Amy Boucher Pye

Category: Speaking

  • Beloved of God retreat

    What does it mean to be God’s beloved? How do we view God, and how does God see us? We will spend time in the loving presence of God as we explore some spiritual practices that help us live as a new creation in Christ. These transformative encounters help us to live out our callings with joy and freedom.

    Join me on Saturday, October 4, for a time of communion with God and others.

    About this Retreat Series

    From the comfort of your home, join Coracle and me as we encounter God’s loving presence together in an online retreat. Each retreat will include a mixture of gentle teaching with generous spaces to encounter God and unpack your experiences with others. I’ll lead four retreats throughout 2025-26, and you can join one or all four, or any other combination. The timings all fall on a Saturday: 10am to 1pm for the East Coast, 7 to 10am on the West Coast, and 3 to 6pm for the UK.

    Upcoming (sign up on Coracle’s Upcoming Events page)

    December 13, 2025 – God with us

    Jesus with us is God in human form, Emmanuel. This mind-blowing reality has transformed all time, and those who believe in him. As we explore this mystical and down-to-earth truth of the God who became a baby and lived among us, we embrace his presence with us as we also prepare for his second coming.

    February 21, 2026 – Friendship with God

    Jesus loved his friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, and their home in Bethany was his second home. As we unpack the three gospel stories we explore action and contemplation, faith and doubt, despair and longing, resurrection and hope, sacrificial love and the meaning of home. Deepening our friendship with Jesus through these stories is fitting during Lent as their events pave the way for Jesus’ death and resurrection.

    June 6, 2026 – 3 ways to pray

    Our prayer lives can be rich and multifaceted. We’ll engage with three ways to pray, each rooted in ancient practices, that can give us fresh pathways to God. They are acknowledging the indwelling God through practicing God’s presence, prayerfully placing ourselves into a gospel story through our imaginations, and the prayer of examen. God loves to meet with us as we come to him.

    Coracle is a U.S. tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization, supported by donor funding. We offer the majority of our programs as “By Donation” as we believe that finances should never be a barrier to anyone who wants to pursue God through the programs and resources we offer. There will be an option to select either “paid” or “free” tickets. Donor support makes offerings like these possible. If you feel led to invest in Coracle’s ministry above the cost of this offering, there will be an option to do so when you register. Thank you!.

    Receive my monthly newsletter, including giveaways and prayer exercises.

  • Join me this Advent on retreat

    Plan now for a refreshing encounter with Jesus during Advent!

    “I was able to lose myself in my time with Jesus.”

    “You helped me encounter God in a new way.”

    “I’m very visual, and am learning that the Spirit really speaks to me through beautiful art… Leo’s lovely paintings really blessed me. The journal was beautifully presented.”

    Advent can be an intense time of the year – the hustle and bustle of preparing for Christmas can overtake our intentions to prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of Jesus. But however busy we are, we can trust that God is with us. He is Emmanuel – the One who always with us.

    Join me for an Advent reflection to refocus on Christ from the comfort of your home or in person at the atmospheric Waverley Abbey. Through three sessions, using words and pictures, we will look at Jesus from the start, Jesus in the darkness and Jesus with us. We’ll enjoy time together as a group, and you’ll have space for your own prayer and reflection.

    Together, let’s cut through the frenetic pace of the season and make space for Jesus this Advent.

    Please note that I will be sharing much of the same content as for the Advent 2023 retreat.

    When: 7 December online from 3 to 5.30pm UK (check your timezone)

    What: Three sessions for you retreat, receive, renew

    Downloadable prayer journal, either for printing or to use digitally through a PDF

    Schedule:

    3pm           Introduction and session 1: Jesus from the start

    3.50pm      Session 2: Jesus in our darkness

    4.30pm      Break

    4.45pm      Session 3: Jesus with us

    5.30pm      End

    Sign up now!

    Or join in person at Waverley Abbey, Farnham, Surrey, on 14 December. Find out more and book your place for an engaging day.

  • Join me this Advent on retreat

    Haven’t had time to book an Advent retreat? Now you can access my Advent retreat online, at a time that suits you!

    Just set aside an hour and 45 minutes (you can spread it out however you wish) and prepare to experience God’s loving affirmation as you ponder Jesus from the start, Jesus in our darkness, and Jesus, God with us. Each session has not only teaching but time for prayer exercises, including guided times.

    I hope you can join me and be refreshed by God during a busy season.

    Comments from some participants:

    “I was able to lose myself in my time with Jesus.”

    “You helped me encounter God in a new way.”

    “I’m very visual, and am learning that the Spirit really speaks to me through beautiful art… Leo’s lovely paintings really blessed me. The journal was beautifully presented.”

    Buy now!

  • Meeting the Living Christ in the Holy Land

    I welcome you to a pilgrimage/retreat in the Holy Land in February to encounter the living Christ. We’ll have a knowledgable local guide, and I’ll be there fostering the spiritual experience, as I lead prayer practices and times of encounter with God. We’re keen that as we walk where Jesus walked, we also have time and space to encounter Jesus who lives today.

    You can find details on the McCabe Pilgrimages website – a full brochure along with the booking form. My first trip this year was an enriching and wonderful time. I’d love to see you there!

    The wilderness where Jesus went for 40 days and 40 nights.
    So moving to visit the Western Wall.
    Glorious spices and food!
    One of the gates to the Old City of Jerusalem.
    The view from the hotel room in Tiberias.

  • Join me in the Holy Land?

    How would you like to join me and Nicholas on a trip to the Holy Land in February? We’ll have a knowledgable local guide, and I’ll be there fostering the spiritual experience, as I lead prayer practices and times of encounter with God. We’re keen that as we walk where Jesus walked, we also have time and space to encounter the Risen Christ.

    You can find details on the McCabe Pilgrimages website – a full brochure along with the booking form. Nicholas and I went in January and had such an enriching and wonderful time. We would love to see you there!

    The wilderness where Jesus went for 40 days and 40 nights.
    So moving to visit the Western Wall.
    Glorious spices and food!
    One of the gates to the Old City of Jerusalem.
    The view from the hotel room in Tiberias.
    We take a boat ride similar to this one on the Sea of Galilee.

  • Welcoming you to Penhurst Retreat Centre in Sussex

    Last week I lead a retreat on the content of my new book, Transforming Love, in the glorious setting of Penhurst Retreat Centre. See my Insta and Facebook pages for amazing photos that I took in and around that place. We had sunshine and long days, with so much time to explore and enjoy.

    Too far to travel? I created several reels for shorter times of prayer, and I have the Penhurst prayer exercise playlist on my YouTube channel if you have time for a mini-retreat.

    If you want to see when you might be able to book into your own experience there, here’s the link to the website.

  • Join me at Lee Abbey, Devon?

    Not too long now and I’ll be in Devon leading a retreat at Lee Abbey (13-17 March)! We’re going to be delving into the gospel stories of Mary, Martha and Lazarus to experience how Jesus transformed them – and how through friendship with him he changes us.

    This is a very special place right on the coast, with plenty of time for coastal walks, a dip in the sea (!), explorations in the countryside, rest, fellowship and fun. I highly recommend it.

    At £340, including all meals, it’s on the more affordable side of things (but yes, I know we’re in a cost-of-living crisis, and for many of you the flight to the UK would be very expensive!).

    To give you a taste of this amazing place, here is a playlist of Prayer Moments at Lee Abbey, including leaving your burdens at the cross, morning blessings, and streams of living water. Below, have a look at the amazing cove, a short walk from the house at Lee Abbey. Following the video, some lovely photos – and yes, one year it snowed in March!

  • Abiding in the Vine: Praying with John 15

    How can we pray with Scripture, trusting that God will meet us through his word? One time-tested practice, about which I write in 7 Ways to Pray, is lectio divina. That’s a bit of jargon but it’s simply Latin for sacred reading (or prayerful reading). It’s a four-step process that helps us to slow down and engage with the text prayerfully. The four steps are:

    • reading
    • reflecting
    • responding
    • resting

    Join me in engaging with a favorite passage out of John 15 in this way of praying. Last week I spoke at Bethel University, my alma mater, and during the talk gave plenty of time for people to try out the four steps. Now you can too – take a mini-retreat, brew a cuppa, and know that God longs to meet with you!

  • Join me for a seven-week online retreat on 7 Ways to Pray!

    Would you like to explore seven ways to pray, under the guidance of a seasoned retreat leader? Join me in engaging with time-tested prayer practices as outlined in my new book, 7 Ways to Pray. You’ll not only learn more about these ways to pray in a nonthreatening setting, but you’ll have plenty of time to try them out—and thus to encounter our loving God.

    What:

    • 7 sessions on zoom, either joining live or watching later (each session no longer than 60 minutes)
    • An exploration of the prayer practice with plenty of time to try it out, reflect, and share
    • Downloadable resources, including a prayer journal
    • A private FB group for you to get to know the other participants (optional)

    When:

    Two streams, Tuesdays or Saturdays:

    Tuesdays from 8-9pm in the UK (3-4pm, EDT; 12-1pm PDT)
    7, 14, 21, 28 September; 5, 12, 19 October

    Saturdays from 10-11am, Eastern daylight time (7–8am PDT; 3–4pm UK)
    September 11, 18, 25; October 2, 9, 16, 23

    (I’m sorry that these times aren’t very friendly to those in Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand. I know some lovely ones there who might want to join in. I’d love to run a retreat for you if we could get enough people together; let me know if you’re a people-gatherer and can help make this happen.)

    How much:

    The suggested cost is £60/$80, but you’re free to subsidize others or to receive the generosity of others. I’m trying to keep it simple as possible while having some options to give or receive:

    • Sign up in the store if you are paying the suggested cost of £60 in pound sterling.
    • If you are paying the suggested amount in US dollars, please send $80 to me via PayPal through this link (and tick the box you’re receiving a service) and email me to let me know you are coming at amy@amyboucherpye.com.
    • If you want to subsidize others or be subsidized, then send me an email at amy@amyboucherpye.com to confirm that you are attending the course and I will sign you up. You can send money in US dollars to me via PayPal through this link or money in pound sterling to me at this link. (Or email me for bank details for a transfer to avoid PayPal charges.)
    • If finances preclude you coming, please join without paying. Email me at amy@amyboucherpye.com to let me know you are attending.
    • Does your small group want to join together? Be in touch and we can work out a group rate. (See below for more ideas for small groups.)

    Description:

    Week 1
    Praying with the Bible (personalizing Scripture, poetry, and others)

    Week 2
    Praying through the Bible (lectio divina – a four-step way to digest God’s word)

    Week 3
    Practicing the Presence (exploring the indwelling of God and unceasing prayer)

    Week 4
    Hearing God (including learning to discern God’s voice)

    Week 5
    Lament (crying out to God when life doesn’t go as we hoped)

    Week 6
    Imaginative prayer (placing ourselves in the stories of Jesus with our imaginations)

    Week 7
    Examen (looking back to discern how we’re moving toward or away from God)

    Next steps:

    Please sign up! I’ll be in touch in early September to send you the link to the private Facebook group, and you’ll also receive your zoom details and downloadable resources.

    Ideas for small groups:

    Want to join as a small group? Let me know and we can arrange for you to be in break-out rooms together. Also, you could follow the example of a group that will gather via their own zoom link for a half-hour prior to our meeting to catch up and share how the prayer journey is going.

    About your sponsor:

    Coracle, who is generously sponsoring this retreat, is the wonderful organization out of Virginia with whom I’ve just become a spiritual director. They exist to inspire and enable people to be the presence of God in the world by offering spiritual formation and Kingdom action. They help people become who they are in Christ so that through Christ they can bring God’s kingdom to a broken world through their lives, relationships, vocations, service, and risks.

    About your host:

    Amy Boucher Pye is a writer, speaker, retreat leader, and spiritual director. She’s the author of 7 Ways to Pray and other books, including the award-winning Finding Myself in Britain. She loves writing devotional thoughts, including for the globally recognized Our Daily Bread, and runs the Woman Alive book club. She received her MA in Christian spirituality from Heythrop College, University of London. She regularly leads retreats at El Palmeral in Spain, Lee Abbey, Devon, and Penhurst Retreat Centre in East Sussex.

  • “Feeling Out of Place”: The God Hears Her Podcast

    I loved being a guest on the God Hears Her podcast with Elisa Morgan and Eryn Eddy. They fostered such a wonderful conversation about life, love, and the Christian faith, and especially about what we can do when we feel out of place.

    Have a listen here, and if you do, please do leave a review. Reviews are so important as they help iTunes and Google and other platforms realize that people are listening, which helps them to promote the podcast. Thanks!

    You can also read my blog on the theme at Elisa’s website, which is here. Know that God sees you, hears you, and loves you!