The Centre for Spirituality of Care and Community
AGM guest speaker – Isabel Thomas Dobson
Isabel Thomas Dobson opened CSCC’s 2026 AGM by addressing the following question:
How can we talk about and model spiritualities of care and community in our current context?
Isabel reflects on how to nurture spiritualities of care and community amid a world marked by hostility, collapsing norms and divisive political rhetoric. She contrasts destructive public discourse with the need for humility, respect and genuine connection. Drawing on her Christian formation, personal experiences of community support, and the Uniting Church’s consensus‑based decision‑making, she highlights listening, collaboration and openness as essential spiritual practices. She argues that spirituality is relational, grounded in meaning, belonging and shared responsibility. Ultimately, she calls for courage, kindness and just action as the foundations for modelling a life‑giving spirituality of care in turbulent times.