We’ve sourced these dates from the Interfaith Network, the UN, and other trusted listings. If a day is missing, please know it’s not intentional. We aim to be as inclusive as possible, but sometimes things are missed. Find more dates here.
onespirit connects newsletter
Each month, we come together to share updates on our offerings, whether it’s our enriching paid courses or the free programmes available on our website. But this newsletter is about more than just what’s coming up… it’s a space where we highlight news from our vibrant community and pass along information, events, and opportunities from those who call OneSpirit home. We want this to be a place for everyone, students, faculty, ministers, and friends of OneSpirit, to share, learn, connect, and stay inspired.
We’re glad to have you here with us, where connection, collaboration, and engagement are at the heart of what we do. Read below to see all the updates and opportunities that bring us closer together!
“For a new beginning, the horizon leans forward, offering space to place new steps of change.”
John O’Donohue
Table of Contents
Professional and Personal Development Offerings
Continuing to Grow: Learning Modules for Students & Ministers
As the year begins to slow, many of us find ourselves called inward, to rest, to reflect, and to seek new ways of nourishing our spirit. Our additional learning modules were created with that same intention: to support your deepening, inspire fresh insight, and offer meaningful connection within the OneSpirit community.
These modules are open to both current students and ordained ministers, providing opportunities to learn, share, and grow in community. Each one offers a unique space to honour your individuality while exploring the shared essence of sacred service. Across January and May 2026, we’re offering four beautiful, soul-nourishing modules that build upon the foundations of our training and provide a rich CPD experience for ministers.
January 2026
Circling the Sun and Moon: Ceremonies of Love and Sacred Mystery
In-person Residential Retreat — 22–24 January 2026 | The Lodge, Staylittle, Wales
We invite you to join Circling the Sun and Moon: Ceremonies of Love and Sacred Mystery, a three-day retreat for those called to honour the turning of the year through ancient, Earth-based ceremony and contemplative practice.Â
Held in the stillness of winter, this retreat offers space to pause, listen, and reconnect with the rhythms that have guided humanity for millennia. Nestled in the quiet beauty of the Welsh hills, The Lodge provides a warm sanctuary for rest and renewal, nourished by food lovingly prepared by our hearth keeper.
Guided by Annie Heppenstall, OneSpirit tutor and ritualist, alongside a guest facilitator, you’ll explore the sun and moon cycles through story, ceremony, and reflection. Annie brings a deep knowledge of myth, sacred ecology, and Earth-honouring traditions, inviting a grounded, heart-centred experience of belonging. Together, we will rest, remember, and return to what feels sacred, allowing the rhythms of nature to renew our sense of connection with self, community, and the living Earth.
- Venue: The Lodge, Staylittle, Wales
- Dates: 22 to 24 January 2026
- Facilitator: Annie Heppenstall
- Investment: ÂŁ360 (Students) | ÂŁ384 (ROSIM) | ÂŁ480 (Non-ROSIM ministers)
The Sacred Art of Relating: Relationships and Presence as Spiritual Practice
Online Offering — 14, 21 & 28 January 2026 | 7:00–9:00pm (UK time)
We invite you to join The Sacred Art of Relating: Relationships and Presence as Spiritual Practice, an online module exploring conscious communication as a living spiritual path. This offering invites you to cultivate empathy, awareness, and presence in every encounter, transforming the way you listen, speak, and connect with others.
Over three evenings together, we will meet online in a warmly held group space to explore how to respond from presence rather than reactivity, and how to meet difference with humility, compassion, and clarity. Through reflection, gentle practice, and peer dialogue, you’ll deepen your ability to bring mindfulness and grace to all relationships.
This module is led by Monica Douglas, OneSpirit tutor and minister, who brings a soulful, embodied approach to communication and community-building. Monica’s facilitation nurtures honesty and spaciousness, inviting participants to rediscover communication as a sacred meeting place, a way of being that strengthens relationship, compassion, and integrity in both ministry and life.
- Venue: Online via Zoom (evenings)
- Dates: 14, 21, 28 January 2026
- Facilitators: Monica Douglas
- Investment: Free (Students) | ÂŁ120 (ROSIM) | ÂŁ150 (Non-ROSIM ministers)
May 2026
Healing Our Relationship with the More-Than-Human World
In-person Residential Retreat — 11–13 May 2026 | Ham Green House, Bristol
We invite you to join Healing Our Relationship with the More-Than-Human World, a three-day residential retreat for those who feel called to renew their connection with the living Earth. This gathering offers space to move beyond “nature connection” and into a reciprocal, embodied relationship with the wider web of life.
Held at Ham Green House, surrounded by the lush vitality of spring, we will be guided through contemplative, creative, and somatic practices, including sit-spot meditation, gentle movement, and shared ritual. The land itself will serve as our teacher, inviting us to grieve, listen, and awaken to the sacred interbeing of all life.
This retreat is led by Sarah MacDonald, OneSpirit tutor and minister, whose work bridges reflective practice, spirituality, and ecological consciousness. Sarah creates spaces of safety and depth, where tenderness and renewal can unfold naturally. Together, we will open to the wisdom of the Earth, allowing her to remind us of belonging, resilience, and the sacredness of all that lives.
- Venue: Ham Green House, Bristol
- Dates: 11 to 13 May 2026
- Facilitator: Sarah MacDonald
- Investment: ÂŁ360 (Students) | ÂŁ384 (ROSIM) | ÂŁ480 (Non-ROSIM ministers)
Deepening Your Spiritual Practice: Fire and Renewal at Beltane
Online Offering — 20 & 27 May 2026 | 7:00–9:00pm (UK time)
We invite you to join Deepening Your Spiritual Practice: Fire and Renewal at Beltane, a two-part online module inviting you to rekindle vitality and presence within your personal spiritual life. Held during the bright, blossoming days of Beltane, this offering supports you in balancing inner stillness with creative renewal.
Across two evening gatherings, we will meet online for guided meditation, reflection, and gentle embodied practice. Together, we’ll explore how the energy of Beltane can inspire renewal, help release inner obstacles, and reignite your sense of purpose and spiritual vitality.
This module is led by Monica Douglas, OneSpirit tutor and minister, alongside a guest facilitator. Monica’s facilitation weaves warmth, insight, and grounded presence, inviting participants into connection with their own creative spark and seasonal rhythm. Together, we will tend the inner fire, cultivating clarity, joy, and renewal in both spiritual practice and daily life.
- Venue: Online via Zoom (evenings)
- Dates: 20 and 27 May 2026
- Facilitators: Monica Douglas
- Investment: Free (Students) | ÂŁ120 (ROSIM) | ÂŁ150 (Non-ROSIM ministers)
Community Offerings, Announcements, Thoughts
Sacred Soul Circle
“Come, come, whoever you are: wanderer, worshipper, lover of leaving, ours is not a caravan of despair.” – Rumi
OneSpirit warmly invites you to join our Sacred Soul Circles, a twice-monthly interspiritual offering guided by Minister Eva Mary Spevack, aligned with the rhythms and energies of the New Moon and Full Moon.
These circles offer a confidential, welcoming, and contemplative space to pause, breathe, and reconnect, with yourself, with one another, and with the Divine Beloved. Drawing on prayers, readings, meditation, and wisdom from diverse spiritual traditions, we gather to rest in the arms of Love and drink deeply from the world’s many wells of wisdom.
Next Dates…
-
Full Moon: Tuesday 6th January
-
New Moon: Tuesday 20th January
-
Full Moon: Tuesday 3rd February
-
New Moon: Tuesday 17th February
- Time: 7:30–8:30pm (UK time)
- Where: Online via Zoom
- Facilitator: Rev Eva Mary Spevack
- Fee: Free and open to all: students, ministers, friends!
To join, simply complete the short form and you’ll receive everything you need. Let this be a gentle place of presence and prayer, shared in community.
The Grove: A Gathering Place for Ministers
“A place becomes sacred when we arrive with openness, honesty, and the courage to be seen.”
The Grove is a new monthly space for our minister community, a gentle meeting ground to rest, reconnect, and continue the threads of practice formed during training. Each gathering offers an hour held in ceremony, meditation, shared wisdom, and honest check-ins, followed by an optional half-hour for tea and unhurried conversation.
Ministers from the Aspen and Sylvan pathways are warmly invited, with second-year Birch students welcome to join. The Grove will grow through shared leadership. OneSpirit Minister & Associate Tutor Andrew Jones guided the first session held on 27 November. For sessions that follow, particiapnts will begin rotating simple roles, host, celebrant, reader, guardian, so that each voice and gift can be part of the circle.
- When: 29 January 2026
- Time: 7:00–8:30pm (UK time)
- Where: Online via Zoom
- Who: Ministers from Aspen & Sylvan, with Birch Year 2 students invited
- Fee: Free to attend
Let this be a steady, nurturing space, a grove of companionship, practice, and community.
Death and Grief, Support Group
“In the presence of loss, gentleness becomes a form of courage.”
This four-session online circle offers a tender, confidential space for ministers and students whose work brings them close to death, dying, or grief. Meeting fortnightly, the group will gather for shared reflection, spiritual practice, and quiet supervision, a place of deep listening rather than instruction, where clarity, grounding, and compassion can re-emerge. Lovingly held by Rev Nickie Aven, OneSpirit Minister and Supervisor, the group draws on Nickie’s 25 years of experience in the field of dying and grieving, as well as her personal encounters with profound loss. Nickie brings a rare steadiness and care to her work, holding space with warmth, humility, and deep presence.
When: Mondays 2 & 16 February, 2 & 16 March 2026
Time: 7:00–8:30pm (UK time)
Where: Online via Zoom
Group size: Closed circle, up to six participants
Facilitator: Rev Nickie Aven
Fee: OneSpirit Students or OneSpirit ROSIM members: ÂŁ96, Non-ROSIM OneSpirit Ministers: ÂŁ120
This is a gentle space for those carrying tender stories, a circle where your experience is honoured, your work is witnessed, and you are invited to bring tea, honesty, and softness into each gathering.
In Death and Grief, In-Person Residential Retreat
“A steady heart can hold what words cannot.”
This three-day residential retreat is for ministers and students seeking deep, embodied support in the terrain of death and grief. Held within the peaceful riverside setting of Poulstone Court Retreat Centre in Herefordshire, the retreat offers time away from daily demands and into a ceremonial learning space created especially for those whose ministry touches the thresholds of death, dying, and grieving. Across our days together, we will explore how to accompany others with presence, courage, and compassion. While personal experiences of loss will be gently welcomed, the retreat is not centred on individual healing. Instead, it is an opportunity to strengthen the inner ground from which you support others through embodied practice, shared wisdom, ritual work, and deepened self-awareness.
You will be held within a spacious container of ceremony, community, and safety. Through dialogue, creativity, reflection, and practice, you’ll leave with renewed steadiness and the inner and outer resources needed for this profound work.
When: Friday 17 – Sunday 19 April 2026
Where: Poulstone Court Retreat Centre, Herefordshire
Accommodation: Full board, all meals included
Facilitator: Rev Nickie Aven
Fees: OneSpirit Students or ROSIM members ÂŁ384 (or 3 instalments of ÂŁ128); Non-ROSIM Ministers ÂŁ480 (or 3 instalments of ÂŁ160)
This is a tender, transformative space for those accompanying others through life’s deepest thresholds, a retreat to steady the heart, strengthen the spirit, and reconnect with what matters most.
Honouring the Work of the Threshold Choir
We’re overjoyed to share that Threshold, a documentary created by filmmaker Florence Browne and funded by The Guardian, is now available to watch. The film follows the tender, compassionate work of the Threshold Choir and includes Rev Nickie Aven, who leads the MoorHeart Choir in South Devon.
You can watch the documentary here!
Alongside the film, The Guardian has also published a 2,500-word feature exploring the choir’s ministry, including an interview and photographs, offering a deeper insight into this gentle and powerful work.
The Threshold Choir has a meaningful connection to OneSpirit. Founded in the United States 25 years ago, it was brought to the UK by interfaith minister Chloe Greenwood in 2013. Nickie was a founding member of Chloe’s Findhorn choir in Moray, alongside other ministers, and the work was later shared more widely through former Community Co-ordinator Neil Giddins. Many ministers continue to be involved today, including Natacha Ledgwidge, who leads the Heart of London Choir.
We warmly invite you to watch the film and spend time with this moving expression of ministry at life’s thresholds.
#MonthOfMinistry 2026: An Invitation to Prepare
We’re delighted to share the first details for #MonthOfMinistry 2026, a beautiful offering initated by Rev. Jo Royle and Rev. Sass Adams in 2023, and now a cherished rhythm in our community year. Each February, #MonthOfMinistry invites us to pause, reconnect, and weave small acts of intention, kindness, and spiritual presence into our everyday lives. For 2026, Jo has shaped something especially meaningful, a widened call to action that opens this offering to everyone in the OneSpirit community!
Whether you are a minister, a student, a friend, a follower, or someone who simply feels drawn to join in, you are warmly welcome. You can take part in whatever way feels right for you: through reflection, sharing moments on social media, joining the meditations, or participating quietly in your own sacred space.
To help you prepare, here are the resources Jo has created:
- Download the #MonthOfMinistry 2026 Guide (PDF)
- Watch Jo’s short video introduction
- Graphic for sharing (on the right!)
Save the Dates for February’s Meditations
As part of this year’s offering, Jo has created a series of short, gentle meditations that will be shared throughout February. We warmly encourage you to add the meditation dates to your diary now, so you can join in with ease when the time arrives. The Team #MonthOfMinistry 2026 is brought to you in collaboration by Rev Jo Royle, Rev Tania Menegatti, Rev Andrew Jones, Chris Booth, Rev Leti Hawthorn, Rev April Kling and Justin Hardie.
We’re offering 4 x free one hour meditations in January, during which we’ll be connecting, asking for guidance on the loving action we might want to take against the #MonthOfMinistry prompts. You’re welcome to come to all or just one or two of the sessions and to join us even if you don’t intend to join the online #MonthOfMinistry. Your followers are welcome to attend too!
- Sunday 11 January 2026 7-8pm GMT Hosted by Rev Jo Royle
- Zoom ID: 828 5235 1965 Passcode: meditation – join here.
- Monday 19 January 2026 7-8pm GMT Hosted by Rev Andrew Jones
- Zoom ID: 830 1953 7964 Passcode: meditation – join here.
- Monday 26 January 2026 7-8pm GMT Hosted by Chris Booth
- Zoom ID: 884 6718 5785 Passcode: meditation – join here.
- Sunday 1 February 2026 10-11am GMT led by Rev Tania Menegatti
- Zoom ID: 882 3248 8492 Passcode: meditation – join here.
How You Can Take Part
You’re invited to participate in whatever way feels natural and nourishing:
- Joining the meditations
- Exploring Jo’s reflections and invitations throughout February
- Sharing your own moments on social media and tagging us if you’d like us to share them
- Taking part quietly, without posting, if that feels more aligned for you
- Engaging in small acts of presence and kindness in your daily life
There is no right or wrong way to join #MonthOfMinistry, simply the way that honours your own rhythm, energy, and attention. We’re so grateful to Jo for bringing such care, creativity, and heart into this year’s offering. More guidance, reminders, and invitations will follow in January and February. For now, we invite you to explore the resources above and gently prepare for a thoughtful, reflective month ahead!
Across Sacred Thresholds – A New OneSpirit Anthology
We’re delighted to share the publication of Across Sacred Thresholds: A OneSpirit Anthology, a full-colour paperback created by volunteers from across our ministerial community. Released just in time for the Christmas and Yuletide season, this anthology gathers blessings, ceremonies, reflections, poetry, art, photography, and meditations that offer a rich glimpse into the many forms that ministry can take.
Ministry takes many forms, and this collection opens a window into that richness. Within its pages, you’ll find contributions deeply grounded in lived experience and spiritual practice. Some authors draw from ancestral memory and cultural heritage, others from their ministerial work in the world, and many from creative or contemplative expression. Together, these offerings reveal the diverse ways OneSpirit ministers honour the sacred and engage with their communities.
This anthology is also the final gift from the OSMIC community, which has long dedicated itself to supporting ministers in living their calling. It stands as a shared offering of wisdom, creativity, and faithfulness from across our wider landscape, and we extend heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed and to all who supported the volunteer team as the book came together.
Contributors include: Rev. Suzanne Abernathy, Rev. Sass Adams, Rev. Anna Benn, Rev. Karen Anke Braun, Rev. Magdalene Chau, Rev. Deb Connor, Rev. Sarah Flynn, Rev. Jean Francis, Rev. Rosie Greenwood, Rev. Magdalene Mei Halkes, Rev. Catherine-Sophia Kentridge, Rev. Caroline Lennon, Rev. Sarah McCulloch, Rev. Ashley Oliver, Rev. Jenny Miller, Rev. Fionnuala Morgan, Rev. April Kling-Meyer, Rev. Kate Napier, Rev. Gloria Tinu Ogunbadejo, Rev. Barbara Payman, Rev. Jo Royle, Rev. Sharon Rossi, Rev. Dr Sara Trevalyan, Rev. Zafira Vrba Woodski, Rev. Grace Loveday, and Rev. Chloe Greenwood.
In Conversation with the Higher Self: An Offering for OneSpirit Ministers
A note from OneSpirit Interfaith Minister, Anton Jarrod:Â
I’d love to introduce you to The Higher Self Dialogues. It’s a podcast I’m hosting for open-minded, spiritually curious people who are seeking to live with greater wholeness, clarity and inner strength in today’s turbulent world. Each episode seeks to explore how we can recognise and live from the hidden presence of the higher self – that wise, spiritual centre within that helps us navigate modern life with compassion and insight. I share my own spiritual journey on the show, but I would love to share the journeys of others to, including yours.
So I’m now opening the space for fellow OneSpirit Interfaith Ministers to join me as guests on the show. If you feel called to share your own story – your encounter with spirit within, however you name or frame it – I’d love to hear from you. These dialogues aim to reveal the many languages of spirit and the diverse ways we each embody this in the world.
If this resonates, please get in touch to explore being part of a future episode, by email at: info@antonjarrod.com. Your voice could help others recognise something sacred in their own experience.
Listen to the show on your podcast player here: https://pod.link/1805630508
The Year Breathes Out
As the year begins to soften and fold into its closing chapter, we invite you to pause with us, to exhale, to listen, and to let the music carry you gently toward stillness.
Our new community playlist, The Year Breathes Out, gathers songs that hold the feeling of November: quiet, soulful, and full of quiet light. You’ll find voices that move between reflection and renewal, from tender folk to meditative instrumentals, from timeless soul to spacious soundscapes, all chosen to accompany the slow turning of the seasons.
Listen wherever you are, while walking, resting, or tending to something simple, and let it remind you that there’s beauty in the pause before the next beginning.
Opening and Closing: Words to Begin and End Reflection
This is lovingly curated collection of nearly 300 quotations, blessings, and prayers drawn from many faiths, cultures, and times, each one carefully gathered by Josephine Seccombe. Josephine has generously gifted this collection to OneSpirit, with all proceeds supporting our Student Bursary Fund, helping those who feel called to ministry but may need financial assistance to begin their training.
For just £6 (PDF download), you’ll receive a rich treasury of words to open or close gatherings, ceremonies, one-to-one sessions, or moments of quiet reflection. Each page offers a reminder of the shared wisdom that connects us across traditions. With heartfelt gratitude to Josephine for her generosity, and to you, our community, for helping future ministers find their way to this work.
2025 Reflection Challenge
Welcome to our year-long journey of self-discovery and connection! This challenge invites you to set aside a few moments each month to reflect on prompts designed to deepen your personal and spiritual exploration. Whether you’re a minister, a student, or simply curious, these reflections are for everyone.
How It Works:
- Each month, we’ll share a unique prompt.
- Take 10–15 minutes (or longer if you wish) to journal, meditate, or simply ponder the question.
- If inspired, consider sharing insights with the community to foster connection.
December Prompt:
What are your hopes for the future?
Look ahead to the new year. What intentions, dreams, or goals do you want to nurture moving forward?
Want to share your reflections with us?
If you’d like to share your reflection for us to include in the newsletter, or you simply want to share it with someone who would be proud or interested, send it our way. We’d love to hear your thoughts and honour your journey!
Awareness, Spiritual, and Religious Days
- 01 – World AIDS Day
- 02 – International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
- 03 – International Day of Persons with Disabilities
- 05 – International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development; World Soil DayÂ
- 06 – Christian: Saint Nicholas Day, celebrates Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of children.
- 07 – International Civil Aviation DayÂ
- 08 – Bodhi Day: Bodhi Day is the Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day that Gautama Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment, also known as bodhi in Sanskrit and Pali. Also celebrated on the lunar date of January 18, 2024.
- 09 – International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and the Prevention of this CrimeÂ
- 09 – International Anti-Corruption DayÂ
- 10 – Human Rights DayÂ
- 11 – International Mountain Day
- 12 – International Day of Neutrality; International Universal Health Coverage DayÂ
- 15/22 – Jewish: In Hebrew, Hanukkah means “dedication,” and the holiday marks the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BC after a small group of Jewish fighters liberated it from occupying foreign forces.
- 18 – Arabic Language Day; International Migrants Day
- 20 – International Human Solidarity DayÂ
- 21 – Yule: A winter festival historically observed by the Germanic peoples that was incorporated into Christmas during the Christianisation of the Germanic peoples. In present times adherents of some new religious movements celebrate Yule independently of the Christian festival.
- 25 – Christmas: An annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world.Â
- 26 – Kwanzaa: An annual celebration of African-American culture from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a communal feast called Karamu, usually on the sixth day. It was created by activist Maulana Karenga, based on African harvest festival traditions from various parts of West and Southeast Africa.
- 27 – International Day of Epidemic PreparednessÂ
Reflections from an Awareness Day
A Reflection for Human Rights Day
Every December, Human Rights Day invites us to pause and remember that dignity, safety, and freedom are not abstract ideals but lived experiences that every person deserves. As an interfaith community, we know that compassion is not passive, it asks us to look closely at the world, to listen to the stories that are hard to hear, and to recognise the sacred worth held within each life.
This day reminds us that while progress has been made, injustice still shapes the daily reality of many people across the globe. Our commitment, then, becomes an ongoing practice: to meet one another with care, to challenge harm where we see it, and to hold steady in our belief that every person is deserving of respect and protection.
At this time of year, when many traditions celebrate light in its many forms, Human Rights Day invites us to tend to that inner light of awareness, responsibility, and solidarity. It asks us to remember that we are part of a wider human family, and that the choices we make, individually and collectively, help shape the world we hand to future generations.
May this December bring us closer to a kinder, more just world, one courageous act of compassion at a time.
Further Reading & Resources
Connect With Us
If you have a question, a suggestion, or simply want to get in touch, we’d love to hear from you. We’re a small and dedicated team, each here to support different aspects of your journey. Alan, our Executive Director, holds the vision and direction of OneSpirit. Danielle looks after all things finance, and Kailee leads on communications and marketing (she also curates this newsletter!). Lavinia focuses on community development and connection. Maddy brings her care and creativity to shaping meaningful learning experiences. We’re here to help you feel at home in this community, so please don’t hesitate to reach out. If it takes us a little time to reply, thank you for your patience. We’ll always get back to you as soon as we can!
Our Mailing Address:
OneSpirit Interfaith Foundation
The Gateway, 85–101 Sankey Street
Warrington, Cheshire WA1 1SR
United Kingdom
Copyright © 2025 OneSpirit Interfaith Foundation. All rights reserved.

