Indianapolis, Indiana
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Be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” Rm. 12:2
Indianapolis Chapter Servant Leadership Team
| Linda Farley | Coordinator | |
| John Drake | Treasurer | |
| Mary Kendall | Communications | |
| Joe Pressner | Website | |
| Jody Clapper | Chapter Program Contributor | |
| Lyn Reece | Chapter Program Contributor | |
| Marilyn Webb | Centering Prayer Intro Workshop Organizer |
For more information on the Contemplative Outreach of Indianapolis we invite you to contact Linda Farley from the leadership team.
| Centering Prayer Groups | Upcoming Events | About Us |
Indianapolis Area Centering Prayer Groups
While centering prayer is done privately most of the time, a weekly sharing of the experience in a small group has proven to be very supportive of the individual practice. It can also be a means of continuing education in the contemplative traditions.
The purpose of the centering in community is for spiritual refreshment and mutual encouragement in the practice. By sharing the experience of centering prayer with others, one’s own discernment of the ups and downs of the practice is sharpened. The group serves as a source of encouragement and can normally solve problems that might arise regarding the method.
All Centering Prayer groups below welcome new members. Please contact the facilitator for specific times and places. If you have trouble contacting a facilitator, please feel free to contact any member of the Indianapolis chapter of Contemplative Outreach leadership team.
The following Centering Prayer groups meet in the Central Indiana area.
|
Location |
Facilitator Contact |
Meeting Times |
|---|---|---|
| Second Presbyterian Church 7700 N. Meridian St. Indianapolis, Indiana |
Lindsay Miller |
Mondays, 10:00 a.m. |
| St. Thomas Aquinas 535 W. State St. West Lafayette, Indiana |
Becky Dick |
Mondays, 5:30 p.m. |
| Southside Indianapolis Southport and US 31 Indianapolis, Indiana |
Mary Kendall |
Tuesdays, 4:30 p.m. |
| North United Methodist Church 3808 N. Meridian Street Indianapolic, Indiana |
Donna Sandage |
Tuesdays, 5:30 p.m. |
| St. Christopher Catholic Church 5301 W. 16th Street Indianapolis, Indiana |
Phyllis Farley |
Tuesdays, 6:00 p.m. |
| First United Church 2420 E. Third St. Bloomington, Indiana |
Br. Ramon Garcia |
Wednesdays, 6:00 p.m. |
| Holy Spirit Church at Geist 10350 Glaser Way Fishers, Indiana |
Helen Jean Bluemle |
2nd Wednesday, 12:45 p.m. |
| Northwest Indianapolis Indianapolis, Indiana |
Marilyn Webb |
3rd Thursday, 3:30 p.m. |
| St. Thomas Aquinas Church 4600 N. Illinois Street Indianapolis, Indiana |
Karen Spear |
Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. |
| St. Mathew Catholic Church 4100 E. 56th St. Indianapolis, Indiana |
Judy Hipskind |
Mondays, 7:00 p.m. |
| North Christian Church 850 Tipton Lane Columbus, Indiana |
Lanny C. Lawler |
Fridays, 10:30 a.m. |
| St. Luke's United Methodist 100 W 86th St Indianapolis, Indiana |
Judy Homer |
Mondays, 4:00 p.m. Enter door 6 and go to the prayer chapel. |
| St. Thomas Episcopal Church 600 Paul Hand Boulevard Franklin, Indiana |
Church office at |
Alternate Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. Sundays at 9:00 a.m. |
| Queen of All Saints Church 606 S. Woodland Ave. Michigan City, Indiana |
Wendy Shafer |
Wednesdays, 4:00pm |
| Centering Prayer Groups | Upcoming Events | About Us |
Scheduled Events
For more information regarding events contact Mary Kendall,
Centering Prayer Introductory Program Workshop
Anyone interested in hosting a Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop may contact Marilyn Webb at .
Winter/Spring 2020 Program
From January through June, Contemplative Outreach of Indianapolis will continue to offer monthly, short programs one Saturday each month. These meetings will allow participants to practice Centering Prayer together and to listen to and discuss a different presentation each month. The meetings are open to all who practice Centering Prayer or are interested in Centering Prayer.
The format for each meeting is:
The meetings from January through April will be held on the fourth Saturday of each month. The May and June meetings will be held on the second Saturday of each month. The meetings are all held at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church located on 86th St. In Indianapolis, one block west of Meridian Street. The meetings are held in Rooms N101/102 subject to change based on the needs of the greater Church community.
Fourth Saturday Programs
January 25, 2020 –- “The Gospel of St. Thomas” presented by Marilyn Webb
The Gospel of Thomas, part of the collection of manuscripts known as the Nag Hammadi Library, and found in the mid-20th century, was known to have existed in the first centuries of Christianity. This gospel contains wisdom sayings of Jesus - called logions - many of which were not recorded in the canonical texts of the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Several persons in the Northwest Indianapolis Centering Prayer Group have been reflecting on these sayings for the past 2-3 years prior to their centering prayer period. For the January presentation there will be a brief explanation of the origins of the Gospel of Thomas, followed by time to reflect on a few of the logions. Come, explore, and taste the wisdom in this gospel for yourself.
February 29*, 2020 –- “Pray as you Go App for Lectio Divina” presented by Mary Beth Riner
* Note this is the FIFTH Saturday of this month.This session draws on the Ignatian way of engaging with the scriptures that invites individuals to imagine themselves in the scene or observing it. During the session, we will use an App sponsored by the Ignatians from the United Kingdom to listen to music, scripture readings and prompts for reflection.
March 28, 2020 –- The Universal Christ – Part 1 (A Video by Fr. Richard Rohr)
The selection will be about 40 minutes long. Questions for discussion will be based on the Companion Guide for Groups from Fr. Rohr’s book The Universal Christ.
April 25, 2020 -- The Universal Christ – Part 2 (A Video by Fr. Richard Rohr)
This video will continue Fr. Rohr’s presentation on the Universal Christ with additional questions from the Companion Guide.
Second Saturday Programs
May 9, 2020 -- The Universal Christ Part 3 (A Video by Fr. Richard Rohr)
This video will conclude Fr. Rohr’s presentation on the Universal Christ with additional questions from the Companion Guide.
June 13, 2020 –- “Love Songs: Listening for the Spirit in Popular Music presented by Joe Pressner
During this presentation we will listen to a number of songs in a way that may cast some light on our relationships with God. The presentation is designed to be a template for how to engage in a contemplative relationship in an ongoing basis during our busy lives.
Contact: For more information please contact Linda Farley, chapter coordinator at
| Centering Prayer Groups | Upcoming Events | About Us |
About Contemplative Outreach of Indianapolis
Contemplative Outreach of Indianapolis is part of Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. Contemplative Outreach was established in 1984 by Father Thomas Keating a Trappist monk. It is a world-wide spiritual network made up of individuals and small faith communities committed to renewing the contemplative dimension of the Gospel in everyday life and to teach the method of Centering Prayer.
Numerous Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina workshops and retreats were held at Benedictine Retreat & Conference Center in the late 1980's; through these experiences, an interest in contemplative prayer and a desire of many for Contemplative Outreach opportunities grew in the Indianapolis area. The chapter of Contemplative Outreach of Indianapolis began January 13, 2007, when 35 people met with Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. leadership to discern their intention to form a contemplative community. Today the
Indianapolis chapter has an active leadership team identifying the needs of the chapter for on-going growth.
Contemplative Outreach of Indianapolis offers many opportunities to nourish and support one another in our practice of Centering Prayer and the process of Divine transformation.
- Several active prayer groups meeting weekly or bi-weekly and provide support for our practice.
- Centering Prayer Introductory Programs are available on request.
- Weekend Retreats offer the opportunity to extend the practice of centering prayer into daily life.
- A yearly program series deepens understanding of contemplative practices such as Lectio Divina and the Welcoming Prayer.
For more information, please contact on the Leadership Team.