Welcome to
South African L'Abri
Growing Resource Centre
At this stage, South African L'Abri is not a full residential branch but a resource centre. We endeavour to offer you access to a community that offers hospitality with weekly open days, regular discussions, as well as occasional conferences, lectures, and theme weekends.
It would be easy to assume that L’Abri focuses on intellectual pursuits only, especially in the work of a resource centre. We try to emphasise that this is not the case and that the life-affirming reality of Christianity speaks to all of human life – this means our lives are not divided between “sacred” and “secular” activities. We believe that the Bible’s description of reality is true, in a meaningful sense of the word “true”. This also means that a commitment to God makes sense and that faith is never divorced from reason. Moreover, because Christianity is true, not only can it be discussed intellectually, it can also be passionately imagined and practically lived. Christian faith integrates all of human life, including our minds, our hearts, our work, our play, and our relationships. Furthermore this means that art, history, philosophy, economics, psychology, education, politics, science, contemporary society and all other realms of thought and life can be engaged from a Biblical perspective.
Our rhythms
CONFERENCES & LECTURES: Our next L’Abri Conference is on Sat 2 March 2024, 08:30-15:00, in Auckland Park (Jo’burg). The conference theme is “Rethinking Spirituality“. Speakers: Themba Gamedze, S’bu Mdluli, Vera & Thorsten Marbach. For more info click here.
OPEN FRIDAYS: Our L’Abri Resource Centre is open every Friday (09:00-16:00). The intent is to provide you a space where you can experience a time of “shelter”, a quiet place to study a topic, read a book, listen to L’Abri talks, or have a meaningful conversation with us over a tea or coffee. There is also an opportunity to sit outside. Dates: Almost every Friday – but please let us know before you visit.
SOUL SPACE: Every month or so, usually on a Friday or Saturday afternoon, we spend the afternoon exploring different spiritual disciplines and putting ourselves in a space where God can speak to us and refresh us. Take some time-out from the busy-ness of pressured routines to give your soul an opportunity for quiet respite and deeper connection with God.
POETRY TEA: Every month or two, usually on a Saturday afternoon, we come together to share and discuss poetry. Sometimes this gathering offers a hybrid online option. Bring a poem for discussion – either one you have written yourself or any poem that you have found meaningful/interesting/enjoyable. Dates: Sat 16 March 2024, 14:30-16:30.
DISCUSSION SUPPERS: More or less monthly, you can join us for a meal and discussion on one of life’s many important questions. We choose the question or topic beforehand so that you are able do some prior thinking about the subject if you want.
MOVIE NIGHTS: A few times a year, we watch and then discuss a movie together over a finger-food supper. Dates: Sat 17 Feb 2024, 18:00-21:00, discussing the 1994 movie “Nell” (Jodie Forster, Liam Neeson).
BOOK CLUB: We regularly run a book club, where over the space of 4-8 weeks we read and discuss a book together. Our meetings for this are usually online, for an hour on a Thursday evening (19:45-20:45). Dates: Four Thursdays from 15 Feb 2024 to 7 March 2024, discussing “Comprehensive Spirituality“ by Ellis Potter. Ellis himself will be joining us online on 7 March. We have copies of the book available for sale at R180.
THEME WEEKENDS: A few times a year, we explore a particular topic for an entire weekend. You can join as a residential guest for the two nights, or as a day visitor on any or all of the days. Dates: Thur 21 – Sat 23 March 2024 (Thur is a public holiday). The theme will be “Rethinking our Desires“.
Please refer to our Facebook page for further details.
You can also download a L’Abri SA calendar for Feb/Mar 2024 here.
The details for the L’Abri Conference on 2 March 2024 are here.
Email us for queries or reservations, or to be added to our mailing list.
We are also on Instagram.
Theme weekends and mini-terms
L’Abri is a place for rest and renewing, but not a typical ‘retreat’. All our theme weekends and mini-terms include a daily rhythm of meals, tea-times, work time, study time, lectures and discussions. During lunches we usually sit together and you have the opportunity to bring your own questions for discussion. During the daily work time you will be invited to help in some way with making the community experience possible for all – usually cleaning or food preparation. Study time is for you to investigate the questions you have brought with you, in which you are invited to make use of the books available in our library or listen to a recorded lecture about the subject. Sometimes there is a “high tea” in which guests are invited to contribute creatively in any shape or form (e.g. play an instrument, recite a poem, present an artwork).
In order to benefit most from your stay, we recommend that you engage in all the activities, and keep your use of phones and laptops to an absolute minimum. We aim to create a space in which we can be fully present to each other, and integrate our faith into all areas of life. This can be very freeing, though perhaps not terribly glamorous. A “mountain top experience” is not our goal, and we are not offering a neatly ‘polished’ experience. There is a realness to this environment that many have found helpful.
Donations and Payments
L’Abri does not engage in fundraising. Throughout its history, L’Abri has prayed and looked to God for the provision of its needs. Our aim in providing L’Abri South Africa’s banking details is to facilitate the giving of gifts by donors, and the payment of booking fees for theme weekends and the like. Please contact us by email to confirm your booking and payment.
South African banking details:
Bank: First National Bank
Branch Code: 251445
Acc. Name: L’Abri SA
Acc. Number: 62192802835
Swift Code: FIRNZAJJ
Profiles
Vera Marbach is a wife, mother, teacher, facilitator and coach. She trained as an Occupational Therapist and worked in psychiatry and paediatrics; she also has a certificate in Theology. During the last few years she has become involved in inter-racial meetings to address the racial tensions evident in South African society. She is passionate about making faith practical, conscious and thought-through living, active citizenship and social justice. She is interested in history and how it influences our present. She writes poetry to process her thoughts and challenges, and published a collection of her poems, “Dwelling in Dissonance”, in 2017.
Thorsten Marbach is a husband, father, engineer and theologian. He holds degrees in the latter two, while his learning in the first two is ongoing. Born in Germany but raised in SA, Thorsten started his working life in the corporate world in I.T. and Telecommunications. He then changed track, and besides his work at L’Abri he also teaches at a local Bible College and co-ordinates a weekly thought leadership forum. A common theme in these endeavours is exploring what truth & goodness look like, how we understand and engage reality, and how our faith connects with all areas of life.
Segomotso Semosa is a sleep deprived mother of two young girls and a wife to but one husband who happens to be a soccer coach. She is interested in ideas, beauty, truth, justice, food and movies. She is a teacher and has tried her hand at entrepreneurship in the hospitality sector. She was a student and a helper at the English L’Abri for over a year, and is currently a companion of the South African L’Abri.
Contact
Email us here.
