|PIC1|The Association of Christian Counsellors (ACC) South West region is delighted to announce the following programme for their regional conference and annual general meeting:

Date: 23 September 2006

Venue: Belmont Chapel, Western Way, Exeter. (See “notes to editors” below for full venue details and booking information.)

Time: 1000 - 1630

The speakers will be Marilyn and Stuart Checkley, who will talk about “What the Church has always known about narcissism” and “Dreams and the Christian soul – praying with dreams”. They have many years’ experience of praying for inner healing, and have worked closely with Leanne Payne, who is well known in the area of healing, and whose books and ministry on this subject are internationally respected. For twelve years they have run conferences similar to hers, and they have both taken early retirement to be able to spend more time on this ministry.

Stuart was for many years a consultant psychiatrist and a professor when he retired. Marilyn was a French teacher. They also give healing conferences in France.

Traditional Christian spirituality going back to the Desert Fathers has recognised grandiosity in very similar ways to how it is described today, as one of the key issues in narcissism. The Desert Fathers knew how many of the spiritual disciplines bring this grandiosity out into the open. People who write about spiritual disciplines today describe the same phenomena, even if the term narcissism is not used. Stuart has spoken at a number of conferences on this subject, which should be of interest either to those involved in pastoral care in the Church, or those interested in applying it to their own lives.

Marilyn has been involved in healing prayer for many years. Her interest in dreams is part of a wider interest in the Christian use of the imagination and intuitive faculty, and the power of Christian symbol and sacrament to mediate the healing presence of God.

She will talk about the interpretation of dreams; discernment of the Holy Spirit in some (not all) dreams and praying into dreams, with a view to establishing a distinctive Christian approach in the context of post-modern life. She has lectured on this subject at conferences both in the UK and abroad.

Her topic would be of interest to those seeking to help others via an under-standing of the psyche through dreams, those who seek to minister to the heart in healing prayer and those who would like to understand their own dreams better.

Stuart and Marilyn have two grown-up children, and live in South East London.

“This conference provides an excellent opportunity to hear two very good speakers, Stuart and Marilyn Checkley are well known for the conferences they have helped to run on inner healing, and have earned considerable respect in their chosen professions of psychiatry and teaching respectively. They have both retired to give more time to their Christian ministry and the conference’s two topics are drawn from their ongoing research,” says Cath Whitehead , ACC South West regional representative.

To book a training day place, please contact: Cath Whitehead on 01392 219 816 or catheliz@blueyonder.co.uk Cost: £27 for ACC members & £30 for non-members. Cheques payable to ACC South West.

Venue details: Belmont Chapel, Western Way, Exeter, Devon EX1 2DB. Tel: 01392
258029 Directions to the venue may be found on the “Find Us” section of the Chapel’s website: http://www.belmontchapel.co.uk