Friendship, fellowship and spiritual reflection

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Welcome to Spiritual Friends

This website is an interactive, dynamic new way to connect with others interested in positive spiritual ideas. We aim to foster friendship and fellowship for the young and old, supporting existing congregations within the New Church as well as individuals who may now find themselves without a ministry; or people who just want to know more about spiritual reflection, meditation and connectedness. Becoming a member is straightforward (follow 'request to join' above) and once logged in, you can add a little about yourself to ...

Loving Spring

I don’t know about you but I just love Spring. That’s possibly because my birthday is in April (although with each passing year the ‘spring’ is going more and more out of my knees and ankles!). I love the very early promise of Spring ahead when the first snowdrops appear in my garden but sometimes there’s a long wait before the daffodils and crocuses arrive. Last year a friend gave me some tiny wild primroses which flowered last year but ...

Spiritual Leadership

Spiritual leadership in a faith context can be challenging and yet be an opportunity for spiritual growth. To have the space to step back and look at what spiritual leadership is, on both an organisational level as well as a personal one, can refresh our vision and resolve. Spiritual leadership is a paradox where the leader needs to allow him – or herself to be led. In this sense leadership can become a spiritual practice bringing both challenges and enrichment on ...

Spring Survey - thoughts on Spiritual Friends

Our vision is for this website to be a vibrant, friendly online community of people supporting each others' spiritual growth and understanding. To this end, we are opening invitations for Contributors to the site, developing our publicity materials and offering training events or workshops around the country. Please take a few minutes to complete this quick online survey by 15th April 2014. Your thoughts are really valuable to us. Tell us like it is! We all have busy lives and face-to-face or telephone ...

Promoting New Church Ideas

Do you love our teachings and want to see them more widely known? A vacancy has arisen on Conference's Marketing & Resources Group. We help produce, commission and sponsor, printed, internet and video material tailored to different audiences. We meet twice yearly in London and conduct business via e-mail and telephone. Following the closure of New Church House, Manchester, one current interest is in distributing our books through the internet. If you are interested please contact Stephen Russell-Lacy: tel 01384 873321 ...

Reaching the Writings: how to communicate Swedenborg's teachings

When we share our ideas and beliefs, we can build deeper relationship with other people. Conversations that touch on important issues really give satisfaction; one soul has touched another. 'Reaching the Writings' was one of a series of annual events held at Purley Chase, led by David Gaffney and Stephen Russell- Lacy focusing on the doctrines of the New Church. Each of the people present spoke about what is important to them about their faith and what it is about the New ...

Creativity in Music

I was recently asked to go to a planning meeting for an away-day for families in York. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to contribute anything much, but I went along with a friend anyway. The people meeting were all a lot more experienced than me in planning these sorts of activities, and there were ideas flying around the room. There didn’t seem to be a particular theme, though. My one contribution was the song I composed for ...

Gems Workshops

The Swedenborg Open Learning Centre are offering a series of monthly afternoon workshops to help explore the deeper aspects of life. Each workshop includes a variety of activities - insights, group sharing, use of cards, quiet time, film and music. They are gems because each one is based on inner wisdom which, when we live our lives, shines out like a sparkling gem around us. The wisdom is universal and found explicitly in the writings of Swedenborg. Carolyn Kennion says; "I recently attended two of the Gems ...

Light and Darkness

Recently I have been reflecting on the contrast between light and darkness. At this time of year when in our northern hemisphere the days are getting shorter it focuses my awareness on light or the lack of it. This interaction of light and darkness is present right from the beginning of the Bible. In the first day of creation light is separated from the darkness. This divine allegory of the spiritual creation of humankind begins with the coming of light or ...

Where do I start?

A warm welcome to the Spiritual Friends website. If you have stumbled across this site looking for spiritual inspiration then do join us! You can register to become a member of the site if you would like to send messages or add your thoughts to a topic. If you have a connection to the New Church in the UK then you may recognise a few names in the members list - click on their name to send them a personal ...