Star of Hope –
Judith Pollock
Living Spirituality Connections originated out of the Living Spirituality Network.
The origins of the Living Spirituality Network (LSN) lie in the Ecumenical Spirituality Project (ESP), set up by Gwen Cashmore and Joan Puls and integrated into the work of the British Council of Churches, the forerunner of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) in 1989.
The Milton Keynes Council of Churches and the Society of Sacred Mission provided a base for ESP, and then LSN, in Milton Keynes from 1994. LSN was formed in 2000 when the Ecumenical Spirituality Project and The Fellowship of Prayer for Unity, whose chaplain was Paul Renyard, came together. Its management group was chaired in turn by Hugh Cross, Murdoch MacKenzie and Judith Lampard.
LSN’s directors, Ruth Harvey and then Eley McAinsh, made a great mark in the way they studied and explored contemporary spiritual journeys, making people aware of a wide range of resources for the journey, ably assisted in recent years by Win Kennedy in the office. A talk by Eley at the LSN Final Gathering in 2012 reflecting on some of her findings from a series of interviews with LSN members about their spiritual journey is available here.
LivingSpirituality emerges
When the LSN closed in 2012, LSN member Petra Griffiths offered to send email newsletters to those LSN members who wished to stay in touch, enabling LSN to find new forms of expression.
Eley McAinsh and Win Kennedy were very supportive of this initiative. Jenny Sandler, Linda Courage and Heather-Jane Ozanne were very committed to this renewed project and agreed to form a LivingSpirituality steering group, which Revd. Elizabeth Baxter joined in 2013.
Fifteen people came forward to act as LSC regional contacts for many parts of the UK and Ireland in order to welcome new members in their region. St James’s Church Piccadilly agreed to handle the LS finances, to display our posters and leaflets and to give us a postal address.
In the autumn of 2013 this website was set up. Occasional LSC events are planned in the future, in addition to our emailed newsletters and updates on events and resources.
Name change to Living Spirituality Connections
In October 2016, LivingSpirituality changed its name to Living Spirituality Connections.
Following the name change, LSC is run by the Working and Discernment Group who work closely together through online and telephone contact.
