Issue #4

By Amelia Ang 

This is our 4th write-up about Pathway for Seekers: a year-long orientation for those seeking to commit to be a part of the CSF community.

• It is a new offering, for those who have come to CSF, and are interested to ‘go deeper’ within the community circles. See Issue #1 – 15 Aug 2025.

• It is an invitation for you to to discern if CSF’s Rhythm of Life, is one that would be helpful for your own spiritual formation journey in this season of your life. See Issue #3 – 12 Sep 2025.

Images Above: Backdrop of this image is from a painting that Lin Wei did for our 2022 Community Annual Retreat. It reflects the dawn of a new day ~ colours of CSF.

• As part of the discernment process, you will participate in monthly formation circles and aspects of CSF’s rhythm of life. Dates and details in Issue #2 – 29 Aug 2025

In this newsletter, I want to share a bit more about what you are being invited to be a part of ~ the life and work of CSF. 

For many, CSF is a HAVEN. We are experienced through our offerings of BeSpace, Spiritual Accompaniment, Retreats and Courses. People who come find that there is space to meet God and listen to their interior lives, to immerse in Scripture and listen to wisdom from Christ-followers across centuries.

For some, CSF is also an INN. There is the hustle and bustle of work which needs doing, taken care of by our Innkeepers. We keep the life and work of CSF going. Our posture is that we are Learners, Practitioners and Teachers. We constantly remind ourselves that we are not here to ‘do ministry’, but to live a life of ongoing spiritual formation. From that place, God will show us what He wants us to do for Him in this aspect of His work. 

Finally, CSF is ABODE. Or at least, we are trying to work out what it means that CSF is Abode. In 2021, a group of us, mostly graduates from CSF’s Spiritual Accompaniment Training (SAT) programme, prayed and committed to “walk 10 years together”. The past 5 years has been an intense journey – the deep dive into the life of saints who live in worlds so different from ours was mentally challenging, getting to know one another at a personal level not just as participants and recipients of CSF’s Haven seemed at times unclear if anything was happening, and both Ser Choon and myself were also grappling with figuring out what really it means for CSF to be Abode. 

5 years on, we are now clearer about many aspects of this vision, and still unclear if it is way too daunting to achieve. As we often joke at CSF ~ that will be “God’s problem” 😀 

What I am clear is that in this season of my being at the ‘front of this work of CSF’, till God brings someone else in, I have energy to shape this Abode. My heart is to be part of a community of Christ-followers who see ourselves as Fathers and Mothers (not human roles, but drawn from the characteristics of the Father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son that Jesus told). We are grounded in our wider Christian tradition, not just our modern sensibilities, we are anchored on Life in the Trinity [refer back to Ser Choon’s articles in Issue #1 “The Trinity as our Life Centre (I)” & Issue #2 “The Trinity as our Life Centre (II)“]. Our Rhythm of Life helps to regularly turn us God-ward: Annually following the life & story of Jesus, Quarterly pauses to rest from work, Monthly studies, Weekly Praying the Lord’s Prayer and Daily Pause to Pray. 

I have many anxieties about this work that I know God has placed me to do. First is that it is too slow and will take way too long, who knows when it will ever happen? Second is the clear lack of resources – not enough people to be Innkeepers who will carry the work as the current group of 10YJ Companions get older (our monthly studies this year is on the topic of Aging & Dying ~ the Gift of Years). Third is the physical space of CSF. It has a blessing to have a house for the past 10+ years, will it continue to be available for us to have our community conversations, and to offer as a space of solitude for others? If not, what will happen to one of our key offerings of BeSpace? 

If there is anything that God has stirred in your heart and mind as you read what I have shared, I would love to hear your responses.

Come for the Pathway for Seekers sharing sessions on either 29 Nov Sat morning or 5 Dec Fri morning, register in the link below, we can converse further in person.