September 2020 Update and Message from TCS Board

 

 

This has been a year of momentous change and uncertainty!

 

Here at The Contemplative Society, we have been prayerfully discerning our future path through the challenges and opportunities during this tumultuous time. 

 

The Board has made some difficult decisions to reduce administrative costs and bring expenses into alignment with income. We’ve had to change our usual way of operating and are exploring alternative and creative means to support the Contemplative Wisdom community seeded by Cynthia, shifting to on-line meditation gatherings and our first online retreat. We are looking at what is before us now and listening deeply to what the Spirit is calling us to live into.

 

 

 

We said a fond farewell to our administrator Sharon Taylor, who has held the position with graceful attentiveness since December 2018. We extend our warm thanks to Sharon for her heartful, thorough and creative service. 

 

We hired Eilen deVerteuil (welcome back Eilen!) on an interim basis to help us implement administrative efficiencies and reduce the administrative load and cost to a sustainable level while helping to shepherd us through this major transition.

 

Community health guidelines due to COVID let us to cancel the June in-person retreat with Ward Bauman, but we managed to host a fabulous Zoom retreat with Matthew Wright with more than 100 people in August.  

 

We spent three days of exploring and meditating on the life and wisdom of Julian of Norwich and the profound message of hope she has for our time.  The overwhelmingly positive response affirmed the need to continue offering online teachings and supporting our community on the contemplative path. We plan to offer more online retreats over the coming months.

 

An exciting, emerging development for TCS is our current initiative to strengthen local and regional support for contemplative groups in the Pacific West area.  At the same time, we are working with Northeast Wisdom on finding ways to minimize duplication and increase efficiencies in serving the whole network of contemplatives.

 

 

 

 

We are preparing for our AGM scheduled for October 24.  We will soon be sending more information about the AGM and how to participate on Zoom. This is an opportunity for you to become a member of The Contemplative Society, or to renew your membership, by making a donation and having your donation applied to membership.  Simply follow this link: 

 

 

 

Our deepest gratitude to all who have supported us through donations, membership, and participating in events over the past months. We know that many of you are also facing challenges, uncertainty, and disruptions in your lives. Please know that we are committed to serving the contemplative community and followers as we adapt to these changing times.

 

We hope you will continue to support us with your generous contributions, membership, and encouragement. We will keep you notified as details and decisions unfold. 

 

Please let us know if you have any specific questions and we will do our best to respond as promptly as possible.

Blessings,

 

President, The Contemplative Society

 

Interim administrator

 

Board Members: