!

Anam Cara Community

A Community of Prayer and Support for the Inner Journey into God
 The Anam Cara Community
The Anam Cara Community is a Christian community, rooted in the historic faith. We recognize and celebrate
the many and varied expressions of the Christian tradition within the Anglican Communion, and in our sister
churches. We also recognize and celebrate the wisdom of other religious traditions, and seek to understand and
learn from their experiences. We acknowledge the importance of the traditions and wisdom of Australian
Indigenous spirituality, particularly the understanding of the link between spirit and earth.
The Anam Cara Community is a contemplative community, committed to the understanding that God calls us to
make an inner journey the end of which, ultimately, is union with God. We celebrate the ways of prayer, prayerful
reading of scripture, worship, spiritual direction / soul care, reflection and silence. While we value the
contemporary, we also value the historical wisdom drawn from the mothers and fathers of the tradition.
The Anam Cara Community is a community of the Word. Jesus, the Word, is communicated to us through the
texts of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, in which we seek truth, wisdom, nourishment, correction and
guidance.
The Anam Cara Community is a community committed to equality, peace and justice making. We believe that
response to Godʼs call to the inner journey is a call to make peace and work for justice.
The Anam Cara Community is a community of renewal and reformation. We hear Godʼs call to make all things
new, and to continually examine our expression of faith to determine what supports, and what hinders our
growth in God, and our service of the world.
The Anam Cara Community is an open community. We are open to all, and undertake to work co-operatively,
respectfully and transparently with parishes and other ministries in the Diocese.
The Anam Cara Community is a dispersed community. Whilst we do not live together, or even close to one
another, we acknowledge that we are sisters and brothers, and fellow pilgrims.

History
In June 2007, the Anglican Diocese
of Gippsland’s Bishop in Council
endorsed a proposal to establish a
new community within the
Diocese of Gippsland. The Anam
Cara Community brings together
existing ministries in a new form
for our Diocese and yet, it is also
something that has been practiced
for centuries throughout the
church. The Community is a
ministry of the Anglican Diocese of
Gippsland offered to the whole
church.
Today the Community has
associates within the Diocese of
Gippsland, throughout the rest of
Australia, and scattered across the
world.
Associates
Individuals who wish to become
members of the Community are
known as Associates. Associates
commit to regular prayer, Bible
reading, worship, and to walking
in the steps of Jesus, as they are
called. Associates may be from any
Christian community, or from
outside. The Communityʼs
Leadership structures exist to
serve the Associates, and others
who may choose to access
resources provided by the
Community.
‘Anam Cara’ means ‘soul friend.’ A
soul friend walks with you, accepts
you as you are, and helps you to
deepen your relationship with God.
Leadership an important place within our
Community, to have much
The Community is led by a group
responsibility and to be in need of
of Servant Leaders. We hear Jesus’
our love, support and prayer.
words as the commission for the
way we undertake leadership: The Leadership Group is
responsible to the Bishop of
So Jesus called them together and
Gippsland and the Synod of the
said, “You know that the rulers in
Diocese of Gippsland for the good
this world lord it over their people,
order of the Community.
and officials flaunt their authority
over those under them. But among
Aims
you it will be different. Whoever
To promote a life of prayer through
wants to be a leader among you
silent contemplation, meditation,
must be your servant, and
reflection on Christian scriptures
whoever wants to be first among
and other spiritual writings;
you must be the slave of everyone
else.” (Mark 10:42-44 NLT) To promote the growth of small
groups throughout the Diocese,
Each our our Servant Leaders
focusing on the inner journey;
accepts responsibility for certain
tasks within the life of our To provide retreats, workshops
Community. These tasks may be and worship occasions;
responsibility for organising
events in a geographic area, To provide guidance and creative
ways to awaken the individual
administrative responsibilities,
journey;
providing soul care, liaising with
others, facilitating communication, To produce an annual calendar of
and undertaking ministries of Community ministries;
prayer, teaching, and discernment.
To produce a regular reflective
Our Servant Leaders are led by the newsletter;
Community Soul Carer, who is the
To provide a directory of spiritual
chief servant leader of the
directors / soul carers;
Community. The Community Soul
Carer is appointed by the Bishop To be associated with the vision for
to guide, support, lead, teach and A’Beckett Park;
inspire the Community, and the To be a self-funded community as
associates within it. We a result of annual subscriptions
understand our Soul Carer to hold paid by Associates.
 Community Prayer
God of the journey
" creating
" present
" making us whole
We bless you for your abiding throughout our pilgrimage in this Anam Cara community.
You have loaned us, one to another, for this life season:
" to taste of your joy
" to explore the mystery that is you
" to share the moments of discovery
That we may experience your peace, and be both blessing and blessed.
You walk with us through our wilderness when we cannot feel you near,
" and cause the dry deserts of our hearts to bloom.
You transform the darkness of our despair to brightest dawn
" and throw open for us once more the light of day.
You hold us up in the river of life when we are drowning,
" and carry us safely to shore.
As we seek to know you more deeply,
" And to love you more fiercely
" encounter us in our silences
" confront us in our wanderings
" refine us in our becoming,
" and fit us to be soul friends
" " to each other
" " to ourselves
" " to seekers and searchers after you.
As Christ shared his life, love and knowledge with others healed the sick,
" comforted the troubled,
" and bound up the broken hearted,
As he spent time alone with you:
" basking in your loving presence
" being strengthened for his ministry
" resting for a while, apart,
so may we increasingly resemble him
" " our beloved
" our redeemer
" our guide.
May our community grow and flourish, as we travel this road in Christ’s steps, and as you draw others to join us
on this path.
In the strong, the healing, the gentle name of Christ we pray. Amen.

Events. The Community holds a
program of quiet days each year.
These are spread across Gippsland,
and are a combination of days led
by associates and invited guests.
Quiet Days are advertised on the
Community’s website, and take in
a wide variety of themes. All are
welcome. An annual service of
thanksgiving and commissioning
is held at St Paul’s Cathedral in
Sale on the Saturday prior to the
Sunday before Advent Sunday.
Newsletter. The Community’s
newsletter, Waterholes, is published
six times a year (three short and
three long issues). It contains
reflections, reviews, poetry,
support for the inner journey, and
provoking articles. Submissions
are welcome.
What we do
Website. The Community’s
website is a resource for all
associates and those interested in
the inner journey. All printed
material produced by the
Community is available at the
website, together with regular
news, notice of events, reminders,
and resources. An email list is
available to allow the Community
to communicate rapidly.
www.anamcara-gippsland.org
Soul Care (Spiritual Direction).
The Community is supported by a
number of soul carers / spiritual
directors, who have been trained,
and whose call to this ministry has
been discerned. Soul care is
available to all associates and to
any other interested person. Some
soul carers have special areas of
ministry, particularly to those who
experience themselves as
outsiders, or who are on the
fringes of the church.
Mentoring. The Community’s
servant leaders are committed to
mentoring and caring for new
associates.
Retreats. The Community holds
occasional retreats, and often
provides leadership and resources
to outside bodies who wish to hold
retreats.
Prayer, resources and support.
The Community seeks to provide
prayer, resources and support to
all associates. Those who have any
needs to do with the inner journey
are encouraged to contact us.
! The circle depicts the soul journey into God, inner
circles and outgoing lines speak of making a journey
within and without. The lines make up the sign of
the cross, the central Christian symbol. The inner
circles are an Aboriginal symbol for ‘meeting place’.
We have received permission to use this symbol
from the local elders, as they understood what it
means for us as a contemplative prayer community.

Eastern Region
Gatherer: Heather Toms - sale@anamcara-gippsland.org, 03 5199 2711

Southern Region
Gatherer: Colin Thornby - southgippsland@anamcara-gippsland.org, 03 5658 1086
Gatherer: Sue Hopkins - sue@anamcara-gippsland.org

Western Region
Gatherer: Marion White - westgippsland@anamcara-gippsland.org, 03 5623 3216
Gatherer: Carolyn Raymond - latrobevalley@anamcara-gippsland.org, 03 5191 8343

Creative ministries
Liaison: Jo Inglis - jo@anamcara-gippsland.org

Website
www.anamcara-gippsland.org, email: colin@anamcara-gippsland.org

Joining the Community, and soul care referrals

Anne Turner - anne@anamcara-gippsland.org, 03 5144 1914
PO Box 691, Sale VIC 3850

Retreats, workshops, quiet days and worship events

Jane Macqueen - jane@anamcara-gippsland.org, 0411 316 346

Communications (Website and Newsletter)

Colin Thornby - colin@anamcara-gippsland.org, 03 5658 1086

Treasurer
Kate Campbell - treasurer@anamcara-gippsland.org

Servant leaders
Kate Campbell, Sue Hopkins, Jan Huggins, Jo Inglis, Jane Macqueen, Carolyn Raymond, Heather
Toms, Anne Turner, Brian Turner, Marion White, Colin Thornby