A Contemplative Foundation
(Pre-postulancy)

Receive the practical groundwork for a contemplative life in community.

 

A Contemplative Foundation is a free four- to 12-week course that introduces the basic building blocks that support a contemplative life and helps prepare you for postulancy with the Order of the Common Life.

Preview the first video:

 
 
 

What to expect

 

A Contemplative Foundation is a self-paced “course” designed to give you exposure to, practice with and opportunities for reflection around some of the basic tools that support a deep spiritual life.

Each week, you’ll log in to our learning and membership platform for:

  • A short video from the Order of the Common Life’s director, Jared Boyd

  • An invitation to particular practices we’ll give you resources for

  • An invitation to reflect on specific questions

Some of this may be review for you. You’re welcome to skip over what’s not helpful for where you are on your journey. But we encourage you to take your time and receive whatever might be here from God for you.

At the end of this experience, we’ll invite you to consider whether you have a desire to journey with us through our rule of life in a postulancy cohort.

 

FAQs

 

  • No. We're making A Contemplative Foundation available for absolutely no cost by giving you a 90-day free trial with our learning and membership platform.

    When you register, you'll be asked to provide payment information. This is in order to keep our network secure from bot registrations, and you can cancel at any point during your trial without being charged. After 90 days, you can continue to receive access to our membership platform and content for $10 per month.

  • A Contemplative Foundation is designed to be taken as an eight- or nine-week journey for most people.

    You can work through it faster if you find it's mostly review, but we recommend lingering with it for at least four weeks.

    You can work through it slower, but we recommend not taking longer than 12 weeks.

  • We developed A Contemplative Foundation primarily to help prepare people for the 24-week postulancy experience we call “the Common Commitments,” but absolutely everyone is welcome to explore A Contemplative Foundation and receive whatever is here for them.

  • Postulancy is a six-month formational journey through our rule of life, to help you notice and nurture how God is inviting you into particular rhythms and commitments. It's walked out with an online cohort community, accompanied by a spiritual director, and lived out in daily prayer and reflection.

    Discover more about postulancy.

  • A spiritual director isn't required for A Contemplative Foundation, but at a certain point in the course, we'll invite you to connect with one and at least explore the possibility of continuing to meet with one to support your ongoing journey of formation.

    All postulants are expected to meet monthly with a spiritual director as a part of our shared way of life.

    Find a spiritual director.

  • A Contemplative Foundation is open and ready whenever you are. You can sign up below and get started within minutes!

 
 

Begin your path with us.

 

Sign up to join A Contemplative Foundation, and let us know how we can support your journey.

  • Self-paced practices and reflections over four to 12 weeks

  • Preview the Order of the Common Life’s online community

  • Free for 90 days (payment info required for trial)