Spiritual Directors Formation Programme
Established in 1988, SGM’s two year part-time programme offers comprehensive formation and training in both the theory and practice of spiritual direction. In May 2014 Spiritual Growth Ministries celebrated 30 years of work in New Zealand and 24 years of forming spiritual directors. Our Spiritual Directors' Formation Programme continues to form participants as robust, capable practitioners. We offer a comprehensive exploration of the theory and practice of spiritual direction, supervision for skill development, and significant opportunities for personal spiritual growth .
Our programme is open to mature people and aims to produce informed and competent spiritual directors and spiritual companions who may minister formally or informally in settings such as parishes, schools, chaplaincies, retreat centres, prisons, workplaces, small groups and community centres.
Practical work includes the regular giving of spiritual direction under supervision, and is supported by reading and written assignments and attendance at regular workshops. These events deepen participants’ understanding of spiritual direction and spiritual companionship and offer plenty of opportunities to practice a wide range of relevant skills in a safe and supportive environment.
Our programme is open to mature people and aims to produce informed and competent spiritual directors and spiritual companions who may minister formally or informally in settings such as parishes, schools, chaplaincies, retreat centres, prisons, workplaces, small groups and community centres.
Practical work includes the regular giving of spiritual direction under supervision, and is supported by reading and written assignments and attendance at regular workshops. These events deepen participants’ understanding of spiritual direction and spiritual companionship and offer plenty of opportunities to practice a wide range of relevant skills in a safe and supportive environment.
Conditions of admission
Participants are normally mature people with a grasp of the spiritual life, Scripture and theology, who will have:
Pre- or co-requisites for participation in the programme may include:
For some people a FOUNDATION YEAR will be suggested to enable adequate preparation before entry into the Formation Programme itself.
Participants are normally mature people with a grasp of the spiritual life, Scripture and theology, who will have:
- experience of receiving spiritual direction and making directed retreats
- a degree of wisdom based on life and faith experience
- some understanding of human developmental psychology
- some experience of being approached by others for help with their spiritual journey
Pre- or co-requisites for participation in the programme may include:
- undertaking a counselling or skilled listening course
- gaining familiarity with personality type theory through a Myers-Briggs workshop and an Enneagram workshop
- taking a workshop in Christian Dreamwork
- attending a Treaty of Waitangi workshop (NZ participants)
- attending a five-day silent, directed retreat
For some people a FOUNDATION YEAR will be suggested to enable adequate preparation before entry into the Formation Programme itself.
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Content of the programme The Programme's division into two independent parts - the theory and practice of spiritual direction - is intended to promote the growth of the participant both as a person and as a spiritual director. Theory: This consists of eight modules with reading, study and reflection guides and written assignments (2 essays of approx. 1000 words per module):
(Click here for more details, including additional costs)
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Interested in training to be a spiritual director? If you: - are interested in helping others grow in their relationship with God; - already have people approaching you to talk about their spiritual life; - sense God’s invitation to consider this area of ministry; - demonstrate in your own life and faith journey a commitment to spiritual growth and an awareness of the all-embracing love of God; CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE APPLICATION PAGE CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS for the 2021 programme is SEPTEMBER 20th 2020, although late applications will be considered. Click here for a PDF document which has some further details regarding the Spiritual Directors' Formation Programme. If you have further questions, then email fran.francis@sgm.org.nz. A limited number of applications from outside New Zealand may be considered. Attendance at some training events in New Zealand is required. On conclusion of the programme: A letter of completion and a certificate indicating that all course requirements have been met are awarded at the conclusion of the Programme. Application may then be made for membership of the Association of Christian Spiritual Directors in Aotearoa New Zealand (ACSD). See the ACSD website for details. |
Costs (intake for 2021)
Application Fee: $NZ50.00, if application received by September 20, or $NZ100.00 if received after September 20.
Please note: Applications will be processed when the application fee is received.
Programme Fees:
Year 1 (for the 2021 intake)
The total fee for Year 1 is $3,720.
This is made up of the Year 1 course fee of $3,050 and the $670 cost of the Kohanga Ako residential week.
Year 2 (for the 2020 intake)
The fee for Year 2 is $2995.00. This does not include the cost of the Year 2 Closing Weekend, which is estimated to be around $300.00.
Year 2 (for the 2021 intake)
The fee for Year 2 will remain the same as for Year 1, not including the Kohanga Ako component, i.e. $3,050.00. The Year 2 Closing Weekend fee is estimated to be around $300.00.
All figures are GST* inclusive.
A subsidy of $500 may be available to New Zealand residents on application from the Spiritual Growth Ministries Trust, made possible by the support of the Christian community in Aotearoa New Zealand.
* GST = Goods and Services Tax, 15% at time of printing.
Options for payment include paying by monthly automatic payments or in 3 instalments. See documents below for details.
Additional to the course fees are: (1) Supervision Fee: $65.00 approx. per session, according to supervisor's fee; (2) Other costs, including books, travel, personal spiritual direction, co-requisite workshops (e.g. Myers-Briggs, Dreams, Treaty of Waitangi) and a five day retreat.
Please note that Year 2 fees are an estimate only. SGM reserves the right to increase them before Year 2 begins.
More details regarding 2021-2022 fees are available in the following documents:
Please note: Applications will be processed when the application fee is received.
Programme Fees:
Year 1 (for the 2021 intake)
The total fee for Year 1 is $3,720.
This is made up of the Year 1 course fee of $3,050 and the $670 cost of the Kohanga Ako residential week.
Year 2 (for the 2020 intake)
The fee for Year 2 is $2995.00. This does not include the cost of the Year 2 Closing Weekend, which is estimated to be around $300.00.
Year 2 (for the 2021 intake)
The fee for Year 2 will remain the same as for Year 1, not including the Kohanga Ako component, i.e. $3,050.00. The Year 2 Closing Weekend fee is estimated to be around $300.00.
All figures are GST* inclusive.
A subsidy of $500 may be available to New Zealand residents on application from the Spiritual Growth Ministries Trust, made possible by the support of the Christian community in Aotearoa New Zealand.
* GST = Goods and Services Tax, 15% at time of printing.
Options for payment include paying by monthly automatic payments or in 3 instalments. See documents below for details.
Additional to the course fees are: (1) Supervision Fee: $65.00 approx. per session, according to supervisor's fee; (2) Other costs, including books, travel, personal spiritual direction, co-requisite workshops (e.g. Myers-Briggs, Dreams, Treaty of Waitangi) and a five day retreat.
Please note that Year 2 fees are an estimate only. SGM reserves the right to increase them before Year 2 begins.
More details regarding 2021-2022 fees are available in the following documents:
| sgm_form_prog_fees_2021_intake_-_year_1.pdf |
| sgm_form_prog_fees_2021_intake_-_year_2.pdf |