A Heart and Mind Community traverses the inner landscape of transformation using The Four-Gospel Journey, an inclusive and non-dualistic worldview.

• A Heart and Mind Community:
  
  Is a small circle of usually two to eight people, plus a convener.
  Is an in-depth, sequenced, process of individual and communal growth and spiritual formation.
  Is built upon two core practices that support equality and mutual respect while protecting and honoring a vital diversity; they are In Freedom & Safety and Welcome of The Other.
  Uses The Four-Gospel Journey to support one’s passage from outer/external authorities to one’s own inner/authentic authority.
  
  As each person in a Heart and Mind Community is undertaking a personal journey of transformation, participants are usually named pilgrims.

The intent of a Heart and Mind Community is to provide both individual and small community growth and transformation, based on a ‘here and now’ experience of Jesus the Christ, in a free, safe, contemplative, and prayerful environment. This process requires un-learning, re-learning, and depth formation in living the four paths. As a result, while this experience has an element of education and scripture study, these are not its primary focus.

There is a growing number of online communities across the world, some comprising friends who live in the same neighborhood or are from the same congregation and others comprising people who live in similar time zones.

Many (but not all) online Heart and Mind Communities are convened by Annie from the Quadratos Team.

Whether online or together in person, a Community may be convened (facilitated) by any pilgrim (participant) who wishes to take on this role. Whilst a convener has additional responsibilities, the expectation is that she/he/they will fully participate in the community.

The Heart and Mind Community: Convener Text provides the script in large type for each Gathering over the Six Guides. The Text (292 pages with supplemental materials) provides both structure and directions so that anyone (with some preparation) may be at ease in the role of convener. 

To help Conveners prepare for their role, Quadratos offers a short series of free training videos and online peer-support at no additional cost.

Read more about the Convener Text.

A Heart and Mind Community requires that every pilgrim commit to the core foundational practices of In Freedom and Safety and Welcome of The Other.

Equally, Heart and Mind Community asks that each pilgrim:

• Be present during the weekly or bi-weekly gatherings.
  Prepare for each gathering by reading the requested section of Heart and Mind: The Four-Gospel Journey of Radical Transformation. Or the hardcover Radical Transformation: The Four Gospel Journey of Heart and Mind.
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• Make a financial contribution of $48 U.S. per Guide (every 8-11 weeks) to Quadratos LLC.

A commonly expressed concern when considering becoming a member of a community is “Do I have what it takes to be a part of this community?”

This anxiety is natural and suggests that the journey being embarked upon is that of a true pilgrim; A pilgrim is an individual who walks an outer or inner sacred path with the purpose of finding more vitality in one’s interior life and ability to respond to one’s outer circumstances.

Moment by moment in each Gathering, it is for you to discern how much and what to share, or even whether to share at all while practicing In Freedom and Safety and Welcome of The Other. The Convener will ensure that sharing does not veer from everyone’s stated intent to practice the holding of a safe and free space for self and others.

At the outset of a new community, you naturally may be concerned that you may not get along with the others, particularly if you have not met previously.

Heart and Mind Communities recognize that to create a community built on individual authenticity and shared harmony is a new frontier in human history.

The practices of In Freedom and Safety and Welcome of The Other provide a foundation for respectful, non-judgmental relationships to develop.  Each pilgrim undertakes their own journey of spiritual formation, witnessed, and held by others who are also undergoing their own journey. There is no intellectual argument during the Gatherings, but rather deep listening to and welcome of self and others.

In all areas of life, trust needs to be earned. A Heart and Mind Community is no exception. During every Gathering, you are responsible for discerning whether to respond to a question and which thoughts, feelings, or sensations to share.  If a feeling of discomfort or excessive vulnerability develops, you are encouraged to pull-back and share less. As a sense of trust develops, you are encouraged to deepen your sharing and express your own authentic voice more fully.

Communities have said that they are both amazed and comforted by the speed at which trust develops and the freedom each feels to “be themselves” in the Gatherings.

The Gatherings have been carefully crafted by Alexander John Shaia and an international team of ministers and spiritual directors. The sequence is designed to provide a gradual and step by step process to ensure growth and transformation. Using the Four-Gospel Journey, the process steadily encourages you to move from listening primarily to external authorities, to discover and live from your own authentic internal authority.

Imagine ice-skating competition built on two differing performances. The skater must first demonstrate technical proficiency, known as one’s compulsory performance. Then that technical ability is woven into each skater’s creative expression known as ‘free-form.’  The skater’s technical ability evidenced in learning structure and discipline enables the skater to then perform in an original, creative, and authentic way.

The final Gathering within each of the six Guides offers time for journaling, painting, drawing, collage, music, poetry – as a way to grasp and integrate the meaning/learnings for each pilgrim in a non-judgemental and creative way.

Every Gathering includes several ritual elements or symbols which may initially be unfamiliar. Each symbol is intended to offer an opening for deeper awareness of self, others and the Divine.

You are invited to “give it a try” over the Gatherings in Guide 1. See how these elements feel to you, and what they may or may not mean to you.  As Guide 1 ends, then is the time to discern if you wish to continue to use these elements.

1. Purchase a paperback or Kindle copy of Heart and Mind or a hardback copy of Radical Transformation. It is not necessary to have read the book beforehand.
2. Upon your registration, a participant agreement (called a Pilgrim Agreement) will be emailed to you. The Convener will discuss the agreement during the Orientation Meeting. Afterwards, a signed copy of the agreement is to be returned to her before the first Gathering of Guide One.
3. Participants do not need to purchase a Six-in-One Convener Text. All needed materials will be copied and emailed to you by the Convener.
4. Gatherings are live video using Zoom. You do not need a paid subscription to Zoom, but you do need to download the free Zoom app. You will need internet speed adequate to access live video.
5. Each participant commits to be present for all of the Gatherings in Guide One.
6. At the end of each Guide, you will be asked to discern your continuing participation before beginning the next Guide.