Description
Retreat Theme: Streams in the Wasteland
Inspired by Isaiah 43:19 —
”I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
A Gentle Prophetic Paint & Stay Retreat to be held at Holland House, Worcestershire, Thursday 13th, till after breakfast on Friday 14th August 2026.
13th August arrive at 9.30. Session starts at 10am Finish at 4pm. Evening a candlelight reflection and then social time or rest.
14th August depart after breakfast and a short reflection
Includes: coffee and tea anytime, home cooked biscuits, two course lunch, cake in the afternoon, two course dinner and breakfast. A canvas and paint and teaching!
Just bring an apron!
Streams in the Wasteland is a gentle Prophetic Paint & Stay Retreat lead by Kay Mason the founder of Create Ministries and a regular retreat leader at Holland House.
Come away for a day and a night of rest, reflection and creative encounter. Set in the peaceful surroundings of Holland House Christian Retreat Centre, this “Paint & Stay” retreat offers space to slow down, breathe deeply, and reconnect with the quiet streams of God’s presence.
This retreat invites you to explore what God is gently restoring, renewing, and watering in your own life. No previous art experience is needed. This is not about performance or perfection. It is about listening, responding, and allowing colour and texture to express what words sometimes cannot.
The Heart of the Day: There are seasons when life can feel dry, uncertain, or stretched thin. Yet even in wastelands, streams begin quietly — often unseen at first.
Through guided reflection, gentle teaching, and abstract prophetic painting onto a 40cm square canvas, you will be invited to reflect on your current season and to notice where hope is emerging. To respond creatively to scripture and allow colour to become prayer and discover beauty in layered process.
This is a slow-paced, spacious day. There will be no rush. Conversation is optional. You are free to simply be.
What the Day Includes (10am–4pm) Morning – Listening & Beginning
We gather at 10am with tea and a warm welcome.
Soft worship music and scripture reflection will help us settle into stillness. A gentle teaching session will introduce to what prophetic abstract art and letting go of striving and comparison. Look at the spiritual symbolism of water, flow and renewal and how layering paint mirrors the spiritual journey.
You will then begin your canvas — responding to prayer prompts and quiet reflection. The first layers will be intuitive and free, allowing colour and movement to flow naturally. Midday – Rest & Reflect. A relaxed lunch will be shared together. After lunch there will be a reflective pause — perhaps a short prayer walks in the grounds, quiet journaling helping you notice what is stirring beneath the surface.
Afternoon – Deepening the Stream. The afternoon painting session invites you to deepen your work adding contrast, introducing light, creating movement and highlight areas of breakthrough. There will be time to step back, reflect, and respond again. We will close the day with a gentle sharing circle (no critique — only encouragement), sealing the experience in prayer and gratitude.
The “Stay” Experience: After the creative day concludes at 4pm, you are invited to remain and rest. Dinner will be shared together in the evening, followed by an optional candle-lit reflective time of quiet worship and stillness in the chapel. This is not another session — simply space to sit in God’s presence without agenda.
The next morning, we gather for breakfast and a short closing reflection before departing, carrying our finished canvases — and perhaps a renewed sense of quiet hope.
What You Will Leave With * Your own 40cm abstract prophetic canvas * Gentle encouragement for your current season * Space in your spirit that may have felt crowded * Renewed peace and clarity * A sense of streams beginning again
Who This Is For: This retreat is for anyone who feels spiritually dry and longs for refreshment and needs an unhurried creative space and desires a gentle encounter rather than a high-energy event. You may love colour but feels intimidated by “art” Wants to rest in a safe, prayerful environment. You do not need to be an artist.
Please note that Holland House does not provide a choice menu at meal times and it is therefore very important that you note any food types that you are unable to eat due to an allergy or you can advise of a dietary preference of vegetarian, pescatarian, dairy free, gluten free or vegan.
Holland House Bursary Scheme: We can give up to 25% off at your request if our retreats are too expensive for you.
Please contact reservations@hollandhouse.org to book. If you need a more generous bursary, please email the Warden, Helen Stanton via warden@hollandhouse.org
Please pay what you can so others may benefit from our bursary scheme. Thank you.