Foster connection. Reclaim reverence. Grow good.
The Courage Experiment is coming. June 2026.
At Big Stone House we wrestle with, wonder about, and practice things that make this world (and our own selves, too) a little more human.
Our classes, courses, conversations and community gatherings weave together old teachings and traditions with new insights and practice, providing all kinds of people from all kinds of places with food for thought, healing for the heart, and fuel for the soul…and in the process, conjure up a sense of connection to the people around us, to our own selves, and to The Bigger Picture of Things.
*Note: registration cost is per month, not per session.
A long-time participant once described Sitting on Sundays as:“a mashup between a Quaker meeting, a Buddhist sit, an AA meeting…and a little bit of hootenanny thrown in for good measure….” Another says that: “This practice gives me hope for the world. More than that, it gives me hope for myself and the people around me…and that’s no small thing. I wish everybody had something like this to be a part of, a community like this to belong to. We’d all be better off for it.” We agree. It’s such a simple practice, really. But don’t let the simplicity fool you: these sessions are about as good for the soul as anything we’ve ever experienced.
Details:
Sitting on Sundays happens on Zoom. One hour, once-a-week, online, ongoing from…
*7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
Access to the Zoom link is provided upon registration.
Registration is $15 a month. You can jump in at any time. And you can opt out at any time, too.
Please note: there is no pressure or requirement to attend every session. If you are unable to make it to a Sit? No guilt. There is no attendance taken, no recordings made. Just come when you can.
Also: should a major holiday fall on a Sitting Sunday, we’ll take that day off and gather again the following week.
Curious to know more? Contact Angie Arendt: angie@bigstonehouse.org
*Here are the start times for different time zones: 7 p.m. Eastern Time, 6 p.m. Central Time, 5 p.m. Mountain Time and 4 p.m. Pacific Time. Also, 8 p.m. Atlantic Time.
Sitting on Sundays
Online. Ongoing. Sundays at 7p (EST).
A one hour, once a week practice of growing good.
Not Another Book Group Book Group (NABGBG) is a small group experience where folks wrestle with and wonder about and even practice the kinds of things that make life feel a bit more connected, a bit more alive—the kinds of things we often wish we could talk about but often shove to the side in the comings and goings of our days.
The details for the Spring 2026 Session:
NABGBG meets online (Zoom).
We’ll meet four times this session:
7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursdays, March 5, March 19, April 2 and April 16.
Writing Down the Bonesby Natalie Goldberg is the book for this session (see below)
Writing Down the Bones is arguably Natalie Goldberg’s most well-known book. Originally published more than thirty years ago as a book on writing, Bones is really a magic manual (as one reviewer calls is) that combines meditation with writing to create a mindfulness practice that is practical, personal, and oh-so-good for the soul.
In this session of NABGBG, we’ll learn about the how, what, and why of practices for paying attention. That’s what this book is all about: the ways we can better pay attention, listen, look, engage with the real meat of life. We’ll read the book together and write through some of the practices on the pages, too. Participants receive weekly e-mails for support: articles, questions and/or videos for contemplation, consideration and connection grounded in the topic-at-hand. This course, after all, isn’t just about learning good-to-know information. It’s about taking all of the things we learn and discover and using those details to grow ever more human, ever more good in our little corners of the world. Support is a good thing. So is connection.
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Over the years, NABGBG participants have read Anne Lamott, Thomas Moore, Brené Brown, Padriag O’Tuama, Richard Rohr, and others with an eye for seeing the sacred in the simple stuff of life. We’ve explored (among other things) grief, good, things-that-are-considered-sacred, community, blessing, gratitude, grace, prayer, and hope…and along the way have conjured up a lot of “A-ha!”s, more than a few “Huh…”s, and a whole lot of “Damn, I hadn’t thought of it that way before…”. People don’t necessarily walk away with a lot of hard-and-fast, once-and-for-all answers to the questions that come up in these sessions, but we all walk away with insights that shape us for the better.
It’s so good. As one participant once put it: “This is the best part of my week…”
Questions? Contact Angie Arendt: angie@bigstonehouse.org.
(yes, that’s Angie’s copy of this book in the photo…it is well read, well loved).
(not another) Book Group Book Group
A new session starts Fall 2026.
Reading. Learning. Pondering together some of the big questions of what it is to be human. Curating connection. Reclaiming reverence. Online (Zoom).
Sitting on a Sunday.
In person. Sunday, March 15, 2026.
A few hours of study, practice, wondering about, pondering on and curating the kinds of things that make this world (or, at least, our little corners therein) a bit more human, a bit more connected…a rekindling of soul, you might say.
Here’s what people say about Big Stone House…
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Angie Arendt
Partner. Mentor. Reverend-at-Large. Writer. A-ha inducer.
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Peter McGaugh
Partner. Mentor. Dot connector. Writer. Curiosity conjurer.
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Ellie and Chester.
Contempawtives. Decent listeners. Great huggers. Smile evokers.
Also…
More online workshops and in person events are in the works for 2026. Join us early in the year for More Than a Number: an introduction (or a re-introduction) to the Enneagram. In late Spring, Angie and Peter will bring The Enneagram of Belonging (an in person workshop/retreat) to the Ottawa, Ontario area. And take a look above: Not Another Book Group Book Group is making a return to The House…stay tuned!
Angie Arendt and Peter McGaugh can both be found on Substack. The Bigger Picture is Angie’s column. Peter’s writings can be found at Elevating Human Decency. Check out their columns. Comment if you can. And follow along, if you are so inclined.
For the past five years, Angie has been a regular guest on Meanderings with Trudy: The PauseCast. Trudy Chapman is the host of Meanderings with Trudy, doing what she can to bring about a bit more joy in the day to day. Angie and Trudy talk about, chew on, and wrestle with things like grace, hope, joy, and grief and every now and again offer up insights about what it is to be human through the lens of the Enneagram. Pour yourself a cup and listen in when you can. It’ll be good to have you there (the link here is to their episode on The Enneagram and Connection).
