Connections: The Christian Ashram Retreat Experience

By Rev Ed Hird, AMiA (Canada) Bishop’s Chaplain

 

Recently our Bishop Silas Ng and Rev Josh Wilton led us in a four-day retreat called the BC Christian Ashram.  Bishop Silas, who has completed his doctoral thesis on micromacrodiscipleship, gave five helpful talks* on how to have a daily quiet time, and the difference which this discipline makes in our Christian walk.  A shocking discovery by our Bishop Silas is that less than 10% of Christians have a regular daily quiet time.  This serious lack, says Bishop Silas, must be addressed if we are to be effective in church planting and renewal.  To assist people in their daily quiet time, Bishop Silas is leading people through the entire bible one chapter a day in his daily prayer blog.

 

Rev Josh Wilton is the lead pastor of The Table, a new ACiC/AM Church plant in Victoria BC. Before being commissioned to churchplant, Josh+ served for four years as our St. Simon’s NV Newcomer Pastor and (later) as Assistant Priest. Josh+ taught on the relevance of the Ten Commandments for our everyday living, focusing on freedom from the idols in our life, and on the need for regular Sabbath rest in our workaholic North American culture. 

 

There is a strong youth and young adult ministry at the BC Christian Ashram, led by St. Simon’s NV Youth Pastor Jill Cardwell. One of the young adults at the Ashram told me that  they “enjoyed the chance to get away, to refocus on God, to reconnect with old friends.”  Basically, the Christian Ashram retreat is about connections: connecting with God and the people around you.

 

The United Christian Ashram movement has many summer retreats throughout North America and around the world, with the largest one drawing over 800 in the Maritimes. It was founded in 1930 by Dr. E. Stanley Jones in India where he served as a missionary for over 50 years.  Dr Jones during his life was the world’s most widely read spiritual writer, with twenty-eight books selling millions of copies. 

 

My wife began attending the BC Christian Ashram in 1974 where she was powerfully impacted by the Holy Spirit.  Many members of her family have since given their lives to Christ through the Christian Ashram. I began attending 36 years ago, and now serve as the BC Director.  You are invited to have a vacation with God throughout North America in 2011.

 

*The DVDs of Bishop Silas and Josh’s talks are available for purchase through stuart@lightspeed.ca

Rev Ed Hird, Rector

St. Simon’s Church North Vancouver

Anglican Mission in the Americas (Canada)

http://stsimonschurch.ca

-previously published in the Deep Cove Crier

-award-winning author of the book ‘Battle for the Soul of Canada’

http://www.battleforthesoulofcanada.blogspot.com

p.s. In order to obtain a copy of the book ‘Battle for the Soul of Canada’, please send a $18.50 cheque to ‘Ed Hird’, #1008-555 West 28th Street, North Vancouver, BC V7N 2J7. For mailing the book to the USA, please send $20.00 USD. This can also be done by PAYPAL using the e-mail ed_hird@telus.net . Be sure to list your mailing address. The Battle for the Soul of Canada e-book can be obtained for $9.99 CDN/USD.

-Click to download a complimentary PDF copy of the Battle for the Soul study guide :  Seeking God’s Solution for a Spirit-Filled Canada 

You can also download the complimentary Leader’s Guide PDF: Battle for the Soul Leaders Guide