WIDENING THE CIRCLE

Colleen Thomas & Keith Kristich

YOUNG CONTEMPLATIVES

Under 50

01.

Monthly Beloveds Gathering

Spiritual Journey Weekly Zoom

Young Professionals Retreat @ Lama

Young Contemplatives

• YC Getting to Know You (170)
• Practicing less than a year (44)
• Practicing 1-3 years (60)
• More than 50 identify as pastors/priests, spiritual directors, therapists, or yoga instructors
• Interest in Facilitating: 60 say No; 93 say Yes

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• Ages: 60 (18-34); 76 (35-44); 22 (45-55)
• Awareness of Local Chapter: 117 say No; 52 say Yes

Reflections from Young Contemplatives

“Heart of Texas. I did try going to a couple of their groups. As a college student, I found the age gaps between myself and the other group members to be a little too great. (At one, I was easily the youngest by thirty and likely by 40 years.) We’re just at completely different stages of life, and we’ve grown up surrounded by different cultures. It wasn’t that we couldn’t relate to one another at all, but we definitely had different areas of struggle in life. They were all retired and I’m trying to decide on a major!”

Reflections from Young Contemplatives

“Contemplative Outreach of Southern Colorado; I sit with a prayer group in this chapter, and also volunteer to help plan/host workshops with the chapter. Helped form the chapter itself, but now just manage the webpage for the group: https://cpsoco.org/

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I also facilitate our Centering Prayer group meetings monthly, rotating the responsibility with other group members.”

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Reflections from Young Contemplatives

“I am aware of some, but really looking for a way to meet other young contemplative specifically so this is exciting!”

“Minnesota Contemplative Outreach - yes I am connected with this chapter and its offerings. I would be interested in meeting other contemplatives in their 20s and 30s, as I have not met many.”

“Yes, I am connected with the Chicago chapter, though less so since they stopped holding in person events.”

Reflections from Young Contemplatives

“Contemplative outreach of SE WI. Yes, they gave me a scholarship.”

“Kansas City. I receive their newsletter and actually just signed up for a retreat they are facilitating in March.”

“Champaign-Urbana and Bloomington-Normal, IL. Champaign is closer but the time (online) that they meet I am unavailable. I attended an introductory workshop this past summer in Bloomington and have read through Open Mind Open Heart.”

USING SOCIAL MEDIA & GRAPHICS

Clickable Content

Less words...more graphics

Young Contemplatives

113 YC responded when asked “what other gifts or skills they might offer to the community”

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• Writers/social media and graphic design/small group facilitation/and spiritual direction

If you are a chapter coordinator or serve on a service team, reach out t0 me to see if I can connect you to a YC with a skillset that can help!

colleen@coutreach.org

BIPOC CENTERING

PRAYER

03.

Weekly BIPOC CP Group

BIPOC Centering Prayer Retreat 2024

WHY DIVERSITY

OUTREACH?

KEY FINDINGS FROM THE GLOBAL RELIGIOUS FUTURES PROJECT

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December 21, 2022

04.

WAVES OF CONTEMPLATION

Adam Leudtke Model

05.

Mycelium Network (Contemplative Community Creators)

01.

02.

METHOD

03.

RETREAT MODEL

04.

REEMERGENCE

COMMUNITY

**COULD ALSO COLLAPSE INTO THREE:

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• BIRTHERS/FIGURE HEADS OF THE MODERN CONTEMPLATIVE MOVEMENT
• RETREAT LEADERS AND RETREAT MODELS
• COMMUNITY

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REEMERGENCE

Howard Thurman and Thomas Merton writing about the contemplative path for readers outside of monastery walls aka for the general public.

METHOD

Thomas Keating, John Main and others introducing methods of practice that are accessible and teachable. Previously we had folks writing about the contemplative path but not the method. Not what happens or what it is like but how you do it. Peter Traben Haas has an excellent chapter in his book the Contemplative Church that discusses this breakthrough.

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RETREAT MODEL

The rise of well known retreat leaders teaching contemplative prayer methods at retreat centers and local churches. Gathering folks for a weekend or week long retreat and then people disperse.

COMMUNITY

The spread of contemplative practice and living into communal context. Both in the ways Frenette sees at rallies etc; but also the rise of practicing communities and groups. Groups that don't expire at the end of the week or weekend but regularly meet and do life together to a certain degree.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

06.

DECENTRALIZED CENTERING PRAYER

Predictions

Social Media

Is YouTube the new Snowmass?

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#centeringprayer

#thomaskeating

#cynthiabourgeault

Platforms

• YouTube
• Instagram
• Podcasts
• Guided Meditations (Insight Timer)

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Freely shared, creating new entry points for younger audiences

What does the future hold?

• CP will continue to become more decentralized, with fewer people identifying with COL.
• The next generation is more interspiritual, seeing CP as part of a broader spiritual toolkit.
• COL could embrace this shift by becoming a Resource Hub or developing a Teacher Training Program for the global CP community.

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Is the future Catholic?

Is the future Christian?

• Contemplative Christianity & Keating’s Interspiritual Legacy
• Emerging Teachers- who are they?
• Emerging Retreat Leaders
• Emerging Writers & Authors?

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BOOKS ON/RELATED TO CP

01.

02.

03.

THOMAS KEATING:

• OPEN MIND, OPEN HEART - 2007
• INTIMACY WITH GOD - SEPTEMBER 1, 2009

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BASIL PENINGTON- CENTERED LIVING - JANUARY 1, 1994

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04.

CYNTHIA BOURGEAULT

• THE HEART OF CENTERING PRAYER -DECEMBER 27, 2016
• CENTERING PRAYER AND INNER AWAKENINGS - JUNE 25, 2004

DAVID FRENETTE, THE PATH OF CP - JULY 1, 2017

END END END END

Predictions

02.

Tough Questions for COL

• Is COL willing to evolve to stay relevant in a decentralized future?
• Can COL create a teacher certification program akin to other contemplative organizations (e.g., Shalem Institute)?
• How far can we stretch Thomas Keating’s teachings while staying true to the heart of CP?

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