Trustees
I have been a CF Companion on the Way for about 13 years. I live with two friends in a community household, where I often practise contemplation with the help of Xena the household cat. In our household, together and with others, we create spaces of prayer and sanctuary in the city. I facilitate quiet days, retreats and “wild sing” walks and I am a life coach and Spiritual Accompanier. I am also an Anglican priest, and I often coach people discovering what “church” looks like when it emerges among people who are culturally distant from traditional expressions of church.
I have been a Companion for only a little more than 2 years but I have connected loosely with Contemplative Fire since 2010 through Whirlow Grange (now renamed as Whirlow Spirituality Centre) when I moved to Sheffield from Nottingham, following the calling for my late husband who was a Baptist minister. We have a son, now in his early 20s.
I have been a companion for five years and here are just some of the things I love about Contemplative Fire (which are all summarised in the wonderful trefoil): the vulnerable journey as we encourage each other to follow in the way of Christ; contemplative practices such as listening threes, chants and body prayer; accepting and learning from people and things that are different from us: nurturing the skills that companions have and the willingness to give new things a go; connection; unknowing.
Having worked, studied and lived in various countries, I have made my home in Friesland, a northern province of the Netherlands. I am a mother of four sons and an informal foster parent to several other young people. I consider myself to be a truly global citizen, speaking 6 languages and I love to learn about other cultures and faith traditions.
My first encounter with Contemplative Fire was in the early days, at the tiny chapel at the Lee. I was immediately drawn to the creativity, candlelit contemplation, body prayer and inclusive language. It took several years before I became a companion but, since then, the community has been my spiritual home. I now live in Birmingham, where I am an anchor resident in a community house, running pioneer church activities alongside working as a supply teacher and facilitating various community theatre projects.