Administrative Principles

1. Contemplative Outreach is an evolving community with an expanding vision and deepening practice, serving the changing needs of Christian contemplatives.

2. As members of this evolving community we are responsible to foster and transmit the Vision of Contemplative Outreach.

3. We fulfill our Vision through attraction to the Centering Prayer practice not by proselytizing.

4. The gift of contemplative practice enables us to bring an attitude of humility, listening and service to our daily activities.

5. We reach decisions through discernment and consensus.

6. We serve in leadership, ordinarily in a voluntary capacity.

7. All who provide Contemplative Outreach services do so in consideration of, and in balance with their personal, family, and professional responsibilities.

8. We avoid indebtedness and owning real estate in order to remain free to devote our resources to sharing the gift of Centering Prayer.

9. We employ staff and contractors as our growth may require.

10. We cooperate with church authorities in the areas where we work, but do not seek to become a religious or lay institute.

11. We wish to remain accessible to every one. For this reason, we do not endorse particular causes or take part in public controversies, whether religious, political or social. As private individuals, we act according to our conscience.