Post-Release Community

If you have served time and began practicing Centering Prayer while inside (or didn’t, but would have liked to), you’ve come to the right place.

You are not alone!

There is a growing community that wants to welcome and meditate with you. Some of us have experienced incarceration, whereas others of us haven’t but desire to support and learn from those who have.

We invite you to take some time to explore these Prison Outreach web pages, including the Resources section, as well as the rest of the Contemplative Outreach website. There are many helpful videos and online resources to take advantage of, and we’re glad to help you find what you desire in the way of community. Just drop us an email at centering@cpprisonoutreach.org

There is also a thriving 12-Step Outreach Centering Prayer community that seeks to pass on the gift of Centering Prayer as an 11th step practice and related spiritual practices to those in recovery.  Their website  https://cp12stepoutreach.org/ has great resources, including recorded workshops and stories (sharing experience, strength and hope), plus a number of virtual meeting options.

If you want to receive the twice yearly Contemplative Outreach newsletter that comes by mail, please email your mailing address to Donna at office@coutreach.org. Past issues can be viewed here. In addition, there are several resources available via email; you can subscribe to those lists here.

Announcement:

Please help spread the word: a Centering Prayer group “outside the walls” now meets weekly starting at 7:30 PM Eastern / 4:30 PM Pacific.  The first half hour is for those desiring to say hello and ask questions or speak about the method of Centering Prayer; prayer begins shortly after the top of the hour and is followed by discussion of a reading (currently Ray Leonardini’s Toxic Shame).

The idea is to create a space where folks can pray and connect and journey together, knowing that everyone has in common the fact of having done time.

The Tallahassee (Florida) Chapter of Contemplative Outreach is supporting this effort by providing a Zoom platform, and Frank B has kindly offered to do the initial facilitation of the group. Frank is not attached to continuing to facilitate, but has offered to help get the group started and is looking forward to being part of it. What the group decides to do once it is up and running is entirely up to those who show up and participate.

If you are interested, please send an email to centering@cpprisonoutreach.org and we’ll get you set up to receive Zoom information.

Please share this information with anyone you think might be interested.