Prayer As A Place Seminar is an introduction to contemplative prayer and how it connects our inner life to the transforming power of God. It is an invitation to partner with Jesus as he leads the believer into the deep places of our heart. Filled with practical helps and personal experience,  Charles Bello brings together the wisdom of the past 2000 years of Christianity to help us intentionally create a space in life where God can form our inward life into the nature of Christ. With brutal honesty, Charles shares his own reluctance, and then resolve, to follow Jesus on this inward journey. Prayer as a Place is like a roadmap to exploring the contemporary use of contemplative prayer as a means of inward transformation.
 
Topics include:

• Developing a Contemplative Lifestyle: An introduction to contemplative prayer and how it connects our inner life to the transforming power of God.
• Lectio Divina: Lectio Divina literally means "divine reading." It is a scripture-centered approach to connecting our inner life to the empowering grace of God.
• The Examen: This prayer exercise is kind of a debriefing that helps the participant recognize God’s activity in both the painful and joyful experiences that come to us on a daily basis. As we learn to listen to God as he speaks into our experiences, we receive insight into his purposes for us.
• Journaling / Writing your own Psalm: Spiritual journaling is as old as the Bible. This practical workshop introduces the participant to the practice of encountering God through reflective writing.
• Centering Prayer: "Be still and know I am God." This ancient prayer model teaches the disciple to not only be still on the outside, but on the inside as well. As we learn to quiet our soul before God, we soon discover how to be attentive to the presence of God within.
• Walking Meditation: The Bible is rich in admonitions to pay attention to God's creation and listen to what he may say to us through nature. Walking meditation is learning to walk in the present moment, with no agenda other than being with God in the midst of his creation.

Charles Bello has served as senior pastor for more than 20 years. In the last 10 years, he has led teams that have trained thousands of missionaries, pastors, leaders, and lay people in North America, Europe, India and South East Asia. Charles has a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology, a Master's Degree in Biblical Studies and completed Spiritual Director training at Pecos Benedictine School of Spiritual Direction. Presently, Charles serves as a pastor to pastors for the Association of Vineyard churches in the Oklahoma area, trains missionaries for Heart of God Ministries, and serves as a Spiritual Director and mentor for other church leaders. He is also the founder and director of Coaching Saints, a dedicated team of disciples committed to the equipping, empowering and inner formation of disciples throughout the world. Charles and his wife, Dianna, have six children and live in Edmond, Oklahoma.