Who We Are – Mario and Karina – Spirituality Model
An organization for integral human flourishing
As part of the operation of the Cristoforma project, we have legally established ourselves as a non-profit association under the name Association for Dialogue and Formation Towards Human Flourishing. This legal entity underpins and provides an institutional framework for our formative, community, and accompaniment actions, allowing us to carry out work consistent with our purpose and aligned with the common good.
We are a secular, non-proselytizing organization open to interdisciplinary dialogue, whose goal is to promote integral human development from an ethical, spiritual, and community perspective. Inspired by the teachings and traditions of Christianity, we seek to create spaces where every person—regardless of their religious background or beliefs—can explore their inner life, cultivate their values, and strengthen their vocation for service.
In this initial stage, the board of directors is composed of Mario Lamas (President), Karina Gutiérrez (Treasurer), and Sofía Gutiérrez (Secretary).
What is Cristoforma?
Cristoforma is the brand name of the spiritual formation and human accompaniment project promoted by our association. Our vision focuses on human flourishing, promoting the integral development of people, socio-emotional support, and ethical and spiritual formation from an open and dialogical Christian perspective. In Cristoforma, we seek both individual and collective well-being, fostering healthy relationships, emotional growth, a lived spirituality, and genuine commitment to the common good. Our approach is based on a Christian vision of the human being, but our services are available to anyone who wishes to participate freely.
We want to be a space where spirituality, critical thinking, emotional care, and ethical commitment meet and dialogue, giving rise to fuller lives, fairer communities, and a hope that transforms both people and their environment.
Transparency and Commitment
As a non-profit association, all our activities are exclusively aimed at fulfilling our statutory purposes, allocating all income we receive—whether through donations, economic activities, or collaborations—to sustain our programs and projects or to strengthen our institutional resources. We are inspired and guided by values such as trust, transparency, and a vocation for service, which we seek to reflect in each of our actions.
An Open and Dialogical Spirituality
Although Cristoforma was born from Christian inspiration, its formative and accompaniment work is open to anyone interested in cultivating their inner life and ethical commitment to others. We understand spirituality as a constitutive dimension of the human being, not as the exclusive property of any religion, movement or institution.
Therefore, we promote the study and practice of Christian traditions from a reflective, open, and dialogical approach, recognizing their historical contribution to personal and community development. At the same time, we encourage dialogue with other disciplines—such as psychology, philosophy, pedagogy, or social sciences—to respond to the challenges of the contemporary world.
Our approach is formative, facilitating processes of inner transformation without requiring participation in or affiliation with any community. Many of those who participate in our activities come from Christian communities or faith spaces, but participation is open to anyone who shares the desire to grow and contribute to the common good.
Areas of Action and Activities
In coherence with our statutes, we carry out activities aimed at promoting the emotional, spiritual, and social well-being of people, from an interdisciplinary, person-centered approach. These actions include:
-
In-person and virtual workshops on spirituality, emotional health, vocation, and values.
-
Retreats and formation days focused on inner development and ethical reflection.
-
Individual psycho-spiritual accompaniment and emotional support in times of crisis.
-
Educational materials such as books, articles, podcasts, digital resources, and online courses.
-
Spaces for ecumenical and inter-institutional dialogue, centered on spiritual life and well-being.
-
Advising educational, social, cultural, or religious institutions, whether public or private.
Our initiatives are especially aimed at adults and young people interested in their integral development, as well as community leaders, educators, pastoral or cultural agents who wish to enrich their work from an ethical and spiritual perspective.
