Refresh | Make a Submission
Te whakatakoto o ōna kupu
Write for Refresh
Published twice yearly by Spiritual Growth Ministries, Refresh is a journal of contemplative spirituality rooted in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Each issue explores a shared theme through articles, reflections, poetry and visual art and photography, offering nourishment for the spiritual life of the Christian community and beyond.
Long-standing and first-time contributors alike help shape Refresh, weaving a rich tapestry of voices and creative expression that offers companionship on the contemplative journey.
We welcome contributions from writers, poets, artists and photographers that arise from lived experience and invite reflection on the presence and invitation of God.
Refresh, December 2026
Creativity
For our next issue, we invite you to explore creativity as a gift on the contemplative journey. Creativity takes many forms, including imaginative prayer, the arts, writing, gardening, craft and other creative pursuits.
We'd love to hear from people whose creativity is itself a spiritual practice, whether in a dedicated or occasional way.
We welcome contributions from those who share their creative offerings with others, as well as those for whom creativity is a private yet potent dimension of their spiritual life.
You might like to reflect on questions such as:
How has creativity shaped your spiritual journey?
How can creativity be a contemplative practice?
What does this look like for you?
What does the image of God as 'Infinite Creativity' awaken in you?
What role has creative expression played in your spiritual, emotional or psychological wellbeing?
How has it helped you engage with the joys, sorrows, questions and mysteries of being human?
Whose creativity inspires you, and why?
What creative works have opened you to beauty, truth, wonder, healing or an encounter with God?
Deadline for Submissions
Please send submissions by Friday September 18th, 2026 to Refresh Lead-Editor, Kathryn Overall-Cass at kathryn@sgm.org.nz.
Get to Know Refresh
If you're considering contributing, we encourage you to spend a little time reading the current issue and browsing a few past editions. They'll give you a sense of Refresh's contemplative voice, editorial style and the breadth of writing, poetry and imagery we publish.
Kathryn Overall-Cass, Refresh Co-Editor
SGM Kaitiaki of Communications
Guidelines for Contributors
Every submission is read carefully and prayerfully. We seek work that resonates with Refresh's contemplative kaupapa and contributes thoughtfully to the conversation around each issue's theme.
From the submissions received, we choose a selection of contributions that together weave a tapestry of voices, perspectives and creative expressions.
To help us review and prepare your submission for publication, please:
Keep submissions to fewer than 1,300 words.
Submit your work as a Microsoft Word document.
Leave one space between sentences.
Use single quotation marks.
Write in a conversational style.
Use conjunctions where possible.
Use endnotes instead of footnotes.
Use inclusive language wherever possible.
Send images as separate email attachments (minimum 2 MB).
Include a brief biography (approximately 40 words) as a separate Word document.
Include a head-and-shoulders photograph (minimum 2 MB) as a separate email attachment (not embedded in your submission).
Selected contributions will be edited by Refresh editors in accordance with our house style and to work within the available space. A selection of articles published in the print journal may also be republished on the SGM Blog.
What Refresh readers value
Refresh readers are looking for writing that is contemplative, wise, practical and rooted in lived experience. Our 2023 Reader Survey highlighted the seven most popular regular content features people want to see in Refresh:
A contemplative prayer practice to explore.
Essay: a contemplative perspective on a contemporary issue
Contemplative Book Corner: highlighting noteworthy books on spiritual direction and contemplative spirituality.
Contemplative poetry
Kete of Knowledge: weaving voices and perspectives from Aotearoa’s multi-cultural threads.
An emerging voice or trend within spiritual direction
Theological reflection on contemplative spirituality.
While Refresh remains primarily a journal of contemplative spirituality, given that over 50% of our readers are spiritual directors (or in formation) we do intend to make space for content related to spiritual direction.
Receive Refresh in your letterbox
We warmly invite you to receive the print edition of SGM’s Refresh Journal of Contemplative Spirituality twice each year.
Each issue explores a particular theme evoking contemplation and stimulating thought, prayer and spiritual growth.
Whether you are a seasoned pilgrim on the contemplative path or a curious explorer, Refresh is for you.
Printed copies of Refresh can be posted to your home anywhere in New Zealand.
Refresh contains no paid advertising and is offered free of charge to all who request it. This model is made possible through the generosity of our readers and supporters who donate to sustain this ministry.
