• One Step at a Time

    There is something beautifully simple in waking up with one main task for the day: walk. That is the invitation on the Camino de Santiago. To pick up your backpack and put one foot down after the other, until you reach that day’s destination. On our first day of walking this past July, strapping my…

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  • Reflecting on the 3 L’s of My Experience in the Transforming Community Program (TCP26)

    During the Transforming Community Program (TCP26), I worked three days a week for five hours at the seminary, drove 100 miles each day, occasionally preached on Sundays, and facilitated various cohorts and community gatherings. I was in a new season in life, serving contractually. For over two decades, I served as a pastor of a…

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  • My Experience with Shalem’s Transforming Community Program

    Have you ever been in a place of terror, bewilderment, frustration or despair? I have and it was over 30 years ago. At that time, I was led to a fellowship that guided and companioned me through the steps to a life far beyond what I had ever imagined. That fellowship and those steps continue…

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  • Reflecting on Shalem’s Transforming Community Program

    The Transforming Community Program (TCP) was everything I had hoped it to be from beginning to end. I came into the program after a two-year recovery process from a serious surgery. I had been in a discernment process after finishing a yearlong course in contemplation and was praying about what was mine to do next.…

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  • Opening to the Spirit – Interact

    Learn  –  Interact  –  People  –  Resources Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 Praying for each other, in whatever way feels right to you, is the most important part of this community. You may journal in any way you wish: in a notebook, using art, or by adding a thought, comment, or journal entry with the class.…

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  • From Censorship to Contemplation: Silence in Queer Life

    When I first came out as gay, I was both nervous and excited. It was exhilarating to see a previously unspoken barrier break down that had separated me from others for so long. A great relief came over me whenever I shared more of myself with those who I perceived as supportive friends, family, and…

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Mission

Our mission is to nurture contemplative living and leadership.

Vision

In 2025, Shalem will be a dynamic and inclusive community, empowered by the Spirit, where seekers engage in transformation of themselves, their communities, and the world through spiritual growth, deep connection, and courageous action.

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