Ami de l’âme; soul friend; anam cara; community spiritual companion: these names describe a way of being in the world. That way of being is less about a title or job description and more about a general stance to life: open, curious, Spirit-led, contemplative, listening, embedded in community.

The Ami program is a school of formation, teaching participants to recognize and grow into the life of Christ that is already running through and among us. It is a school of learning, acquainting participants with a broad range of contemplative and contemporary readings—and an embodied approach to those readings. Finally, the Ami program is a school of silence, helping participants learn the internal quietness needed to listen to and engage others in depth conversations.

We believe that it is possible to facilitate the growth and learning outlined above by consciously:

Committing to contemplative practice, study, community and service;
Assuming personal responsibility for building and embracing a community of support;
Learning to listen from the heart and respond from wisdom;
Growing in intellectual curiosity and allowing the expansion of heart capacity;
Pursuing religious depth while learning secular fluidity.

Formation will fall into four broad categories: practice, study, community and service. While we will take each of these areas in turn for study and discussion, each member of the group will decide on a personal rule of life at the beginning of our time together, so that we can live into a new way of conscious Christianity.

The Ami program will be accepting a maximum of eight students for a fourteen-month period, beginning in late November of 2021.

APPLICATIONS ARE DUE BY SEPTEMBER 30, 2021.