Retreat Leader
Spiritual Director
Leadership Coach
Speaker & Debriefer

Welcome
The aim of Jason's work is to support Christian men in their personal and leadership formation.
Jason utilises his skills and experience to help you pause, focus and connect more deeply with Christ and yourself.
He helps explore ways for you to become more grounded in God's love, 'spiritually healthy', resillient, reflective and effective in your vocation.
Jason works often with people who are in transitions, wrestling with liminality, exploring new possibilities, 'spiritually stuck', facing difficult situations or entering a season of 'reformation'. One-one he offers spiritual direction, the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises (18th & 19th annotations), leadership coaching/mentoring, day retreats and debriefings. With groups he offers speaking, teaching/training in spiritual formation - particulary focussed on 'the stages of faith' - and tailored retreats (locally or where you are). He continues to work with people from all different denominations and across several continents (see testimonials).

BIO
Jason has a joint honours degree in Psychology and Theology (Surrey University) and is a qualified teacher with a decade and a half’s experience teaching Social Science and Humanities, alongside extra pastoral and leadership roles. He is a trained Pastor (under VCUKI) and with his wife he planted and led West Wilts Vineyard Church for two decades before guiding the Church through a successful leadership transition. Jason has a Post Graduate Certificate in Occupational Psychology from the University of the West of England and completed his professional training as a spiritual director with Sustainable Faith (USA) in conjunction with VCUKI. He recently finished his training to guide people through the Ignatian spiritual exercises with Sustainable Faith (Europe) and he is currently studying for his 'Diploma in Leadership Coaching' with the Eco-Leadership Institute.
Jason works in spiritual direction with men from the USA, Armenia, Belgium, Slovenia, Holland, France, Senegal, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and England, whilst overseeing a number of mens outdoor retreats. He speaks at leaders gatherings, churches and events typically focussed on spiritual formation.
Jason is happily married and has two young adult children, working in performing arts and psychology. Outside of work Jason is a musician, songwriter, gym goer, avid film watcher, Systema 'instructor in training', gamer, walker and passionate advocate for the great outdoors.
Retreats
Jason hosts outdoor woodland retreats (Fireside Retreats) for Christian men focussed on uniting body and soul. These are opportunities for building greater spiritual and physical resilience, whilst appreciating the unique gifts of nature. Men come to, rest, reset and make new friends. They also acquire a range of practical techniques to quiet the mind, cultivate inner peace, enhance spiritual awareness and build resilience.
On these retreats Jason is joined by Matt Hill, former paratroop captain, who is a highly experienced outdoors retreat leader skilled in bushcraft and teaching physical health and wellbeing.
Jason works too to creates tailored indoor or outdoor retreats for leaders, churches, teams and other groups in relation to their needs and goals. These can be over a single or several days and hosted in your location or elsewhere. If you are already holding a retreat and looking for a leader or a contributor for talks and activities you can also contact Jason.

Spiritual Direction
Jason creates intentional space to help you explore and develop a stronger, more personal and sustaining relationship with Christ. This is done by meeting monthly to reflect prayerfully on your experiences of God, prayer and life. Meetings provide opportunities for open conversation, deeper listening, spiritual discipline exploration, evolving personal awareness and encouragement.
Spiritual direction is for anybody at any stage of their journey. However, if you are; in leadership, transitioning into a different season, engaging with important choices, discerning a calling, experiencing a challenging situation, struggling with your faith journey, or looking for newer ways to express your relationship with God then spiritual direction may be especially life giving. Each initial session is free so you can explore how spiritual direction might work for you. And if you are new to spiritual direction you may wish to read the testimonials section to glean more of an understanding of its workings and impact.


Leadership Coaching
Jason provides insightful coaching and mentoring shaped for you and your circumstances and by utilising a holistic approach. Together you explore your desires, challenges and goals to develop priorities and strategies that create paths forward and deepen your walk with Christ. In this context Jason draws on experience from psychology, education, teaching, leadership and spiritual formation. He has a deep personal working knowledge of; church planting, church leadership, church building and community projects and church leadership transitions.
Jason also had early volunteer and working life roles within youth-work, finance, healthcare admin and as a musician. This combines into a wide ranging set of working, personal and life experience - including as a husband for 30 years and as a father to two young adults. At present Jason is studying for his Diploma in Leadership Coaching with the Eco Leadership Institute.

 
Speaking
Jason is an engaging, encouraging, thought provoking, inspiring and well humoured public speaker. He communicates effectively with people of any background and uses his gently disarming manner to cover spiritual ideas and topics that can be both challenging and complex. His greatest passions as a communicator are to encourage people in their faith, ongoing spiritual formation, spiritual health, wellbeing and in discerning their vocations and seasons. Having worked professionally as a teacher and as a pastor over three decades he can confidently and effectively relate well to anyone and he enjoys the opportunity to speak in any setting. If you would like to book him for a Sunday service, public event, seminar, workshop, podcast or to teach at a leaders gathering he would be delighted to talk with you.


Debriefings
Jason works with his wife Sam offering comprehensive and personalised debriefings.  These are for leaders who need to pause to take stock and reflect on where they are in their leadership journey in a safe space. Whilst debriefings are often offered to those leaving ministry or a ministry role, or retiring, and for missionaries returning from the mission field, increasingly other leaders are using them as part of their commitment to regular healthy rhythms.
These 1-2 day residential debriefs offer a time for honest, open and guided reflection.
There is opportunity to prayerfully engage with God about how the experience has been and to look toward the future. Making time in this structured way to properly process an ending and a new beginning is an important choice to prioritise personal wellbeing, whilst providing time to celebrate all thats been achieved. As well as making time to acknowledge where difficulties, challenge, unrealised ambition and circumstances have possibly evolved beyond our imaginings. These debriefings are ideal for couples who’ve worked in partnership, whether they were both fully employed or not. And they can also be enjoyed by individuals, who may wish to work with just Jason or Sam one to one.


Ignatian
Spiritual
Exercises
Jason offers accompaniment for anyone wanting to undertake the 18th or 19th annotations (spiritual exercises). The 18th annotation is a ten week course that requires a weekly meeting to review the journey together and can be started at any time. Whilst the 19th annotation is a nine month adventure beginning in Autumn each year that also requires a weekly meeting. Costs for these courses are discussed in person and Jason has limited availability with both of these offerings each year due to the time commitment required.
If you are unfamiliar with what the exercises are and Ignatius then Jason can happily arrange a zoom call with you to discuss this in detail to explore if this is something you want to pursue. In essence the spiritual exercises are an ancient practise that has been undertaken by countless people all ove the world. They are an incredibly soul enriching activity that draws you ever more deeply into daily rhythms of prayer, reflection, comtemplation, gratitude, worship and self awareness. Few remain unchanged by engaging with this opportunity.


1-1 Retreat Days
Jason offers one day retreats for leaders who are looking to get away and take time out to slow down and be with God alongside a spiritual companion. These days offer a chance for you to rest, disconnect from your other responsibilities and the noise of daily life. Here you can think, pray, be still, be quiet and benefit from gentle input designed to meet you where you find yourself and the needs you have. They include food and can provide a comfortable evening stay too if that’s required so you can relax into your time away. The day involves time spent together prayerfully looking at what your hopes are, time in nature to walk and enjoy the created world, space to be alone and time to harvest together what God has shared during the day with you. But as no two people are the same every day retreat can be designed to fit your needs and what brings life and rest to your soul!

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Fireside Retreat’s are gatherings for Christian men that provide time to rest, reset and reconnect in the setting of the natural world. Each retreat focuses on aligning body and soul providing further ways to deepen faith, embrace brotherhood and foster resilience. Set in a stunning natural environment this 2 day outdoor experience will take you back to the simple basics of life and equip you to deepen your relationship with God. Read More


  • Date:13/09/2025 08:00 PM - 14/09/2025 08:00 PM
  • Location Montecello Farm House, Devizes Rd, Potterne, Devizes, UK (Map)

Qualifications
Access to Higher Education (East Surrey College), including psychology, sociology, media studies & history. 1996

Psychology & Theology joint honours degree (Surrey University), 2:1. 1999

Post Graduate Certificate in Secondary Religious Education (Bath Spa University). 2000

Qualified Teacher Status (Clarendon College, Wiltshire). 2001

Church Planter/Pastor (Vineyard Churches UKI). 2004

Post Graduate Cetifcate in Occupational Psychology (University of the West of England). 2016

Spiritual Director (Sustainable Faith USA). 2019

Systema Instructor 'in training' (Vladimir Vasiliev Systema). 2024

Ignatian Spiritual Exercises (Sustainable Faith Europe). 2025

Diploma in Leadership Coaching (Eco Leadership Institute) - currently studying for, 2025.
Spiritual direction is an ancient practise within the Christian tradition characterised by a series of conversations where a director comes alongside the directee to help them listen for the words and work of God in their life.  A spiritual director has had special training in the art of listening, being able to demonstrate good communication skills with people, and a deep understanding of many of the ways in which God has communicated with people (and people with God) throughout history.  This would include knowledge of scripture, of church history, of spirituality, and of psychology.
Depending on what is comfortable for the directee, a director may begin the meeting in one of several ways: they may pray a prayer of invocation, and sit in silence with the directee for some moments until the directee feels ready to break the silence and begin sharing what’s happening for them; or sometimes the director begins with a simple question, “How has it been going since the last time we met?” Often there is some time for general conversation as both the director and the directee transition into the direction time. As the directee shares, the director will be listening and from time to time ask questions or make observations about the sharing. The director will “pace” the meeting, creating space around the sharings that seem to be tapping into the directees’ connection with God. The director will validate and encourage the directee, but will never rebuke, command or exploit the directee. Based on the directees’ sharing, the director may make suggestions about spiritual practices or experiences that the directee may want to explore in the coming month.
The directee shares about his or her relationship with God (as much or as little as he/she feels safe to share).  Anything that is in the realm of one’s spiritual life is appropriate to share in the meeting with the director.
Sessions occur monthly and they can take place in person or via Skype, FaceTime, WhatsApp Video or Zoom. In person meetings can be done as a walk or sat inside at a convenient location. 
The first initial session is always FREE and there is no obligation to continue or to sign up for a set number of sessions. (Although it is recommended to do an initial three sessions and then review every six-twelve months).
Thereafter sessions are £50 per session (one hour) payable via BACS on the same day of the session if UK based. Overseas payments are made via PayPal on the same day of the session. 
Presently there are plans to host another Christian mens woodland ‘fireside retreat’ just outside of Warminster (south west England) in the spring and then early autumn of 2024. Please email Jason directly and he will provide dates once confirmed. And further pages will be added later to the website.
Jason is also working on a Christian mens retreat for Scotland and N.Ireland in 2024/25 which will be a combined indoor and outdoor retreat.
Updates will appear on the website once details have been finalised.  
Please email Jason directly and he can discuss what it is that you need. From there he can create something together with you that works. Jason already has a variety of resources and can recommend formats if thats helpful as well as creating something entirely unique for you and your people.
You can also book Jason as a speaker, facilitator or contributor at an existing retreat. He is very happy to travel within the UK and Europe for work. 
If you’d like to have a conversation about coaching please email Jason directly and he can arrange a time to discuss with you what you’re looking for and what your current situation is.
Then he can create a personalised plan with you about how to move forward and discuss how often to meet etc. As every persons situation is different the way in which Jason will work with you will be tailored to you and your unique circumstances.
Coaching sessions can be conducted online or in person and the cost is negotiable, but payable via BACS on the day of the meeting.
Jason is available for coaching sessions at conferences, events and team training/development programs if you have a number of people who want coaching.


Jason is an engaging personality with a wealth of experience as a public speaker from education, pastoring and musical performance in churches and elsewhere. He can communicate confidently and humorously in a manner that is accessible to anyone, whilst also providing thought provoking observations.
If you would like Jason to speak at a public event, conference, seminar, gathering, church service/meeting, or as a guest on a podcast or elsewhere then please email him directly to arrange that.  
Jason has been fully and properly trained as a teacher, pastor and spiritual director so he is extremely well experienced in creating safe and professional spaces for everyone he works with. All clients are completely assured that everything discussed is confidential and their anonymity is guaranteed.
As part of his ongoing personal and professional development Jason has his own spiritual director, that he meets with monthly, and a separate supervisor that he meets with several times a year for professional supervision with. In addition he has public liability insurance via Oxygen insurance. 
Please pray for Jason in the work he does and for those he works with. If you wish to financially support or donate towards Jason’s work as a spiritual director, retreat leader, speaker, debriefer and coach you can contact him directly about how to send open donations or specify their purpose.
Examples of this so far have included; sponsoring a number of spiritual direction or mentoring sessions for someone else or providing a free/subsidised place on a retreat.
Also if you are aware of suitable venues that are looking for people to run retreats or who want to book a contributor then please contact Jason directly. 
  • Trowbridge, UK

Please contact me via my email address - jasoncwhiley@hotmail.com - and allow up to a week for a reply in case I’m travelling for work. I will endeavour to get back to you sooner.