WHAT IS SPIRITUAL DIRECTION…

God invites each of us on a unique journey. As we follow him, there are times when we sense a clear path forward and at other times the trail is hard to find. Spiritual Directors are trained to walk with individuals as they look for God at work in their life. They meet one-on-one with individuals to listen, offer observations, and ask questions. Spiritual Direction is a primarily a listening ministry. Spiritual Directors do not attempt to analyze, fix or problem solve. They listen and offer support and encouragement as you look for God and listen for His voice.

Typically, when you arrive for your appointment (or we connect online), we will take of few moments to connect and see what is on your heart or mind, or where God has you at the time.

Most often, your Spiritual Director (SD) will open us in a time of prayer and offer a few moments of quiet reflection after. This is a good time to take some deep breaths, connect with God and allow the distractions of life to settle, as well as allow thoughts, feelings, and/or emotions God may want us to explore to surface. 

When you are ready, you will break our time of silence and begin the conversation by sharing something that God has given you, or something that you’ve been thinking about or feeling. Your SD will listen without interrupting and ask a question or make an observation when it feels appropriate.

A session lasts around 45-55 minutes and usually ends with prayer. Spiritual Direction conversations happen at a slower pace than normal conversation, include pauses for thought and prayer and deeper reflection. If we are meeting online, your SD will ask that you identify a private secluded place in which to have our conversations. This will allow both of us to focus on listening and being open to the Spirit’s movements.

We believe that God is working in every part of your life – home, work, family life, relationships with friends, hobbies – everything. So, you are encouraged to talk about anything and everything in Spiritual Direction. You may want to talk about a strong feeling you’ve experienced recently, a question you are wrestling with, what’s happening (or not happening) in your alone time with God, or even something from your past that keeps popping up.

It is typical to meet with a Spiritual Director once a month, however not a requirement. You may not have a big thing every month that you want to talk about, but it is helpful to have someone to talk to about the littler things as well. Sometimes the movements of God are subtle, and it helps to have someone to help you notice. Sometimes life moves so quickly that we need a monthly aid to help us take a moment to pause and listen. A monthly session provides the structure we need for stopping to notice. We will ask at the end of the appointment if you’d like to make an appointment for the following month. Or you can check back in when you are ready to schedule an appointment.

Yes. What you share with your SD remains confidential. You, however, are free to share your experience with others however you please. The only exception to this is if you share information that would lead me to believe you have, or are in danger of, hurting yourself or someone else. For ongoing training and development, your SD also meets with a Spiritual Direction supervisory group and on occasion, use examples from meetings to learn and grow. In those instances, your name and other identifying information is omitted or changed to protect your privacy.

Many people are good listeners, but it is encouraged that your Spiritual Directors is trained and certified in it. My two-year training certification came from Sustainable Faith – School of Spiritual Direction. It is a program designed to hone in on particular skills and provide a strong theological foundation for the listening ministry. In addition, Spiritual Directors are committed to journeying with God through their own growing Spiritual practices and engagement in a community of faith, and commit to receiving regular Spiritual Direction for themselves.