Getting Started Inside

If you are interested in starting a Centering Prayer group inside a correctional facility, we are building a team of support to help answer questions and get started in this exciting outreach. While the process varies widely from institution to institution, we are gathering material resources to use as a starting place, as well as a pool of prospective mentors who may be able to help.

Our team is still emerging and being formed. Nonetheless, we will do our best to answer questions and help you get started in the process of organizing a Centering Prayer Group for those who are incarcerated.

As a first step, we encourage you to reach out to contact Paul Witmer, who serves on CO’s Prison Outreach Service Team and serves a ministry inside the women’s prison in Iowa.  Please feel free to reach out via phone or email to begin a conversation.  An initial conversation will likely focus on you so that we can gain a sense of your background and experience with Centering Prayer, your interest and calling to prison ministry and what resources might best help you get started.  An email exchange is suitable to begin the process, but we will eventually want to set up a phone or zoom meeting at your convenience.

Another option for those exploring this outreach is to join our newly formed conversation group:

What’s Inside: A Conversation on Getting Started

A monthly online conversation about getting started in prisons and jails

2^nd Monday
5:30-7:00 p.m. Central Standard Time 

Please join us for a monthly discussion with people who are experienced with this outreach and others who are new or newly interested in taking Centering Prayer inside jails or prisons.  We will focus our conversations on your questions and we will explore works by Ray Leonardini, Thomas Keating and others. Our team will have some resources to suggest as you get started. You may find you have it within you to do this transformative work!

For more information and the link, email centering@cpprisonoutreach.org

+

Please stay tuned for changes to this page, and if you’re interested in contributing to or participating in these efforts, by all means let us know.

For initial contact or to offer support, please reach out to:

Paul Witmer
paulwitmer@msn.com
515.240-1653

Recommended reading for getting started:

Going Inside: Learning to Teach Contemplative Prayer to the Imprisoned

Finding God Within

Open Mind, Open Heart (also available in audio format:  CDs and digital download)