In our August 14 email, the link to the Living Compass Online Assessment was in error. We apologize and have corrected the link in the button included in this email.

Holy Comforter Center for Wellness and Spirituality

In response to the love of God and the power of the Resurrection, we at Holy Comforter are called to be a source of transformation, wholeness, and healing for all within and without the parish community. As a Center for Wellness and Spirituality we offer programs and resources to support emotional, physical and spiritual health. We invite you to become an active participant in helping us build this community of peace. In God, we are a new creation and we will continue to follow where God’s Spirit, our holy comforter, leads us.

Four years ago, Holy Comforter launched the Center for Wellness and Spirituality, an initiative to encourage healthy, spirit-filled living. This program year we pick up the topic again.

Holy Comforter is a church. What’s wellness got to do with it?

As a parishioner wrote recently: As I continue to grow (and at times struggle) in my faith, I've come to realize that caring for myself (not just my body, but my mind, emotions, spirit, relationships, work, etc.) is not …. selfish, but is in fact an act of gratitude, faith and worship. We are miracles—really everything around us is a miracle—and just as we are stewards of this earth, we are stewards of our own miraculous existence. When we care for ourselves in a holistic way, we thank God for creating us. 

Okay, they have a point. What’s this mean in practical terms?

Beginning at the Parish Retreat at Shrine Mont in September, and then in small group sessions in October and November, you have an opportunity to examine your life, using the Living Compass curriculum. Areas of focus are Care of Body, Stress, Vocation, Organization, Rest and Play, Spirituality, Emotions, and Relationships. Is your life balanced? What do you want to do more of, less of, or differently? Trained facilitators will help guide the discussion, but the decisions are yours. The healthier you are—in mind, body, and spiri—the better for you and for everyone around you. 

I’m interested. What next?

A good first step:

Scott Stoner, the founder of Living Compass, will be retreat leader at Shrine Mont. “Retreat on 2 Feet” will give you a taste of what’s to come. And you will have the opportunity to take the Living Compass self-assessment, if you haven’t already done so.

In the fall, you can sign up for a Wellness Circle, whether or not you went to Shrine Mont. There will be 3 affinity groups (for Men, Seniors, and “Grownups in the Middle”) that will meet during the week, and one Wellness Circle open to anyone, which will meet on Sundays. There will be 6 gatherings during October and November, some in person, some on Zoom. Stay tuned for dates and times! Questions? Please contact the Rev. Ann Gillespie.