Walk through the Course with expert guides and a community of friends.
Course Companions is an online community of dedicated students and teachers of the Complete and Annotated Edition of A Course in Miracles (CE) who are traveling through the Course together in 2021.
A Course in Miracles is a contemporary spiritual classic.
You may have heard it quoted in the writings of Marianne Williamson, Eckhart Tolle, or Deepak Chopra. It is often called the Bible of the New Age movement.
The Course is a treasure trove of wisdom unlike anything else. It has a unique perspective on forgiveness, love, self-esteem, meditation, God, relationships, and countless other topics.
At the same time, it is also notoriously difficult to get through. Opening its pages for the first time is like arriving in an exotic foreign country. You don’t speak the language and you don’t have a map. What do you do?
You need expert tour guides and a supportive community of fellow travelers. This is exactly what Course Companions provides. Our one-of-a-kind online program takes you by the hand and guides you through all three volumes of A Course in Miracles in a community of kindness, respect, and friendship.
It is mind blowing the difference this is making in my study of the Course.
— Isadora Karcher
HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS
The new year is a perfect time to make good on your spiritual aspirations by committing to the practice of the Course. When you become a member of Course Companions, you select a volume to begin with and then receive the following:
01
Daily commentaries on your section or lesson.
Each morning at 5:30am your time, you will receive an email containing commentary on your section or lesson written by Robert Perry. Each commentary is approximately 800 words and is designed to draw out the main themes in such a way that you can understand them, relate to them, and connect them to your everyday experience.
Read a sample Text commentary
Read a sample Workbook commentary
Read a sample Manual for Teachers commentary
02
Structured reading plans.
We provide you with a reading plan for any volume, which tells you exactly what to read on a given day. The calendar is broken down into a manageable 1-3 pages of reading per day, allowing you to complete the Text or the Workbook in one year or the Manual for Teachers in 50 days.
03
Access to a beautiful membership site for all your materials.
Our Course Companions membership site features every commentary for the Text, Workbook, Manual for Teachers, and Song of Prayer (Chapter 1), as well as three years’ worth of archived classes in one place for easy reference.
04
Weekly classes that offer both traditional instruction and facilitated discussion.
Course Companions Text classes are led by Robert Perry and Emily Bennington and are held on Wednesdays at 11am Eastern. Since we have dedicated 2021 to becoming islands of peace and beacons of love in an uncertain world, each month’s Text classes will constitute a mini-course on a key theme from the Text that is related to that focus. Here is a list of our themes for the year.
- January: Becoming a Miracle Worker
- February: Guarding Your Mind
- March: Undoing the Ego
- April: Teach Only Love
- May: Practicing Forgiveness
- June: Release From Guilt
- July: Healing Special Relationships
- August: Building Holy Relationships
- September: The Means of Sanity
- October: Letting Go of Specialness
- November: Making Peace with Your Brother
- December: Beyond All Idols
Course Companions Workbook classes are led by Mary Anne Buchowski on Thursdays at 11am Eastern. In keeping with the Circle’s 2021 theme, Workbook classes will illustrate how faithful understanding, practice, acceptance, and application of the Workbook lessons will lead us to actually becoming those islands of peace and beacons of love.
Watch a Text Class with Robert and Emily
Watch a Workbook class with Mary Anne Buchowski
05
Sunday Gatherings that offer Course-based prayer, music, sermons, and meditation.
Sunday Gatherings are held on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month at 11am Eastern and are designed as a time when we can all come together in a way that is more like church. Each gathering features a beautiful performance by Neda Boin, readings of Helen Schucman’s poetry, and an inspiring talk.
Watch a Sunday Gathering
This is easily the most effective study program I have used since starting ACIM in 1985.
— Marijke Lewis
ABOUT YOUR HOSTS
Robert Perry
Founder and Lead Teacher
Robert is editor of the Complete and Annotated Edition of A Course in Miracles (CE) and one of the Course’s most respected teachers. He began teaching the Course in 1986 and has shared its insights with students throughout North America and around the world. Robert’s teaching grows out of his dedication to the Course as his own path and his desire to assist others in their own spiritual development. Robert is the founder of the Circle of Atonement and the author or coauthor of more than 20 books and booklets, as well as hundreds of articles, based on the Course.
Mary Anne Buchowski
Teacher
Mary Anne is a long-time Circle teacher who has been associated with the Circle from its beginnings. She spent several years working for the Circle in Sedona, fulfilling administrative, programming, and teaching duties, while being trained as a teacher and mentored by Robert. In 2004, she returned home to Ottawa, Canada and founded, with her husband James Gregory, Course Oasis, the Circle’s first satellite organization. Mary Anne is responsible for the Circle’s Teacher-of-Pupils Training Program and study group leader training and support. She works and teaches from her home base in Ottawa.
Emily Bennington
Executive Director
Emily is executive director of the Circle of Atonement where she leads initiatives – including Course Companions – that bridge the Course’s unparalleled wisdom with practical application. Prior to joining the Circle, Emily led training programs on spiritual intelligence and mindful leadership for numerous Fortune 500 companies. Emily is the author of three books, including Miracles at Work: Turning Inner Guidance into Outer Influence, which is published by Sounds True and features a foreword by Marianne Williamson.
COURSE COMPANIONS BONUS GIFTS
We use the Complete and Annotated Edition of A Course in Miracles (CE) for the Course Companions program. If you have a another version of the Course it’s going to be more difficult to follow along with the community discussions and the reading schedule (for the Text especially). This is why we are pleased to offer new members who join Course Companions before January 31st the following bonus gifts so you'll have everything you need to begin your practice immediately.
JIM JERSEY
JI M JERSEY
BONUS GIFT #1: Free copy of the Complete and Annotated Edition of A Course in Miracles (CE).
Featuring 45,000 words of restored text from Helen Schucman's original notebooks, extensive footnotes, and an appendix of 33 cameo essays that outline ways to apply Course teachings in everyday settings, the CE enables you to better see the Course for what it is, relate to it as it is, and apply its profound truths to your life.
Annual members who join before January 31st will receive both hardback and Kindle versions of the Complete and Annotated Edition of A Course in Miracles (CE) at no extra charge (although shipping fees do apply for non-US residents). Monthly members who join before January 31st will receive the Kindle version at no extra charge.
Valued at $45 (hardback) and $9.99 (Kindle)
BONUS GIFT #2: Finding and Fulfilling Your Special Function (2-Part Workshop)
Each of us has a deep need to make a contribution, to take the best in us and use it to do something of value in the world. We often describe this as our life purpose or our calling. A Course in Miracles has its own name for this: our special function. In this workshop, Robert and Emily help you understand this topic in the Course, navigate through it on a personal level, and avoid the inevitable ego pitfalls along the way.
Valued at $39, this bonus gift includes three hours of webinar content and a 12-page handout.
JIM JERSEY
JIM JER SEY
The commentaries are really amazing. Even though I’ve done the workbook a couple of times, I feel like I’m REALLY doing the lessons now.
— Paul LeBars
Begin your journey through the Course today.
Join Course Companions before January 31st and you will receive:
- BONUS: Free hardback copy of the Complete and Annotated Edition of A Course in Miracles for new annual members. (Shipping costs apply for students outside the United States.)
- BONUS: Free Kindle copy of the Complete and Annotated Edition of A Course in Miracles.
- BONUS: Finding and Fulfilling Your Special Function Workshop. (3-hour webinar led by Robert Perry and Emily Bennington)
- Daily commentaries on your lesson or section delivered to your inbox each morning by 5:30am local time.
- A reading plan for the volume you are studying (Text, Workbook, or Manual for Teachers)
- Access to a beautiful membership site where all of your commentaries, class recordings, and handouts are stored in one place for easy reference.
- Weekly Workbook and Text classes.
- Sunday Gatherings where you can join for a time of Course-based practice, prayer, meditation, and music.
- A private Facebook group where you can interact with fellow Course Companions in a loving and safe space.
- Lifetime satisfaction guarantee. Cancel anytime.
No one is turned away from Circle programming for an inability to pay. For partial or full scholarship information, please email info@circleofa.org.
We have participated in several study groups, but none of them even compare with the thoroughness and deep dive into ACIM that we have experienced in Course Companions.
— Val Cowan
Course Companions FAQs
What is A Course in Miracles?
A Course in Miracles is a spiritual path in the form of a book. Its purpose is to train us to work miracles—to accept and extend to others the healed perception that awakens us to God. The Course consists of three volumes, which are usually bound together, and include the Text, the Workbook, and the Manual for Teachers.
I've never read the Course. Will I be lost?
Not at all. Both beginning and advanced Course students will find a home in Course Companions. We have a large community that ranges from members who have been studying for days to members who have studying for decades. Everyone is welcome.
How much time will this take?
While you are free to go through the Course at whatever pace works for you, if you would like to complete the Text or the Workbook in one year, it’s best to plan for about 15-20 minutes of reading each day. Those who require additional support are also encouraged to attend our weekly 1-hour classes. (These classes are recorded and archived in the membership site so you can listen at your convenience.)
Can I read the Text and the Workbook in the same year?
You have the option to receive both Text and Workbook commentaries at once, however, we do not recommend attempting to read both volumes in one year. This can quickly become overwhelming and, as a result, it’s easy to get discouraged in your practice.
How long does my membership last?
Your Course Companions membership lasts as long as you like. Depending on the payment option you choose, you will be billed monthly or annually until you cancel your subscription, which you can do at any time.
Are scholarships available? What if I have more questions?
Yes. No one is turned away from Circle programming for an inability to pay. For scholarship information, or if you have any other questions related to Course Companions, please email info@circleofa.org.
Studying A Course in Miracles with Course Companions has been the most life-changing experience I have ever had! I've been a spiritual seeker all my life but I can truly say that this has changed me at a deeper level than anything else I've ever done.
— Lynn Weedmark
About the Circle
From our origin in 1993, the purpose of the Circle of Atonement has been to be a bridge into the profound and unparalleled wisdom of A Course in Miracles. We clarify the Course’s sometimes difficult language in order to make possible a deeper understanding of its teachings. We then help you put those teachings into practice, explaining how to apply them in your everyday life. Our work grows out of our commitment to be as faithful as possible to what A Course in Miracles says. It also grows out of our years of dedication to walking this path ourselves and our desire to see the Course’s purpose realized in the lives of students and in the world.
Let's get you started.
A Course in Miracles is an unparalleled gift to the world. Here at the Circle, our deepest desire is to see this gift be received in the lives of students. We have built Course Companions as a bridge that we believe allows just that. We would love for you to join us.