What's a Street Retreat?

...and other questions. Here's the lowdown of everything there is to know about the Holy Family Street Retreat.

1. What is the Street Retreat?
The Street Retreat is a different kind of retreat; an opportunity to reflect of the Word of God through a visual medium. We're accustomed to the concept of the retreat where we spend time away from our usual confines and encountering God within. In a street retreat we spend time outside, relating to God's Word in what we see.

The retreat takes a few hours to complete, starting with a gathering of retreatants. In this first meeting we receive the passage of scripture that will set our theme for the day. After a period of reflection we set out with our cameras, alone, to ponder on theme scripture and to capture in pictures what the scripture is saying to us. After a few hours, we return to the meeting place for fellowship, and we share our pictures online for all to see. You'll be surprised how God's word speaks differently to each of us - but it is in this diversity that makes the Street Retreat a powerful way of sharing and reflecting on the Word.


2. How long does it last for?
The Street Retreat is designed to last for a few hours to half a day. Generally, we try to start at lunch time and end around mid-afternoon.


3. What do I need to bring?
The only piece of equipment you need to bring is a camera - digital cameras are preferred, and phone cameras are fine too. Some writing material might come in useful too, if you find yourself taking a picture and needing to jot notes about why you took that picture.


4. What if I don't have a digital camera?
If you tell us early enough, we might be able to arrange for digital cameras to lend you for the duration of the retreat.


5. Can I use a film camera instead?
Yes you can, although we would very much prefer digital cameras so that they can be easily exhibited on this blog.


6. What do you do with all these pictures?
The photos submitted after each Street Retreat will be posted on this blog and on the Street Retreat Flickr page. We also hope to hold ocassional exhibitions at the Church of the Holy Family to showcase the reflections at the Street Retreat.

We respect the ownership of the photos and will not sell them nor use them for any commercial purposes in any way.


7. Who are you?
The Street Retreat is a project of the Youth Council of the Church of the Holy Family in Katong, Singapore. If you wish to contact us, you can email us at hfstreetretreat [at] gmail [dot] com.