A Letter to You, My Readers
On holding space, paying attention, and how you can help me keep going.
Dear friend,
This isn’t the easiest letter to write – because what I’m building, and what I’m inviting you into, matters more than I can explain in a headline.
I don’t want to waste your time. I don’t want to shout above the noise. I don’t want to push something that doesn’t feel true.
But I also don’t want to stay silent when there’s something worth sharing – something real, something fragile, something that just might grow stronger with a little care and a little company.
And so I’m writing – not to sell you something, not to wrap things in urgency or spin – but to speak from the heart. To tell you where things are at with A Curious Follower. To say thank you. To invite you, gently but clearly, to help me continue.
Because this space – this strange, beautiful, growing thing – isn’t just about me. It never has been. It’s about all of us who are trying to live a little slower, a little deeper, a little more awake. And I really do believe there’s something special happening here.
A Curious Beginning
A Curious Follower didn’t begin with a logo or a plan. It didn’t start with a product or a pitch. It began with a question.
It began with slow, uncertain mornings and restless nights. With scribbled thoughts in the margins of books. With conversations across coffee tables. With the ache of uncertainty and the pull of something deeper.
It started, really, as a way of paying attention.
I found myself longing for a faith that wasn’t performative or pressured – one that could hold silence and mystery, one that left room for doubt and delight and holy imagination. I needed something more spacious, more honest, more rooted in the messy middle of things.
And so I began to write. To follow Jesus – curiously, creatively, courageously – and to see what would happen if I did it in the open.
Not to explain. Not to instruct. But to hold space.
To say: here’s what I’m noticing.
To ask: have you felt this too?
To wonder: might we walk together, even briefly?
That’s how this began. And in many ways, it’s still how it continues.
A Shift in Season
Over the last few years, I’ve juggled quite a bit – an internship with Fresh Expressions, some tutoring, local church responsibilities – and that’s before you count the personal milestones that have quietly shaped the backdrop of it all.
But this summer marks a shift.
Not because I’ve stepped out of something, but because I’ve stepped into something. My time with Fresh Expressions came to its natural end – and what followed wasn’t a gap or a crisis, but a call. I’ve stepped more fully into A Curious Follower – not just as a side project or passion piece, but as the heart of what I’m called to create and curate in this season. It’s not just about writing. It’s about connection. Real, rooted, prayerful connection – with God, with ourselves, and with each other.
That’s the thread tying everything together – whether it’s a blog post, a one-to-one session, a Growing with God gathering, or something else. It’s all about creating space in the everyday.
Right now, that looks like several things:
– Continuing to write weekly reflections that invite slow, spiritually-aware attention.
– Hosting Growing with God taster sessions and preparing to bring them to new contexts.
– Completing The Radical Recall to Rest, my first book, and preparing for publication.
– Dreaming into future offerings that remain rooted in intimacy, curiosity, and gentle companionship.
It’s beautifully rewarding work. It’s also costly – not in a dramatic, burnout-glorifying way, but in a very real and practical sense. It takes time. It takes care. It takes resource.
And while I’ve been doing it for a while now – with a handful of amazing supporters already journeying with me – it’s time to ask more openly for help.
A Word on Support
This isn’t a pitch. It’s a letter. But I do want to ask – gently, honestly, without guilt or pressure – if you’d consider supporting this space.
Some of you already are.
You’ve become paid subscribers – and I want to say, sincerely, thank you. Your belief in this work helps keep it alive. It means more than you know.
Others of you have been reading quietly, following along, maybe sharing posts now and then – and your presence here is no less important. Truly.
But if you’ve found something meaningful in these words – if a sentence has helped you pause, or a post has reminded you you’re not alone, or a gathering has helped you reconnect with something sacred – and if you’re in a place to support the work behind it, I’d be so grateful.
Not out of obligation. Not because you owe me anything. But because I believe in mutual support. I believe in community-sustained creativity. I believe that the work of holding space – gently, faithfully, without spectacle – is worth resourcing together.
So here are a few ways you can stand alongside this work:
Pray (or whatever your version of prayer is)
Let’s not treat this like a polite nod. Let’s name it for what it is: a real, powerful form of support.
If you’re someone who prays – please, would you hold me and this space in your prayers?
Pray for clarity, provision, stamina, creativity.
Pray for the people this space is meant to reach.
Pray that I would remain rooted and attentive in a world that pulls in a thousand directions.
If you’re someone who doesn’t use that language but still holds others in your heart, or sends quiet hope, or lights candles, or simply carries names with intention – that counts too.
However you practice it, your spiritual support is no small thing.
Send encouragement when it rises in you
You don’t need to write an essay or share a testimonial. But if a post stays with you, if a line moves something in you, if a session leaves a mark – please tell me. When you share what resonated, you’re not just responding – you’re shaping the space.
I don’t need flattery. But I do treasure honesty. A quiet “keep going” at the right moment can be a lifeline. And I try to do the same when I can – sending a note when someone’s work blesses me. We forget, I think, how much our words matter.
So if you’re ever nudged to say something – don’t hold it back.
Subscribe as a paid supporter
The simplest financial way to support this space is by becoming a paid subscriber. It’s £5/month or £50/year, and it helps cover the very real time, energy, and costs that go into writing, hosting, editing, designing, and sharing this work.
This isn’t just about access to more. It’s about alignment. It’s about partnership. About choosing to help shoulder the weight so that the work can continue – slowly, sustainably, and with integrity.
Become a Founding Member
For those who want to go further – either because you can, or because this space deeply resonates – there’s the option to become a Founding Member.
The suggested starting point is £150/year, but it’s not a fixed amount. Think of it more as “support what you can, above the standard level.” Anything above £50/year helps to build something more than you know – not just for now, but for what’s yet to come.
It allows space for me to consider longer writing, more reflective resources, wider gatherings, and deeper investment in people and places that need this kind of rhythm.
If that feels like something you’d like to be part of – thank you.
Come to a Growing with God session – or host one where you are
Growing with God is one of the most grounded, gentle, and powerful things I get to offer.
It’s not a course or a programme. It’s a reflective space. Where a small group of people come together – not to perform or achieve anything – but to slow down, notice, reflect, and breathe.
It’s shaped by SPACE – EXPLORE – PRACTICE, and it’s one of the most tangible ways I get to embody this work in real time.
The final three taster sessions for August are open now:
– Monday 11th August, 1pm–4pm (UK time)
– Tuesday 12th August, 7pm–10pm (UK time).
– Wednesday 13th August, 9am–12pm (UK time)
Sessions cost £15 per person, and spaces are limited to keep the space small and safe.
And if you’d like to explore bringing Growing with God to your context – a church team, a community group, a retreat – please do reach out. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all thing. It’s adaptable. And I’d love to shape something that suits your rhythm.
Find out more here:
Share this space
If none of the above feels possible right now – that’s okay.
You can still support this work by sharing it with others. Mention a post in conversation. Forward an email. Share a quote or a line that stayed with you. Every time you do, it helps this space reach someone who might need it.
You don’t need a huge platform. Just a willingness to say: this mattered to me. That’s enough.
Finally
This isn’t easy work. Not because it’s unpleasant – I love it. But because it’s slow. It doesn’t chase virality or growth hacks or clickbait. It chooses depth over scale. Meaning over momentum. Faithfulness over flash.
And that means it needs people – not just to read, but to hold it. To support it. To say, “yes, keep going.”
If that’s you – thank you. For your time. Your care. Your presence here.
Whether you’re able to support financially, prayerfully, or just by continuing to walk with me – I’m so very grateful.
If today is the day you decide to become a paid supporter or a founding member, know this: you’re not just fuelling a blog – you’re helping shape a rhythm of connection, reflection, and spiritual attentiveness that I believe is desperately needed.
With gentleness, grace, and abundant curiosity,
Josh | A Curious Follower