CSL Kelowna News

Perspectives… So many, so different, so divisive, each person certain theirs alone is true. Nature spoke to me today - It’s perspective vast and generous,  seeing beauty in all forms, making room for all. The mountains reminded me: stand tall, be strong,  hold your dignity. The clouds -  white, dark and all the shades between - met one another without resistance, as if shaking hands across the sky. The wind, at times a gentle breeze,  at times carrying great strength, whisper

Members of CSL Kelowna and the Okanagan Multi-Faith Community gathered January 10th at the Central Okanagan United Church (COUC) for a deeply inspiring visit and exchange. We were warmly welcomed by Ally Phillips and Andrea Hess and introduced to the many ways this vibrant, open, and affirming congregation lives its commitment to service, compassion, and community care. We learned about COUC’s extensive community outreach, including low-barrier food security supports, resourc

As we step into a brand-new year, we invite you to imagine what’s possible—for your life, your relationships, and our wider community—when spiritual practice becomes lived experience. What is Spiritual Living? At the Centre for Spiritual Living Kelowna, we teach and practice a simple, powerful truth: there is a creative intelligence, an infinite wisdom, available to everyone—right here, right now. This wisdom can be consciously engaged to create a healthier, happier, more mea

Our Okanagan Multi-Faith Visits will resume in 2026 on Saturday, January 10 , with a visit to Central Okanagan United Church . December’s presentation, graciously hosted by the Kelowna Jewish Community, was both deeply informative and wonderfully nourishing—complete with the sharing of many traditional Jewish delights. In times that call for greater compassion and understanding, these gatherings offer a meaningful way to stand together—learning from one another and embodying

Our Beloved Volunteers are the foundational hearts and hands of our Beloved Community! On December 4th, we gathered in a beautifully festive Christmas setting to honour the volunteers who create the sacred container for our Centre every Sunday. Volunteering in our Beloved Community is an evolutionary Spiritual practice; it’s about so much more than the tasks at hand. It isn’t just what they do—it’s the love, intention, and grace in how they do it that creates the beautiful at

There’s something beautiful happening at the Centre for Spiritual Living Kelowna—and many of you are already feeling it.  For generations, spiritual communities, including ours, were shaped around one central leader. The minister carried the vision, the care, the authority, and often the emotional and spiritual weight of the whole community. That model served an important purpose for its time.  But the world has changed.   Across countless congregations, one pattern appeared

Visit to the Jewish Community Centre – “L’Dor - V’Dor: Generation to Generation” Our most recent Okanagan Multi-Faith gathering at the Kelowna Jewish Community Centre was an enriching and heartfelt experience for 11 of our members along with multiple faith traditions in Kelowna. The Okanagan Multi-Faith Community began through the deep respect and genuine friendships formed within the KGH Spiritual Advisory Team. As we witnessed rising polarization, racism, and division in th

A Chance to Change a Life — And Let Your Heart Shine   It’s that beautiful time of year again when generosity becomes a spiritual practice and love takes form in the most meaningful ways. Beginning Sunday, December 7th , CSL Kelowna once again opens the doors of compassion as we partner with CSL Kenya’s Secret Santa —bringing real, tangible miracles to children and families at Briton Slum School in the Mukuru Kwa Njenga community of Nairobi.  Last year, your loving hearts ch

In these times of division and uncertainty, it’s easy to feel that the world is losing its center. Yet, as Bruce Sanguin reminds us in  The Emerging Church , lasting change begins not out there—but within each of us.  As we’re learning in our Emerging Church class, by practicing a few core spiritual and psychological competencies, we help create what Sanguin calls morphic resonance —a shared field of coherence and compassion that shapes our community’s vibration.  It starts w

Let’s take a moment to remember the power we each have to brighten someone’s day. Kindness doesn’t need to be grand or complicated, often it’s the small gestures that ripple out the farthest. Today, (you don’t have to wait for Thursday) we invite you to intentionally practice kindness: Offer a genuine compliment to three people Send a kind text to someone Pay it forward in a line, a café, or a conversation Or make a simple commitment to perform one act of kindness each week

By Rev. John DePalma Today, we pause in sacred remembrance. We remember the countless lives touched by conflict—those who served, those who waited, those who grieved, and those who continue to carry the invisible stories of war in their bodies and hearts. We honour their courage, their sacrifice, and the longing for peace that lived within them. And we also remember something deeper still: that at the heart of humanity is a shared desire to live in safety, dignity, and belon

We’re excited by the great feedback we’ve received about our new newsletter and website. We’ve also learned that some have had difficulty with the way the newsletter interacts with the website. Below you’ll find directions that may help you find what you’re looking for. If you still have difficulty, please feel free to contact me. Your feedback matters because you matter! “ With deep appreciation, Rev John This blog post is going to talk about how to navigate the new CSL Kelo