An Open Invitation for Connection

Do you like what you are seeing and reading about Safe Harbors?  Would you like to become part of a fellowship of others who are practicing steps to building and living in safe harbors of God's shalom? 
Yes? then this invitation is for you.

Our cyber space gathering platform is the Safe Harbors server on Discord.  Inside there are channels to meet with voice and video, such as the Safe Harbor parlor, and places to have text discussions.  Those inside agree to follow these basic general rules.

GENERAL RULES
1. We intend to do no harm to anyone else. This includes:

• Making no demands of one another.  We make only requests, which allow others to say no without any punishment, or judgements on their character.  
• We withhold outward expressions of judgment, blame and enemy images.  When we recognize ourselves thinking such things, we spend time reflecting on our feelings with empathy in order to discern our own unmet needs.
• We recognize addictions human beings develop to soothe the pain of life in the wrath and take steps to help each other become free from them.  Such addictions can be to substances like alcohol and processed foods, and to behaviors such as gamboling and pornography.

2. We intend to do good to those we encounter. This includes:

• We seek genuine connection with other human beings, realizing that compassionate connection is a pathway for God's transformative work in and among us
• We listen with compassion to each person's stories in order to recognize our feelings and needs
• We participate as God leads us in works of mercy (tending to immediate needs such as hunger, or companionship) and works of justice (recognizing and trying to change the wrathful systems that do harm to our world)

3. We recognize that building and living in Safe Harbor takes practice.​

• It has taken us a lifetime to learn the habits of wrath we have been surrounded with - it will take time and persistence to unlearn them and replace them with habits that build Safe Harbors
• Ancient and new rituals, and spiritual practices with repetition and patience all will help in this work.
• We will work together to develop a Safe Harbor culture of accountability and support
• We will be open to receiving the wisdom of others across time and culture. We will listen to their testimony and try practices that have worked for them
• We will participate in activities that naturally stimulate  dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins to offset our stress hormones