Centers for Spiritual Living Spiritual Leader: Hybrid Communities

Centers for Spiritual Living communities and study groups worldwide are adapting to a new way of being together. In-person gatherings have been in limbo for more than a year, calling for new skills and new ways of being together.

Navigating the world of online connection, we quickly learned how to use live streaming, social media posts, and online meetings and ceremonies. Now, as restrictions are being lifted, communities are opening up according to local health and safety guidelines. A new normal is forming, demanding new skills, technology, and considerations, all over again!

This is a great time to affirm with our founder, Dr. Ernest Holmes, that We are today guided into right action in every exercise of our affairs. Since there is no great and no small to the Infinite, all that seems of little consequence in our lives has the Divine Guidance just as perfectly and completely as that which we think of as being tremendously important.

New Considerations

Although many have already adapted to an online experience, and almost everything a person needs can be purchased and experienced online, the fact remains that we are communal beings, not well suited to living in isolation. We thrive when we have meaningful interaction and when we feel like we belong.

Some communities might be eager and prepared to gather in person but are discovering not everyone is ready. Some prefer the online experience and even report a greater sense of connection and comfort because of it. In addition, new people from beyond the local community area have joined the online group and want to continue to be part of it.

How do we step forward together and bring everyone along?

Enter the Hybrid Model

A hybrid model is a combination of in-person and online gatherings. It may include a combination of pre-recorded and live elements. It may be live-streamed to the internet or recorded for later broadcast or made available on-demand on a website. Most importantly, it is a blend of two ways of connecting, and there is no one size fits all solution when bringing the best of these two worlds together.

Hybrid gatherings may not be just a passing phase but rather something spiritual communities will embrace to meet the need for a more inclusive way to be together. The ways of interacting and belonging are evolving and expanding by combining the in-person and virtual experience so that we step forward together.

Creativity is the key! There is a growing variety of ways to reach out to people online using social media, emails, websites, and more, and there is an ocean of support available to you through Centers for Spiritual Living’s professional development offerings here: Home - Professional Development (csl.org)

Podcasting and Beyond
Making the Most of Facebook
Fishing in the Livestream
Watering the Soil with a Drip System
Online Fundraising Platforms
YouTube and Beyond
Expanding Your Audience through Instagram
Inclusion Toolkit
The Keys to Finding Your Keywords

A World That Works For Everyone

The world of online connection can also be helpful for those who prefer a smaller, more intimate connection with a group that meets regularly. Small groups do not replace the larger community but strengthen it by strengthening the bond between a small circle of friends who discuss spiritual living. Spiritual Living Circles are supported with resources and discussion guides and can be accessed here: Spiritual Living Circles - Spiritual Development (csl.org)

In anticipation of a greater yet-to-be, Centers for Spiritual Living is developing many offerings to support growth and further expansion to people we might not have previously reached. Our teaching has gone beyond the four walls of physical meeting places, thanks in part to digital media.

Nevertheless, in-person gatherings will remain important because people need to be around others to connect, commune, belong, thrive, and grow. With the hybrid model, our communities combine two methods of meeting these needs and create a way for us to move forward together.

Edward Viljoen

Meeting Streaming Software Resources