by the Contemplative Outreach Board
As members of the Contemplative Outreach Board, we are volunteers who offer our time and service in an effort to support and advocate for the vision of Contemplative Outreach. We oversee the business aspects and financial integrity of the nonprofit status of Contemplative Outreach. In these services, we are guided by the Theological Principles and Guidelines for Service (scroll down the page) that Fr. Thomas laid out for our organism, summarized in the opening statement:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul,
and with all your strength, and with all your mind;
and your neighbor as yourself.
Luke 10: 27
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We embrace the process of transformation in Christ,
both in ourselves and in others,
through the practice of Centering Prayer.
In the same way that all volunteers within Contemplative Outreach are called to serve, we attempt to follow the way of Jesus by taking the lowest place.
As we explore our interdependence, interconnection and evolution as a community:
—The board has been meeting with staff, Extensión Contemplativa and volunteers to determine its role as we move forward.
–Our current understanding is that we support the organism from the ground level. The organism’s needs determine our function. We are because of who we all are.
–There has been a perception that we have been serving from the top and that we can solve all problems when, in fact, we have the utmost trust that the volunteers serving the Contemplative Outreach community have the gifts and talents needed to answer their call.
–We are a group of volunteers who care deeply about Contemplative Outreach and trust that the Holy Spirit will guide us through Centering Prayer.
–One of our priorities will be better communication with the global organism.
–We would like to communicate more effectively and quickly with the global body. We are not sure what the best medium is, yet. We are open to input as we explore the path forward.
–We desire to serve along side staff and volunteers in their organic roles within the organism.
–We are willing to be vulnerable and experiment. But we are human and we will make mistakes.
–We desire to be open and collaborative. We recognize our lack of communication in the past may have been interpreted as arrogant and privileged. We do, in fact, desire open communication and welcome comments and suggestions. Simply send an email to jmac150@sbcglobal.net with “comment for the board” in the subject line.
–We join with all the volunteers and faithful practitioners of Centering Prayer in praying for the grace to serve as Jesus commanded, and live the words of the apostle Paul, in Ephesians 4:15-16:
… speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into the one who is the head, that is, Christ. From Christ the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Spring 2024
