Writing Your Sacred Story:  A Spiritual Memoir Writers’ Circle

Spiritual memoir inspires us to look back over our lives for meaning and the movement of God. Inspired by Frederick Buechner’s invitation to “listen to your life,” this seven-week writers’ circle will offer a warm, supportive place to explore your own spiritual story and learn a bit about the craft of shaping memories into meaningful stories.This fall program will give you opportunities to think about a person whose love shaped you, a loss that changed you, a place you still remember vividly, a prayer that carried you through, or a moment of grace you understood only years later. Participants will be encouraged to submit a piece of work for the Hills Church Advent Devotional that is being planned for this year.

How the Writers’ Circle Works:  Each 90-minute gathering will include a brief check-in, a short lesson from Rev. Christine on the craft of memoir writing, and thoughtful conversation about participants’ writing. Over the course of the program, each member will have opportunities to share work and receive meaningful, encouraging feedback from the group.

No previous writing experience is necessary. You need only curiosity about your life, a willingness to write, and an openness to listening deeply to the stories of others.

Because trust and familiarity are essential to a writers’ circle, the group is limited to 12 participants and asks for a commitment to attend the full seven-week series. Meeting weekly allows us to build relationships, sustain the momentum of our writing, and create a community in which each person’s story receives the attention it deserves.

Our First Gathering will be on Saturday, October 24 during the All-Church Retreat at Grotonwood, followed by Thursdays, October 29 through December 10 (No gathering Thanksgiving Day) from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. This hybrid meeting will gather in person in the Hills Church Library with a Zoom option for those wishing to join remotely. Our first gathering at the retreat will introduce spiritual memoir and help us begin uncovering the stories we want to tell. From there, we will write, listen, learn, and discover together what can happen when we look back over our lives. Facilitated by Rev. Christine.

Sign Up HERE