March 14: Building Community through Empathy, Kindness and Compassion
Anne Kertz Kernion shares how to build community through empathy, kindness and compassion.
top of page
Spiritual Practices Matter
In a world like ours, an unattended faith life can become like a stale room, an obnoxious child, or a vacant lot filled with thorns. Rather than thriving, we end up living inattentively. Our relationships and our communities deserve better. By the grace of God, spiritual practices are about exploring the intersections of life and faith. They help us experience a sense of God’s presence beyond just survival.
​
Ancient Christian Practices
Bridge Builders for a Thriving Mission helps people develop ancient Christian practices that help us stay awake and responsive to God’s presence. For example:
-
Lectio Divina and Visio Divina (sacred reading)
-
Community
-
Radical Hospitality
-
Conversatio Morum (transforming way of life)
-
Discernment of Charisms and Gifts
​
Spiritual Practices for Thriving Communities
Three Part Spiritual Practices Webinar with Anne Kertz Kernion
Resources
Bridge Builders for a Thriving Mission can provide resources and guided experiences introducing spiritual practices or helping people deepen their prayer.
Lay Pastoral Caregiver Training
Bridge Builders for a Thriving Mission Initiative is providing training for lay people in pastoral care—at no cost to ACCs in the St. Cloud Diocese. The vision of this project is to equip teams of compassionate listeners who are steeped in Benedictine spirituality. Partnering with Community of Hope International.
​
Contemplative Prayer Workshops
This pastoral workbook provides a vision of the Church’s communal worshiping life as well as tools for deepening our personal and communal prayer lives. Strategic thinking and synodal listening are key. This workbook focuses on possibilities rather than problems.
Companion Guide
This companion guide centers the ancient Christian spiritual practice, radical
hospitality as common ground for renewal in the faith. It is an accompaniment to the
book Radical Hospitality by Lonni Collins Pratt with Father Daniel Homan, OSB.
Read this book alone or with a small group.
​
Seeing the Word
Enhance your experience of the Seeing the Word program with this supplementary collection of music and projectable illuminations, both on CD. Seeing the Word: Illuminations and Music is a recommended resource for any individual or facilitator striving to amplify the framework for Seeing the Word.
​
Visit Liturgical Press to preview the available illuminations.
Painting the Word
This workbook provides a vision and template for assessing community life through the lens of the domestic church, Area Catholic Community, worshiping community, and the neighborhood. Focus on what is strong and build from there.
Spiritual Practices
Stories and insights like these help us appreciate how reclaiming ancient spiritual practices is indispensable to thriving communities . . .
bottom of page