Adult Christian Formation

Centering prayer is a prayer of silence that offers a time to BE with God rather than a time to DO with God. We come to God in stillness and silence with an intention of opening our mind and heart to God and deepening our relationship with the living Christ. We experience God’s presence and action within us, beyond breathing and thinking and closer than consciousness itself.

Centering Prayer is a very simple prayer. Showing up with our intention to open to the Spirit is all that is required. Fr. Thomas Keating always said that the only way to fail at Centering Prayer is to get up and leave the prayer time. As long as our intention is to be with God in the silence, we believe that God honors that intention. Centering prayer is a time for non-judgment. It is a time to receive the gift of God’s grace.

All are invited to explore Centering Prayer at either or both of our weekly gatherings. The facilitator is happy to offer instruction to anyone new to the prayer. We start with a short opening reading, share 20 minutes of the silence of centering prayer and close by saying the Lord’s Prayer together. We hope you will join us!

Mindfulness Meditation is a path to building awareness of ourselves as well as our communities and the world around us. Our sessions are suitable for all levels of experience with meditation practice, and include a short talk followed by a guided meditation and a period of sharing among those present.

Our sessions include teaching and meditations on such subjects as finding focus through Mindfulness of the Breath and the Body, Mindfulness of Emotions, Gratitude, LovingKindness, Self-Compassion and Compassion for others, and Forgiveness. Our virtual sangha is a safe, supportive, and inclusive community – your presence is welcome as often as you choose to show up. We meet Tuesdays & Fridays at 9 a.m. for 30-45 minutes (depending on the time spent in group discussion). Please join us!

Friday Password: Metta

Heather Gallagher

An Invitation to Soul Care

You’re invited into a space where you can slow down, breathe deeply, and tend to what lies beneath the surface. As a spiritual companion, I’m not here to provide answers, but to walk with you—to listen with care, to notice gently, and to hold space for whatever you’re carrying.

I prefer the title spiritual companion rather than spiritual director, because I don’t “direct” anything—my role is simply to help you pay attention to how God is present in your life.

Whether you’re feeling clear or confused, close to God or far away, grounded or restless—this is a place where you can show up just as you are. You are not alone.

In our time together, we’ll create space for quiet, for reflection, and for paying attention to how God might be moving in your life. I may offer gentle questions or invite moments of silence—simple practices that help you notice what’s stirring in your heart and soul. I trust that God is already at work in your life, and together we listen for how the Spirit might be inviting you to deeper connection, healing, or clarity.

If it is helpful, we can also explore the Enneagram as a tool for spiritual growth. I find it to be a meaningful way to better understand how we relate to God, ourselves, and others—and how we can move toward greater freedom and love in Christ.

This is what spiritual direction is about: a quiet, spacious place to rest, reflect, and be seen. A place where your soul can breathe.

I was trained through Sustainable Faith and offer both individual and group spiritual direction, as well as silent retreat days. It is a deep joy for me to walk with others on this journey. If you are sensing an invitation to this, I’d be honored to accompany you.

Nina Rynd Whitnah

I come to the practice of Spiritual Direction from a long and rich experience of spiritual companionship that I have found in small groups as well as one-on-one friendships. Cultivating the dimension of shared, focused attention on behalf of another person is a natural progression for me of a style of relating that I have nurtured in my life, and I see it as a deep and sweet privilege. I offer both individual and group spiritual direction.

I completed a Doctor of Ministry in Spiritual Formation for Ministry Leaders in 2010 at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (South Hamilton, MA); my project thesis explored spiritual formation during wilderness times. I finished training as a spiritual director in 2012 through Selah, a ministry of Leadership Transformations, Inc.”