Heartsease
               

In the throbbing heart of London, close to the wide expanse of the river Thames and on the border of one of the oldest parks in London sits a house of welcome and hospitality.

Michael and Margaret Sawyer, both experienced hosts, preachers and leaders of God’s people, are offering space for tired pilgrims where hearts may be rested and found again, spirits restored and time spent in contemplation and reflection in thoughtful company. Our small garden and prayer room are here for you to use and our kitchen can be a place where hearts are warmed and stomachs filled.

Michael brings to this space over twenty years’ experience of ministry. He brings gifts in pastoral support and mentoring which he has offered locally and through the Connexion and District, he has been under spiritual direction for most of his ministry and is trained to offer this support to others. Michael is well aware of the pressures which people feel under within their own lives and within the life of the church and feels strongly the call to focus his last few years in circuit ministry in partnership with Margaret, to work more purposefully for the well-being of both lay and ordained people.

Margaret worked for the Connexion for ten years and brings knowledge of the British Methodist Church in all its diversity to this work. She has heard of hearts longing to reconnect to the things that matter to people of faith. As a mother and as part of a ministerial household Margaret knows for herself the value of welcome and caring hospitality. She delights in engaging with people, hosting conversation around the dinner table and caring for those worn down by daily and church life. She is skilled in listening and receiving whatever is offered and facilitation in groups and individual work.

Many years ago both Margaret and Michael spent some time with the Revd Bill Denning on his farm near Bristol. Bill was gifted with the gracious ability to host as well as create beautiful spaces for people to come and “be” in. We will never be Bill but we learnt from the experiences he offered and now as we approach retirement and starting the next stage of our lives we have come to realise the importance of hospitality.

A Methodist Context 

The recent report which went to the 2013 Conference entitled Supporting ministers with Ill Health, led to the adoption of new guidelines; ‘’that provide pastoral approaches to supporting ministers as well as tools for encouraging healthy and sustainable patterns of ministry”. The purpose of Heartsease is to care for those before they reach the need to seek ill-health support, to encourage care for one another before conversations deteriorate into disharmony and to create supportive space for individuals and small groups to nurture the God given within them. (Ref: Para 4.1 Supporting ministers with Ill Health and Section 4 – Protecting and enhancing our wellbeing). Para 4:1 Report to the Conference, Supporting Ministers with Ill Health, states: In seeking to address the issues that the Conference asked the Working Party to focus on, it recognised that it was important to look at what could be done to improve the wellbeing of ministers.  The conclusion to the chapter on signs of stress in British Methodism: What Circuit Ministers Really Think states:  “The main conclusion to emerge from the data discussed in this chapter concerns the unacceptably high proportion of Methodist circuit Ministers who feel emotionally drained by their ministry and who display other signs of work-related stress, professional burnout or poor work-related psychological health.  The warning signs are particularly visible among the younger Ministers.  These findings place a particular burden of responsibility upon those who have concerns for the wellbeing of Methodist Ministers and upon those who exercise pastoral care and oversight of Methodist ministry. 

Making a beginning

Whilst our long term aim is to offer a place of hospitality we recognise that we will have to build up to offering accommodation gradually. In September Michael will cease to be a superintendent thus releasing him to take up the pastoral oversight of two churches and begin Heartsease. 

We intend the first quarter of the next Connexional year to be one of settling into the new rhythms of church life. Michael will continue to offer 1:1 spiritual direction and has been invited to support the District probationers group in their academic studies and where necessary with mentoring. He will also set up two district co-consultancy supervision groups each with four participants which will meet for the first time in late September and from then on every 2 months.

We intend to make December and January evaluation and planning months with a view to hosting our first retreat during Lent. This could be followed by another retreat in May or June. We hope eventually to host 3 retreats in the Connexional year. Whilst we are keen to offer hospitality simply and easily we cannot do this without making some request for donations towards our costs. 

A Quiet Space and Hospitality

We know that in the busy mêlée of everyday life in church and community, time with God can be hard to find, time with self can be even harder to safeguard. So we offer a place to come for a day or bed and breakfast away from the everyday routine. 

If you choose to just come and rest without any input from us that is very welcome or we can plan the day with you before you come. 

Michael and Margaret