What if the women we were taught to overlook had something to teach us?
How to join my Women's Circle
- Become a paid subscriber. It's $5 a month or $50 a year until January, when it goes to $10 a month. Join now and you keep $5 for as long as you're with us.
- That's it. The Zoom link comes to your inbox before each circle.
If cost is what's stopping you, email me at hello@chelseakimlong.com. I'm not turning anyone away over money. Join any month, and cancel anytime.
Our Next Circle: The Witching Hour
Monday, November 2 (All Souls' Day) · 5 pm PT / 7 pm CT / 8 pm ET · free and open to everyone
Tucked into 1 Samuel is a woman most of us were taught to fear, the medium at Endor. A desperate king came to her in the dark when God had gone silent, and she told him the truth and then fed him. On All Souls' Day we'll gather in her company, light candles, and name the women who came before us. Bring a candle and, if you'd like, a photo of a woman you want to honor. My friend Claire McKeever-Burgett, author of In the Beginning Were the Women, is joining us as a guest facilitator.
Our first circle is free for everyone. Already on my email list? You're in. Watch your inbox the week of.
Who this is for
A lot of us have done our reconstruction work alone. We read the books, unlearned what we were taught, and worked out what we actually believe, mostly by ourselves before falling asleep at night (or sometimes in the middle of the night). It can get lonely.
Something different happens when you're with other women. Someone says the thing you've been afraid to say out loud, and nothing falls apart. Some of us in the circle are pastors, some of us left church, and plenty are somewhere in between. You don't have to believe anything in particular to come. You just have to be curious about cultivating a feminine lens for the Christian faith and for your own life and how you show up in the world.
About me
I'm Chelsea, a writer, liturgist, and meditation teacher, and the author of Faithfully Dissident Daughters (Westminster John Knox). I live in San Diego, surrounded by a group of powerful, supportive women. I know not everyone has that where you live. Thank God for the power of the Internet to connect us across time and space!
What happens in a circle
We meet for about an hour. We start by saying our names, where we're joining from, and one word for how we're arriving. Then we settle in with a short breath prayer and light our candles together. I'll bring that month's woman's story, sometimes with a guest facilitator, and we'll talk about what it stirs up. There's usually some music and quiet time to move, journal, or just sit. We close by naming women who've shaped us and praying a blessing together.
Cameras on are welcome but never required, and you're always free to just listen or catch the replay later.
Before each circle, I send a free essay on that month's woman, so you can read ahead if you'd like. Paid subscribers also get the replay and the liturgy to keep and pray with your own people.
Coming up
| Date | Woman | Scripture |
|---|---|---|
| Mon, Nov 2, 2026 | The woman at Endor (free for everyone) | 1 Samuel 28:3–25 |
| Mon, Dec 21, 2026 | Mary at the Annunciation | Luke 1:26–38 |
All circles are Mondays evenings at 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET, on Zoom.
Time converter at worldtimebuddy.comPast circles: Coming soon
Cost
Circles are included with a paid subscription, along with our monthly book club. It's $5 a month or $50 a year until January 2027, then $10 a month or $100 a year. Subscribe before then and you keep the lower price for as long as you're subscribed.
If you want to be here and money is the obstacle, email me. I'd love to have you join, no questions asked.
Would you rather host an in-person circle of your own? I get it! I crave in-person gatherings, too. Here's how I'd start.