“Paths of Heart” was born in February of 2014, at the request of a group of people looking for an alternative to “church”. Many had been disenfranchised by their past church experiences and longed for a safe and nurturing community. Colleen Crosson and Mark Sloniker, who had worked in leadership roles in “New Thought” churches for 20 years prior, were also yearning for a different experience – something less structured, more collaborative, non-hierarchical, and free of dogma or doctrine.
Mark and Colleen agreed to hold “gatherings” in their home on Sunday mornings as a kind of experiment. At first, these were modeled somewhat in the style of a “service” that folks were used to, but as the weeks and months went by, they organically began to evolve into something different – more of a collaborative discussion (with lots of music and poetry interspersed) on topics relevant to those attending. The only guideline was (and still is) that these discussions be heart-centered and grounded in love, kindness, compassion, gratitude, joy, and service.
After 2 ½ years, in July of 2016, Paths of Heart serendipitously (with a little help from our friends) became a Human Services non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with an emphasis on education and the arts. We’ve continued to meet weekly, until the Covid Pandemic in 2020 disrupted our in-person gatherings for quite some time. Since then, we have offered in-person and ZOOM gatherings on a semi-regular basis, though attendance has been slow to resume its pre-Covid numbers. Due to financial constraints, Paths of Heart took a 6 month sabbatical of sorts from regular Sunday gatherings, offering occasional other events during this time. As of May 2023, we are back to regularly scheduled gatherings 2-3 times per month. We encourage signing up for our newsletter for up-to-date information on all Paths of Heart events
Paths of Heart is open to all kind hearted souls wishing to grow personally as human beings and in community with others.