Facilitating is a ministry that empowers people and enables group process.
As a ministry it helps group members to become more aware and more loving. . . .
Good facilitating enables the growth of a Centering Prayer support group, empowering the group to feel capable and strengthened for the spiritual journey.
Mary Mrozowski
The Centering Prayer Group Facilitator Support Team’s purpose is to serve and support facilitators who share their practice of Centering Prayer and deepening relationship with God in contemplative communities. Facilitators sometimes question their abilities or are uncertain about their role or the structure of a prayer group. A range of resources, including mentoring from team members, is available to encourage and inspire them.
RESOURCES:
The Facilitator Handbook, recently updated, is the basic resource for new facilitators as well as an on-going reference for more seasoned facilitators. Reminding us that the facilitator’s own prayer practice and spirituality are at the core of service – everything worthwhile we do as facilitators springs from the prayer – the Handbook is a rich compendium of resources and tools for facilitators and their prayer groups. It covers attributes and spirituality of a facilitator, group purpose statements, guidelines for sharing, practicalities for establishing and conducting group meetings, and group dynamics, all grounded in the Vision and Theological Principles of Contemplative Outreach. You can view the Facilitator Handbook here.
The Facilitator Formation Level 1 Workshop is a digital, online, self-guided training program designed to empower local chapters to hold their own facilitator formation workshops for members who have a strong commitment to the practice of Centering Prayer. It also may be used for individual self-study. The package includes the Facilitator Handbook, a document on how to use workshop materials, and ten online video segments on the fundamentals of facilitating a Centering Prayer group. https://dev.contemplativeoutreach.org/product/facilitator-formation-online-level-1-workshop.
Level II deepening materials. The Facilitator Formation Level II Workshop materials foster and deepen the process of transformation in facilitators and members of Centering Prayer groups. These and other topics can be shared with small groups or at a multi-topic workshop retreat:
Twelve Principles of Spiritual Leadership; What is Contemplative Service? From Mythic to Mystic; Four Levels of Listening; Dispositions of the Servant Leader; Five Stages of Groups to Maturity; Exploration of the Human Condition; and the Psychological Experience of Centering Prayer.
Members of the Centering Prayer Group Facilitator Support team can also present the materials in a one- or two-day workshop or shorter Zoom sessions.
Team members can provide support and encouragement over the phone, on Zoom, or by email. Contact office@coutreach.org for more information.
