Mission
The Invitation is a spirituality center that creates time & space for God at the vital intersection of contemplation & justice.
Vision
To normalize the practice of spiritual direction for the well-being of society.
What we do
Private & group spiritual direction in and outside a prison; retreat design and facilitation; a podcast of guided prayers, meditations and spiritual conversations; enneagram teaching and workshops; contemplative learning programs: The Invitation School of Prayer & The Invitation School of Contemplative Listening.
Love – The Invitation functions on the truth that falling in love with God in an "absolute and final way" is our only hope and salvation. Therefore, the Invitation consistently asks this essential question: "how is the Spirit inviting you to take the step in falling in love with God?"
Transformation – The Invitation examines relationship between the spiritual poverty of the church and the brokenness of the mass incarceration system of America. As we move closer to God, he transforms us to become agents of change throughout our communities.
Just – The Invitation affirms that justice, the holiness of God manifest on earth, is the intention of prayer. Prayer, begins in the solitude of the heart, yet the God who meets us in our hearts--he leads us out to the "other," the stranger, the “least of these,” the poor, the orphan, prisoner, and widow. Invitation will model an integration between contemplative prayer and restorative justice primarily through prison outreach.
Ecumenical -- The Invitation, rooted in the historic creeds of Christianity eagerly seeks to celebrate and affirm the work of God throughout the church worldwide.
Apostolic – The Invitation in a contemplative outreach to the church, the prison, West Michigan, and abroad.
Accessible (WIDE) – The Invitation is accessible to the West Michigan community through retreats, spiritual direction, prison outreach, a web presence and print materials.
Contemplative (DEEP) – The Invitation unapologetically pursues the depths of God in ways that require us to stretch our hearts and minds. – The Invitation uses the classical language of the Western and Eastern churches to describe our participation in the life of God, to wait on the Lord, to enter His Sabbath rest, to walk in the Spirit, to pray without ceasing, and to abide in Jesus.
Hospitable – The Invitation seeks to create a welcoming, warm, joy-filled, and safe place for rest and renewal.
Holistic – The Invitation affirms the redemption of the whole self—all our heart, mind, soul, and strength (body).
Creative – The Invitation engages the arts when they appropriately help us set aside time and space for God. The Invitation seeks creative partnerships with artists to produce each episode and each retreat.