Lenten Circles
What the Wilderness Reveals
5-week contemplative series for UCC ministers
Mondays: March 2 - March 30 or
Wednesdays: February 25 - March 25
All sessions via zoom: 9:00 am Pacific; 10:00 am Mountain; 11:00 am Central; 12:00 pm Eastern
Choose one cohort. You'll meet with the same group for all five weeks.
What the Wilderness Reveals
The 40 days of Lent echo Jesus’ journey into the wilderness, a season of honest reflection, simplification, and clarifying what matters most. For those in ministry, Lent can be a full and demanding season, even as it invites inward attention.
Lenten Circles are a space for ministers to slow down and spend time with this invitation into the wilderness.
Each week, we engage a discernment practice shaped by Christian contemplative traditions and attuned to the wilderness terrain of Lent. This shared practice offers an accessible way of attending to experience, listening for what’s true, and allowing insight to emerge in its own time.
Each 60-minute gathering opens space for reflection, grounding, and quiet presence.
There is nothing to prepare or produce. No homework is assigned. This is simply time to pause, breathe, and attend to what is present.
The wilderness has a way of revealing what is often missed in the noise. Gradually, we can see how we position ourselves, which voices influence us, how we respond to uncertainty, and what endures beneath it all.
Five Weeks | Five Doorways
Week 1: Enough as Ground
A moment to notice how you are orienting yourself as Lent begins. Where are effort, expectation, or self-judgment present now, and where is there already an underlying sense of enough?
Week 2: Guidance and Influence
A place to examine the many influences that inform your ministry choices. Which voices bring clarity and calm, and which stir pressure or haste? We focus on noticing how guidance lands in you, not solely the outcomes it generates.
Week 3: Staying Present in Uncertainty
A space to attend to what it is like to remain present when things are unclear or answers do not come easily. How do you notice yourself responding when the path ahead is not fully visible?
Week 4: Responsibility and Boundaries
A chance to notice how you hold responsibility. What do you observe about what you carry, how it shows up in your body, and where the boundaries of responsibility start to form?
Week 5: What Endures
A place to hear what feels steady and essential as Lent draws to a close. As Holy Week approaches, what quietly endures because it matters deeply?
What to Expect
Guided meditation, gentle breathing, and grounding practices
Contemplative reflection
Connection and Conversation
Simple practices to take with you
Session Rhythm
Each 60-minute gathering will follow this flow:
Arrival and settling (5 min): We begin together with a simple grounding practice to settle and come fully present.
Framing the Week's Territory (5-10 min): A brief introduction to the theme for the week and a shared orientation for the time together.
Embodied contemplative practice (5-10 min): Guided meditation and body awareness to settle your body, your spirit, and nervous system, and explore the inner wilderness.
Shared experience (5 min) – We'll listen to or read something together - a poem, a piece of music, scripture, or a reflection as a common touchpoint.
Reflection (3 min) – Quiet time to notice what stirred, what you're carrying, what the theme is surfacing for you.
Conversation (20-25min) – This is the heart of each gathering. We explore the week's theme together through your lived experience. You're invited to share what's alive for you, respond to what others offer, or simply listen.
Closing ritual and practice (5 min) – We close with a simple practice you can take with you into the week.
This Might Be for You If...
You’d welcome a space where you don’t have to lead, facilitate, or produce anything.
You notice how quickly the weeks move and want a moment to slow down.
You want to feel more grounded and present as Holy Week approaches.
You want to spend time reflecting on the meaning of Lent.
You value time with colleagues who understand the rhythm of ministry in this season.
About Vince
Rev. Dr. Vince Tango brings over 16 years of ordained ministry in the United Church of Christ and deep experience walking alongside clergy navigating the intersection of calling and everyday leadership. He is the Associate Pastor of Compassionate Leadership at Sixth Avenue United Church of Christ, and serves clergy remotely as a Professional Certified Integral Coach, accredited by the International Coaching Federation.
He holds a Doctorate in Education from the University of Denver and a Master of Divinity from the Iliff School of Theology, where he has also served in leadership and as an adjunct instructor. Vince has spent his career developing community and spiritual support for leaders, students, and ministers serving in organizations, educational institutions, and faith-based communities. Through coaching, consulting, and contemplative gatherings, Vince creates sacred spaces for clergy and leaders to pause, listen deeply, and reconnect with the presence that sustains their call. Learn more about Vince.
Registration Details
Suggested Contribution: $60 - $90 for the full five-part series
Your presence matters most. These are suggested amounts - you're welcome to contribute what feels right for you.
After registering, more event details and the Zoom link will be emailed to you as the event gets closer.
Please contact vince@vincetango.com for more information.
