First Things
Morning Centering Prayer for Peace
7:00 AM CT, DAILY Sustaining the intention of peace for the Twin Cities,
we hold prayerful silence together, in unity, in love and support for all people in our communities. Hosted by facilitators from the Minnesota Contemplative Outreach community Thursday Evening Centering Prayer
7:00 PM CT, Thursdays Zoom: https://meditationchapel.org/peace-chapel/ Facilitated by Laurie Erickson Save the Date
1st Annual All-Chapter Meeting Saturday, October 7th 8:30 AM to 3 PM (Lunch provided) St. Andrew's Lutheran Church Mahtomedi, Minnesota (map) Time together for Centering Prayer, fellowship and small-group discussions, honoring our past and envisioning the future of our vibrant Chapter. We invite all practitioners of Centering Prayer in Minnesota to attend. To learn more, click here. Fall Retreat 2023
Trusting the Divine Through Transition and Transformation November 10-12 Franciscan Retreat and Spirituality Center Prior Lake, Minnesota (map) To learn more and register online, click here. Returning to In-Person Meetings?
Please let us know if your group is resuming in-person meetings so that we can update your listing. Contact Mark Thiel or Adam Gordon. ![]() Looking for a way to strengthen your daily practice and hold silence in community? Click here to join the worldwide community that is practicing Centering Prayer online, together. |
Sunday Gatherings
(This is the same link as is used for the 7:00 a.m.
Morning Centering Prayer for Peace) Sunday Gatherings: Fall Series September 10 to November 5, 2023 8:00 - 9:00 AM CT Invitation to Love by Thomas Keating You are invited to participate in the fall series of Minnesota Contemplative Outreach Sunday Gatherings. We will continue to read and reflect on one chapter per week, from Thomas Keating’s Invitation to Love. Each chapter stands alone. It is not necessary that you read from the beginning of the book, or that you attend every week. Those who register will receive an email mid-week, with a reflection to be discussed the following Sunday. Participants convene on Sunday mornings from 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. to be in community with fellow participants, and share how they experienced the weekly reading and their Centering Prayer practice. All are welcome, no prior knowledge or practice is necessary. Please register (click on the link above), so you can receive the weekly email, along with any programming updates. There is no cost for participation.
Invitation to Love is available on Amazon in Kindle ($9.99), in paperback ($16.95, cheaper if ok with a used copy) or at the Contemplative Outreach website ($16.95 + shipping). We will begin with Chapter Nineteen on September 10, and continue with one chapter per week, ending with each of the three appendices (10-22, 10-29, and 11-5). We will not be meeting on November 12, due to the Fall MNCO retreat, nor on November 19 due to Thanksgiving Week. Minnesota Contemplative Outreach Prison Ministry
Minnesota Contemplative Outreach is blessed with an active prison ministry that brings centering prayer to people who are incarcerated. We hold a centering prayer session at the chapel at the correctional facility at Stillwater on Monday afternoons from approximately 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. There is also a team interested in bringing centering prayer to the correctional facility at Shakopee, but programming is not open there at this time. Both locations can use more men and women volunteers. If you want more information about bringing this prayer to incarcerated individuals, please contact Mark Thiel. |

Welcome
- We are an ecumenical group of women and men volunteers ministering together to support and nurture the practitioners of Centering Prayer in Minnesota. We do this by providing teachers, sharing resources and building community.
- Centering Prayer is an ancient form of Christian meditation that deepens a practitioner's relationship with God.
- Minnesota Contemplative Outreach is one of more than 120 chapters in 53 countries formed by National Contemplative Outreach, Ltd., a worldwide spiritual network that provides support and resources for Centering Prayer Practitioners.
- We have 21 teachers offering introductory classes, retreats and other enrichment opportunities throughout the year. We also support Centering Prayer groups throughout the state.
- Please contact us if you have submissions for our blog, Presence & Action; are forming a new group; or would like to announce an upcoming event.