Hand To Hand Gift Shop…  

Spring has been busy at the Hand to Hand Gift Shop. While life slows down in the summer months, we remain open during regular center hours all summer long. In September, we will be accepting booking dates for outside sales for the holiday season. If your church or community would like to hold a sale, contact the center to get more information as good dates in October and November go early! As always, many thanks for your support. Your purchases in the shop support Fair Trade Artisans and the Spiritual Renewal Center.

Contemplative Prayer Group...  

This group meets once a week at the Spiritual Renewal Center on Wednesday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. There is no need to call ahead or register. Simply come and pray whenever you can.

Women’s Spiritual Direction Group...  

The women’s spiritual direction group normally meets on the third Thursday of each month. They will meet on May 27 and June 17 from 7 – 8:30 p.m. at the Center. A fee of $10 per session is requested. Call Kathy Papa at 457-6922, or the Center at 472-6546 to let us know of your interest, or if you have any questions.

Prayer Line Ministry...  

We receive many requests for prayer and pass them on to individuals on our two prayer lines. If you are willing to pray for individuals who ask for prayer and would like to join either our telephone or our email prayer lines please contact Pat at the Center at 472-6546 or email us at mail.spiritualrenewalcenter.com

Catch the Spirit...  

Come to discuss the lectionary readings for the following Sunday at our Catch the Spirit bible study group! Sr. Marise May, OSF leads this weekly gathering. No registration necessary – just come on Tuesday mornings from 10 to 11:30 a.m. to the Spiritual Renewal Center. There is no fee for this study, and it’s open to everyone.

Holiday Hours...  

We will be closed Friday, July 2 and Monday, July 5 for the Independence Day national holiday.

A note from our director  

My dear friends,

This September marks thirty-two years since I began this ministry at our first location on East Genesee Street. I was then a single man in my twenties who had no inkling of where it would all be going, but with no doubts about setting out on this journey. When I reflect on it, I am astonished at how much God has accomplished, how much the Center has grown, how many wonderful colleagues have come to share in this work. I am very much aware of how blessed I am – I love my work and my co-workers; I love the people I am so privileged to serve in Christ’s name. My vocation brings me joy.

In those early days back in 1978, there were plenty of voices telling me not to get my hopes up – the Spiritual Renewal Center was a wonderful idea but it certainly would not survive. I was told we would not be able to find the financial resources to keep it open. I was told I would not be able to earn enough to marry and have kids. Yet, thanks be to God, here we are thirty-two years later! We’ve not only kept the ministry going but kept it growing as well. And I have been married nearly twenty-nine years and have now graduated three of my four kids from college. (The youngest, at age 15, has a few more years before he leaves home.)

I am more aware than anyone how precarious the journey has been and continues to be. I am more aware than anyone of how much it has required from me, and from the many, many good folks who have given generously to support the Center and its ministers. I am humbled by the sheer goodness of all those who have believed with me in this work and sacrificed with me to make it happen.

And it keeps happening - the work keeps going, the mission continues, and the blessings keep on coming - alleluia!

May I count on your continued companionship on this journey of faith? May I count on your continued financial support of the Spiritual Renewal Center? Thank you for anything you can offer. Thank you for giving us hope that in thirty-two years from now this ministry will still be here working in God’s Name!

In Christ,
Jim Krisher
Director

Ways to help the Center…  

Ways to help the Center…

• If you donate to the United Way, please consider designating the Spiritual Renewal Center as the recipient of your gift. Every gift helps and we surely appreciate your generosity!
• Make a donation in memory of a friend or loved one or in honor of a special occasion.
• Include us in your monthly tithe.
• Spread the word about the Center to your friends.
• Attend a Center event and bring a friend.
• Remember the Center in your will – our legal name is Spiritual Renewal Center of Syracuse, Inc.

Spiritual Renewal Center "Syracuse gem"  

Dear friends of the Spiritual Renewal Center,

In the summer of 2002, I was about to retire and wondering what adventures were to come. My pastor suggested that I enter into spiritual direction so that I might become more aware of what God’s retirement plans might be for me!

It was at that time that I was introduced to the Spiritual Renewal Center. This wonderful Syracuse gem has been a very important part of my faith journey ever since. I have been involved with a number of programs that have supported and assisted me along my spiritual way. This Center has enriched that ‘fabric’ that is me.

Has the Center ever supported or assisted you or the people you care about? Has it ever helped you find your spiritual way? Perhaps it has just been a place of peace for you. Perhaps you know of the many good people who have been served by the good people who work here, and helped to grow in their relationship with God.

Well, this wonderful place needs your help, now. Won’t you prayerfully consider supporting the Center financially? If you already give to the ministry, perhaps you might be intentional in increasing the amount you give. What better way to give back to a place that has given so much to so many of us!

May you continue to be blessed through the Spiritual Renewal Center.

Sincerely,
Alice A. Makul

SRC…God Answers  

Christ tells us “…ask and you shall receive, seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Luke 11:9) He is good on His promise.

I was asking God to help me find a spiritual home, a place where there was community, sharing and opportunity to grow in knowledge and wisdom. And then a friend asked me if I wanted to attend a workshop at a neighboring parish, titled “The Troublesome Sayings of Jesus”. It sounded intriguing and so I went, met Jim Krisher and learned about the Spiritual Renewal Center. What a spiritual oasis I have found!. I was shocked to learn it had been around for 30 years, but this was the first I had heard of it.

I feel I have come upon hidden treasure. I have been blessed by the many resources at the Center, books, tapes, and videos. The literature ranges from inspirational treatises, scholarly works, biographies, Christian fiction, exploration of other religions, poetry and more. I have come to renewal evenings on a wide range of topics, and I’ve found that the presenters are not only knowledgeable, but spiritual people willing to share. I’ve come for spiritual direction, and now I am also participating in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, a 30-week retreat. But the most humbling and rewarding part for me has been the sense of spiritual friendship among the people and visitors at the Center. It is a pure joy to share and be affirmed by others on our journey to Christ’s kingdom.

I’m so grateful to God for this gift in my life, and if you haven’t yet discovered this treasure I hope that I’ll meet you here soon!

Spiritual Surrender Audio book…  

We still have available a few copies of Jim Krisher’s audio book, SPIRITUAL SURRENDER, YIELDING YOURSELF TO A LOVING GOD. It would make a great holiday gift. The audio CD set is $30, including tax, shipping and handling. The audio book is available at the Center Gift Shop for $25 including tax.

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