Encounter

This week David and Caroline sat down with Paul Friend, the director of South West Youth Ministries (SWYM)! SWYM has had a long standing partnership with Lee Abbey, bringing in multiple times a year, groups of passionate youth workers in training. The three of them talk about what community in a church setting really means, authenticity (aka allowing the weird) in churches, and how the newest generation of youth workers has inspired a revival of connection. We are always blessed when SWYM passes by and wanted to share the love online, so listen along and let's keep it weird!

Time for a deep dive into Revelations! Have you been avoiding Revelations (we can all be guilty of avoiding what feels like a huge daunting, book) well, meet Ian Paul. Drawn to Revelations after a calling from God when asked, "What do you want" and answering “to help people read scripture” well, God put a challenge on his heart to tackle Revelations. In this podcast you will hear David and Caroline work through a long lasting marital debate (is the world getting better or worse towards the end), what a true lukewarm Christian is and how the Revelations was not written to us but for us. Ian Paul has been a beloved speaker at Lee Abbey for years, check out our upcoming programmes to find similar topics, or book ahead for future retreats with Ian Paul.

Ever wonder what it takes for a couple to run a place like Lee Abbey? Well, now is your chance! David and Caroline sit down together to show a lighthearted side for our listeners, recollecting how they met, David's fast, but ultimately, perfectly timed proposal and what there favourite ways to spend their time at Lee Abbey outside of their work.

Tune into our newest podcast with Stephen and David talking about Stephen's journey at Lee Abbey as a worship leader, family man and singer songwriter! Check out his newest song with Fiona Crowther Above it All which we have coined at Lee Abbey the song of the year. Also keep an eye out for more of the singing and songwriting retreats run by Stephen and Fiona which allow the singer and songwriters of every walk of life to take time out of their busy schedule to Encounter God through the beauty and flow creativity as form of worship.

Join Caroline and Fiona, our Chaplain and Worship leader, as they sit down to discuss leadership, songwriting, following God's calling all while balancing the joys of motherhood. Stay tuned to hear more music from Fiona!

You don't have to come to the Lord with your perfect, fancy words, all He wants is to have you be real with Him.... Join Fiona, our worship leader at Lee Abbey, as she sits down with old friends in the industry, Jemimah and Oscar Nash as they talk about the creative field of singing and songwriting as work, as a hobby, passion and a form of Worship! ___________________________ On the spectacular North Devon coast in Exmoor National Park, Lee Abbey Devon is home to a Christian Community. A stay at Lee Abbey Devon is more than a Christian retreat or holiday; it is an opportunity to encounter Jesus through worship, teaching, ministry and Community which we pray will transform your life, relationships, community, environment and world.

This week David and Caroline Hammond sit down with Helen Collins to talk about being church leaders in a fragmented world and how to authentically navigate heavy topics with love and compassion. Being a minister of the gospel has never been so complex! We know we should lead others in prayer, bible reading and fellowship, but what does it mean to do this amid the huge global challenges of Artificial Intelligence, the climate crisis, global migration, cost of living crisis, social media influence, neurodiversity, decolonisation and mental health struggles – to name a few! Helen Collins is Vice Principal (Academic) and Tutor in Practical Theology at Trinity College, Bristol. She has written on a range of topics, including Reordering Theological Reflection: Starting with Scripture (SCM), Mary the Worshipping Mother: Reclaiming Mary’s Motherhood for Contemporary Mums (Grove) and Charismatic Christianity: Introducing Its Theology Through the Gifts of the Spirit (Baker Academic). Her forthcoming publication is tentatively entitled: Mary the First Spirit-Filled Disciple. Helen is an ordained Anglican, she is married to Simon and is the mother to three teenaged children.

Welcome Simon Guillebaud, from Inspired... with Simon Guillebaud, one of Lee Abbey's dedicated speakers, to the Encounter Podcast! David and Caroline Hammond sit down with Simon to discuss his work in Africa while maintaining a life here in the UK. They talk about upcoming projects, dreams, sabbath, work life balance all while making sure to keep the focus on God. Hear their story of dreaming big while faithfully taking small steps.

Welcome to Lee Abbey's first podcast! Today we sat down with our Warden, David Hammond, and our Chaplin, Caroline Hammond, to hear there story as new community members (as of the last year) new changes that are being made in Lee Abbey such as a new discipleship programme led by Caroline and a sabbath for all community members. Let us know what types of speakers you want in future episodes!