this present pandemic, or any matter related to your spiritual life. The spiritual companion will listen with you, and together seek to discern what is God saying or directing you in your Christian life and witness. E-mail [email protected] by 28 Jul if you would like to join for the Morning of Quiet. If you want a 1-1 SA session in the afternoon, please indicate in your e-mail. 2) Daily Noonday Prayer: Monday to Friday, 12-1pm. (excluding Public Holiday) Our Daily Noonday Prayer is a closed group time of prayer, open to visitors by invite. We will request for some personal details (Name, Church, Contact details) and to have a short 1-2min chat when you join us for the first time. E-mail [email protected] to enquire. There is no charge for these virtual offerings, you are welcome to give CSF a love gift via one of the following:
A note that for our next spiritual formation course, SF106: Silence and Solitude, Session 1 on 14 Aug will be held online. Thereafter we will review based on the external circumstances at that time. If you are interested to join, please register here: www.csfcommunity.org.sg/sf-courses/sf-courses-jul-oct-2021 In prayer, the CSF team. A Little Pause April ~ Watered Gardens God of openness, of life and of resurrection, Come into this Easter season and bless me. Look around the tight, dead spaces of my heart That still refuse to give you an entrance. Bring your gentle but firm love. Begin to lift the layers of resistance That hang on tightly deep inside of me. [Part of a poem from: Joyce Rupp, May I Have This Dance, Revised Edition (Sep 2007), Pg 64-65.] CSF Physical Space will be closed from 16 May to 13 June 2021, following the external guidelines.
If you would like to have a 1-1 Spiritual Accompaniment session with one of us, or join us for our Daily Noonday Prayer (Mon-Fri, 12-1pm), you can write to [email protected] to enquire. *Please note that the 1-1 SA sessions are not counselling sessions. They are spiritual accompaniment for you to talk about your walk with God in this present pandemic, or any matter related to your spiritual life. The spiritual companion will listen with you, and together seek to discern what is God saying or directing you in your Christian life and witness. *Note also that our Daily Noonday Prayer is a closed group time of prayer, open to visitors by invite. We will request for some personal details (Name, Church, Contact details) and to have a short chat if you are joining us for the first time. In prayer, the CSF team. ORDINARY TIME (May-Nov 2021)The CSF Physical Space continues to be open Wednesdays to Fridays, 9.30am-5pm.
If you would like to come for a time of quiet with the Lord, register with us by e-mailing [email protected]. Please do not come without informing us, as we are limiting the number of persons at CSF each day and want to request ahead for details of those who use the space. You will need to do the necessary SafeEntry requirements such as check-in and temperature taking. Also note the following: 1) E-mail minimally 3 days ahead, so that we can respond and clarify if needed. If you intend to come on a Wednesday, preferably e-mail us by the Friday before because Saturdays are full work days for the team and Sunday is our day of rest. 2) If you are using the space for your Personal time of quiet, there is no charge, a love gift is appreciated. 3) If you are looking for a guided Day Retreat, indicate in your e-mail and we will follow up. We suggest that you consider the Day Retreats that we have planned for this season of Ordinary Time, link to register is here: https://www.csfcommunity.org.sg/retreats/ordinary-time-day-retreats There are two residential retreats planned, link to register is here: https://www.csfcommunity.org.sg/retreats/ordinary-time-residential-retreats As CSF is going through a season of transition and change ourselves, we will need to look at the take-up for these retreats in balance with other things taking place internally. Should we decide that we need to cancel, we will make an early decision and keep those registered informed. In Christ, the CSF team.  COME AWAY, REST A WHILEFrom Jan-Mar 2021, the CSF Physical Space will be open Wednesdays to Fridays, 9.30am-5pm.
If you would like to come for a time of quiet with the Lord, register with us by e-mailing [email protected]. Please do not come without informing us, as we are limiting the number of persons at CSF each day and want to request ahead for details of those who use the space. Also note the following: 1) E-mail minimally 3 days ahead, so that we can respond and clarify if needed. If you intend to come on a Wednesday, preferably e-mail us by the Friday before because Saturdays are full work days for the team and Sunday is our day of rest. Please take this into account when writing to us. 2) If you are using the space for your Personal time of quiet, there is no charge, a love gift is appreciated. 3) If you are looking for a guided Day Retreat, indicate in your e-mail and we will follow up with details. 4) You will be required to check-in via the SafeEntry App, have your temperature taken, and you will be assigned to a specific room. We will respond to your e-mail with further details. Check the respective tabs above for an updated list of our Retreats & Spiritual Formation Courses for the Christian Year beginning Nov 2020. With anticipation of another year of welcoming you here at CSF, the CSF team. JOIN THE CSF COMMUNITY ~ ADVENT NOONDAY PRAYER The Noonday Prayer is a regular rhythm of our CSF community. Every Monday to Friday at 12noon, we pause and come together for an hour of sitting quietly with the Lord. Recently with the covid-19 situation, we shifted our NDP to the virtual space. These days when CSF is open, we meet for prayer via a combination of virtual and physical platforms.
This Advent, we will hold four Noonday Prayer sessions, each marking one week of the Season of Advent: 30 Nov, 7, 14 & 21 Dec. Mondays, 12-1pm. We have decided to open these sessions to others who might want to join us to observe a weekly rhythm of sitting with God, immerse in His Story as we start another cycle of observing the Christian year. As it is a community space, these are requests and instructions for those who would like to join: E-mail [email protected] by 25 Nov Wednesday with your Name, Church & E-mail address. We may have further questions for you upon receiving your e-mail. Please understand it is for security reasons and also for us to know who is joining these times of prayer. We will e-mail a Zoom Link on the morning itself, you need to sign in with your real name as we only admit names that we recognise. During the times of prayer, you need to have your video on at the start, but can turn it off as we settle into the time of quiet. We will give instructions as the prayer time goes along. Please note that the hour of prayer is mostly silent, there will not interaction between you and others. When the time of prayer has ended, you are welcome to join for 10-15min of fellowship & conversation with the CSF team and whoever else stays back. Ps. If you are already in our Noonday Prayer community, you need not register, the usual NDP e-mail will be sent to you. In Christ, the CSF team. Re-opening of CSF Physical SpaceCSF will be open every Thursday* starting from 3 Sep 2020. *From Oct 2020, we will open Wednesdays and Thursdays.
If you would like to come for a time of quiet with the Lord, register with us by e-mailing [email protected]. Please note the following: 1) E-mail minimally 3 days ahead, so that we can respond and clarify if needed. E.g. to come on 3 Sep, e-mail by 31 Aug. 2) We seldom respond on weekends because Saturdays are full work days for the team and Sunday is our day of rest. Please take this into account when writing to us. 3) If you are using the space for your Personal time of quiet, there is no charge, a love gift is appreciated. 4) If you are looking for a guided Day Retreat, indicate in your e-mail and we will follow up with details. 5) Due to the current situation, you will be required to check-in via the SafeEntry App, and have your temperature taken. You will be assigned to a specific room and there are some areas which are not usable during this time, we will respond to your e-mail with further details. 6) If you would like to come on other days apart from Thursday, e-mail to enquire. Our Virtual Noonday Prayers & 1-1 Spiritual Accompaniment will continue during this time. We have also updated our Retreats & Spiritual Formation Courses for the new Christian Year beginning Nov 2020. You can find them in the respective tabs above. We look forward to welcoming you back at CSF and trust that the presence of the Lord will minister deeply, despite the current constraints and restrictions. 1-1 Spiritual Accompaniment - Ongoing Dates Our Virtual Spiritual Accompaniment sessions will be extended beyond the month of May. Please read important details about these sessions in the earlier post below. Register using the button for available dates (note if AM/PM when selecting). Slots for following months will be updated along the way, check back if you would like a later date. You can also e-mail us at [email protected] should you have further questions. We are glad for this opportunity to hold space for you. In Christ, the CSF team. 1-1 Spiritual Accompaniment in the Month of May  "You and I are here, and I hope that Christ is between us as a third." ~ Aelred of Rievaulx, Spiritual Friendship. We know many miss the physical space at CSF to be quiet with the Lord, to be listened to. We look forward to welcoming you again after this 'circuit breaker' period ends.
In the meantime, we would like to offer a series of 1-1 Virtual Spiritual Accompaniment (SA) sessions in the month of May. As a virtual platform will give us less time to converse and get a sense of what brings you to the space, we want to be clear what these sessions are. In this way, you can also decide if it is what you want, or perhaps other forms of support are more suitable.
We have 45-60min slots, all in the afternoons. Please select your preferred date from the drop down options when you click on the Registration button below. We will e-mail you to confirm the time of your session and also enquire what are some reasons you want a spiritual accompaniment session. In the event none of the dates work for you, please e-mail [email protected] You can also e-mail us should you have further questions not addressed here. In Christ, the CSF team. SF104: Praying the Word (Lectio Divina)The essence of Lectio Divina is prayer, seeking God. It is heartening to learn that the Word of God is not only a revelation of the LORD to His children but also a resource to aid us in our prayer to Him. In this course, we will learn to let the Word of God descend from our head to our heart and seek God there. It is there where reading the Bible seeks to challenge our habitual beliefs, attitudes and behaviour. We become open to the Holy Spirit’s action of grace upon our lives. Session 1: Why Lectio Divina Session 2: How Lectio Divina Session 3: Lectio Divina and Spiritual Formation Dates: 1, 8, 15 Aug 2020 (Saturdays) Time: 2.30-5.30pm Venue: CSF Fee: NA SF201: Spiritual Disciplines ~ Means of Grace Towards ChristlikenessHow does a Christian continue to grow deeper in Christ after the initial thrill of experiencing God’s love and saving grace? How do we renew ourselves after the demands and drain of ministry? We know about the core spiritual disciplines of keeping our quiet time, prayer and reading the Bible. Spiritual disciplines however, are not just to nourish our spiritual life, and also to cultivate a spiritual attentiveness to God. This Spiritual Formation course aims to introduce a group of spiritual disciplines to help us to "practice the presence of God." A framework linking these disciplines and the process involved will be explained. The course is designed to be practical. Beside the teaching segment, we will practice the disciplines e.g. writing journal reflections, meeting up with spiritual companions to discern God’s leading in your life. These disciplines will help us to grow deeper in Christ and provide renewal after the drain of ministry. #1 MILESTONES ~ The Story begins #2 JOURNALLING ~ The Re-membering begins #3 LECTIO DIVINA ~ The Rumination begins #4 SILENCE & SOLITUDE ~ The Listening begins #5 CONVERSATIONS ~ The Friendship begins #6 SPIRITUAL DIRECTION ~ The Co-discerning begins #7 SPIRITUAL RETREAT ~ The Communion begins #8 SABBATH: WORK & REST ~ A Rhythm of grace begins #9 HOLY SPIRIT: WITH/IN US ~ The Paraclete coming alongside Dates: 18, 25 Apr, 9, 16, 30 May & 6 Jun 2020 (Saturdays) Time: 2-5pm Venue: CSF Fee: $150 Pre-requisite: Attended one SF100 level course  1D Lent Retreat: Between the Desert & the Cross A quiet day retreat to reflect on the heart of Lent and to recall the temptations that we face from time to time. There are 2 dates to choose from for this Lent retreat. Date: 21 Mar 2020 (9.30am - 5pm) & 4 Apr 2020 (9.30am - 5pm) Venue: CSF Cost: $100/- 3D2N Lent Retreat: Of Brokenness & Blessing Lent is a season of preparation to remind us of our need for salvation and also a time for the renewal of the heart. In Lent, we become aware of our sinfulness and brokenness so that we can be ready to receive from God a fresh and joyous grace through Jesus Christ. This retreat is an invitation to help us find creative space for renewal and inner change which only God can do. The 3 day-2 night guided silent retreat will also help you pause to revisit your trust in God and to let God love you. You will also be guided to recognize and and respond to the presence of God through His Word and prayer. Date: 19-21 Feb 2020 (Wed - Fri) Venue: Lifesprings Canossian Spirituality Centre Cost: $350/- 4D3N Lent Retreat: From the Upper Room to the Empty Tomb This special Lenten retreat is designed for those who are familiar with taking silent retreats and would like a deeper experience of silence. In these four days, we will "walk with Jesus" in the last three days of his earthly life and ministry as He speaks with His disciples in the Upper Room (Maundy Thursday), His Crucifixion, (Good Friday), the Day of Silence (Holy Saturday) culminating to His Resurrection (Easter Sunday). It will be an intense focus, with long stretches of silence & solitude to ponder on these somber events with times of prayer for the suffering and injustice we see in our world. Pre-requisite: have attended a CSF residential retreat Date: 1 - 4 Apr 2020 (Wed-Sat) Venue: Lifesprings Canossian Spirituality Centre Cost: $450/- |
