What is The Well?
The Well is a physical and virtual place of nourishment, engagement and support for one’s spiritual journey and well-being. The Well provides meditative, mindful and creative environments for anyone to explore and deepen their spiritual life in person or virtually. Offered through life story sharing and a wide variety of opportunities to connect, come explore with us through small groups, workshops, classes, retreats, and spiritual direction. Our imagining team and director welcome suggestions to further enhance The Well and its offerings.
Our purpose
To provide meditative, engaging encounters for seekers, believers, wanderers and wonder-ers to deepen their experiences of God/Divine within themselves and in the world.
To create opportunities for hearing and telling one another’s stories through connection, inclusion and belonging.
The Prayer and Contemplative Room
The Prayer and Contemplative Room next to St. Francis Chapel is the heartbeat of The Well and open to all on Sundays, during weekly church office hours, or by appointment. In addition to a purposeful space for prayer and silence, you will discover a soul focused library, creation station, contemplative prayer desk, and an ever-changing rotation of tools and resources for you to explore at your own pace. (Scroll to the bottom of this page for an Inspiration Gallery and photos)
Well Team Reflections
By Owen Copps, Director of Children, Youth, & Young Adult Min.
This summer I had the pleasure of accompanying three St. Mike’s high schoolers, and 20 total high schoolers from the Diocese of Colorado to the Episcopal Youth Event. This celebration happens once every three years and is a conference for Episcopal high schoolers from around the world to come together, learn together, worship together, and think deeply about the future of the church. Rarely have I felt so much energy and life at a church gathering. We often obsess over this idea that “the church is dying.” As someone who has the privilege of spending large amounts of time with children, youth, and young adults, I’m not sure I buy into this idea. Are churches closing? Sure. Are priests retiring? Sure. Are numbers of identified Episcopalians shrinking? Sure. But, as I worshipped with 1,200 high schoolers from all over the world this summer, I sure didn’t have any sense of death. As we danced, and praised, and sang, and loved, the Spirit was alive. So maybe what is happening is that some of the ways we’ve done church for the past hundred years are dying. The church is changing, and our young people are making it theirs. Let’s help them.
By Stacy Cowell, Well Imagining Team Member
“Earth’s crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God; but only he who sees, takes off his shoes, the rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.” ~Elizabeth Barrett Browning
There are revelations waiting to be found in the cathedrals of creation. In unique ways, we can encounter God there and learn more deeply of our interconnectedness with nature and all of humanity. As we intentionally seek experiences in the natural world, our souls are nurtured by the Spirit through the seasons. In response, a new motivation grows within us to demonstrate lovingkindness for creation and forge a deeper connection between what we believe and what we practice. Creation can awaken our senses, comfort our weary spirits and help us to embody our roles as stewards and co-creators. Though it may be tempting to burrow under blankets as the colder weather arrives, I encourage you to seek God in the beauty of the outdoors. Holy ground awaits you.
Sunday School
By Sandie Willey, Well Imagining Team Member
God is like glitter. God’s love is like glitter. Today I am a teacher, responsible for cleaning up after our children. I used to carry a picture in my mind where I am liberally sowing love like seed, a dandelion gone gray, falling apart in places, carrying myself to my own lips as a wish to be borne on the slightest breeze, or in stillness, on my own trembling breath. But here I am, covered head to toe in glitter. It’s on my lashes, in my ears, somehow inside my clothes as I hand over a sparkling child into the arms of the parent who’s come to retrieve it. . .And now I see it in their hair as well. It’s everywhere, escaping dust cloth and broom, riotously, wildly free. How did it come to this? I was so careful, diligent, prepared, dispensing shining colors one by one.
There sits Jesus with the children as one of them reaches, grabs, overturns a lidless jar. Mounds of the stuff spill out, more, much more than the polite drop of glue waiting to receive a polite sprinkle of blue or purple or silver or gold could ever hope to hold. Every adult for miles around takes in a breath sharply, grabs a rag, finds a broom, scoops, sweeps, cleans with the urgency of firefighters leaning a ladder against a second-story nursery window. The child’s eyes widen in dismay – until a hearty deep-throated laugh breaks the tension, and the two of them, Jesus and the child, are pouring color, laughing, stirring, mixing, cutting out construction paper hearts, smearing them with glue, using them to wipe the tables, and it’s all laughter. The mother with the vacuum is trapped between laughing surrender and adult responsibility. Jesus catches her eye, captures her worry, and wordlessly says, “It’s okay. There’s plenty more.” And sure enough, all the tubes are somehow still full, with 12 baskets leftover, and the child is still laughing. And the glitter? It will never be contained.
Creating Space
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Fourth Saturday of Each Month
Would you like to craft or create something, but clearing space to do so is challenging? Have you wanted to learn a new skill such as knitting, painting, or beading? Or do you just need a break from the busyness of everyday life? St. Mike’s is Creating Space for you! On the fourth Saturday of each month, you are invited to bring your own supplies or simply your own self to the Multi-Purpose Room. Drop in as your schedule permits or stay the entire morning to share ideas, energy, the occasional demonstration, and space. For details contact Mary Hattick at mhattick@gmail.com or Sandra Willey at boppiewilley@gmail.com.
Programs for Adults
Ongoing:
Lectio Divina
Lectio Divina is a contemplative way of reading the Bible. It dates back to the early centuries of the Christian Church and was established as a monastic practice as a way of praying the scriptures that leads us deeper into God’s word. We slow down and allow scripture to speak to us in new ways. Lectio Divina is currently on hiatus, but contact Margie Arms for more information.
Contemplative Prayer
Our contemplative prayer group meets every Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 PM via Zoom. Contemplative prayer is an intimate and meditative form of praying that nourishes the soul. Contact Guy Theriot
Celtic Spirituality Discussion groups
We have 2 groups meeting: Thursday Evenings 6:00 to 7:00 pm and Friday mornings 9:00-10:30 am. The groups meet from the first full week of September through the 3rd week of May. They pray together and discuss a book they are reading.
Thursday Celtic Group Leader: Joe Hattick
Friday Celtic Group Leader: Linda Kean
Seasonally Offered:
being with
Being With, a ten-week course exploring Christian faith and life, is an invitation to be with yourself, each other, and the created world to ultimately discover that God is with you and to learn how to be with God. Reflection on everyday experiences and stories with corresponding theology and practices about God in a sacred and safe space is the primary aim of time spent together. For more information, contact The Rev. Dr. Joanne Sanders.
The Space Between Us
“The Space Between Us” is a six week workshop that dives into the foundational communication topics of empathetic listening and conflict resolution, as well as providing strategies to better understand ourselves and others. This class for all ages will invite participants to learn and grow together, while also taking individual, reflective journeys into our own communication styles, our own relationships, and our own lives. For more information email Owen Copps.
Mindfulness Meditation
Contemplative Practices to Fill Your Soul
Love, kindness, compassion, well-being and liberation from suffering are core concerns religious and spiritual traditions all over the world have focused on since the beginning of human civilization. Together, we will learn the foundations of mindfulness, apply its meaningful contribution and benefits to spiritual practice and deepen our appreciation of the ever changing nature of living in the present moment.
Currently on hiatus. Contact The Rev. Dr. Joanne Sanders for more information. CLICK HERE to sign-up for the weekly eNews to stay informed of future offerings.
Spirituality of Aging
How can we age well using faith as our guide? This 6-week small group experience takes you on a spiritual journey and covers the stages of aging, grief and loss, and benefits such as accessing and sharing our wisdom and drawing closer to God as we age. We recently offered this in the Fall of 2023.
Finding Meaning and Purpose in Life as ElderS
This new 5-week group for elders over 65 will begin April 11, 2024, and is currently full.
Spiritual Direction
Are you seeking ways to intentionally grow and deepen your faith with a trained spiritual companion? Our gifted Spiritual Directors have over 75 combined years of experience with hundreds of individuals from all walks of life. Are you ready to meet St. Michael’s Spiritual Directors or learn more? Click on one of the options below to take the next step.
Our Spiritual Directors are available for individual or group spiritual direction. Individual Spiritual Direction can be scheduled directly with the Director or by clicking the link above. Donation or stipends are encouraged for individual spiritual direction. Scholarships are also available and we are committed to ensuring costs do not hinder you from growing spiritually. In the event that your needs and the gifts and/or availability of our directors do not line up, we may refer you to a Spiritual Director that is not part of the St. Michael’s community.
Meet The Well Imagining Team & Director
2023-2024 Team: Margie Arms, Sue Caruthers, Owen Copps, Stacy Cowell, Mary Hattick, Guy Theriot, Sandie Willey, Regina Winters
Director, The Well: The Rev. Dr. Joanne Sanders
If you have questions about The Well or to connect with a member of our imagining team, CLICK HERE to email us or call St. Michael’s Office at 719-598-3244.
Inspiration Gallery
Enjoy our online gallery of pictures from The Prayer Room and St. Michael’s Campus.
THE FINE PRINT: When imagining the prayer and contemplative room at St. Michael’s, the design team knew they wanted a symbol that captured growth and the inward journey. We came across a tree labyrinth on the internet and knew we found an image that captured the essence of our purpose. We tracked down the artist and after several emails back and forth she was pleasantly surprised and honored for St. Michael’s to use her artwork in the prayer and contemplative room. To learn more about the artist, Missy, and her work CLICK HERE.
The Well
at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church
7400 Tudor Road
Colorado Springs, CO 80919
Monday - Thursday, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
www.stmikeschurch.com/thewell
thewell@stmikeschurch.com
719-598-3244