What is spiritual direction?
"Spiritual Direction: A Practical Introduction" by Sue Pickering, SGM Workgroup member and former Coordinator of the SGM Spiritual Directors' Formation Programme
Spiritual direction offers quality listening and assistance in hearing God's voice, reflecting on the journey, and facing into the movements of grace in our lives.
Here are some further definitions of spiritual direction ...
“…..help given by one Christian to another which enables that person to pay attention to God’s personal communication to him or her, to respond to this personally communicating God, to grow in intimacy with this God, and to live out the consequences of this relationship”
- Barry & Connolly, The Practice of Spiritual Direction, p8
... a “prayer process in which a person seeking help in cultivating a deeper personal relationship with God meets another for prayer and conversation that is focused on increasing awareness of God in the midst of life experiences and facilitating surrender to God’s will”.
- David Benner, Sacred Companions: The Gift of Spiritual Friendship & Direction, p94.
... "Holy listening"
- Margaret Guenther in her book by that title. She also uses metaphors of hospitality and midwifery to describe the role of the spiritual director.
Click here for a helpful article on spiritual direction, written by Dr Anne Shave after the completion of her PhD thesis which included interviews with people about spiritual direction.
Spiritual Growth Ministries (SGM) offers a two year Spiritual Directors' Formation Programme. Click here for further details about this excellent formation opportunity for training in spiritual direction / the art of spiritual conversation.
Spiritual direction is also an important component of retreats offered by Spiritual Growth Ministries. In longer retreats, each retreatant normally has individual time with a spiritual director on each day of the retreat.
The membership of the Association of Christian Spiritual Directors in Aotearoa New Zealand (ACSD) is spread throughout New Zealand. ACSD has a list of spiritual directors, arranged by region (for New Zealand only), available on their website: http://www.acsd.org.nz. Further information about ACSD, including how to become a member, can be obtained by contacting their Executive through the contact link on the ACSD website.
A number of research papers addressing various aspects of spirituality and spiritual direction have been written by trainees in our Spiritual Directors' Formation Programme and are available for reading and/or downloading in PDF format. Others may be purchased in hard copy format. Click here for details.
Here are some further definitions of spiritual direction ...
“…..help given by one Christian to another which enables that person to pay attention to God’s personal communication to him or her, to respond to this personally communicating God, to grow in intimacy with this God, and to live out the consequences of this relationship”
- Barry & Connolly, The Practice of Spiritual Direction, p8
... a “prayer process in which a person seeking help in cultivating a deeper personal relationship with God meets another for prayer and conversation that is focused on increasing awareness of God in the midst of life experiences and facilitating surrender to God’s will”.
- David Benner, Sacred Companions: The Gift of Spiritual Friendship & Direction, p94.
... "Holy listening"
- Margaret Guenther in her book by that title. She also uses metaphors of hospitality and midwifery to describe the role of the spiritual director.
Click here for a helpful article on spiritual direction, written by Dr Anne Shave after the completion of her PhD thesis which included interviews with people about spiritual direction.
Spiritual Growth Ministries (SGM) offers a two year Spiritual Directors' Formation Programme. Click here for further details about this excellent formation opportunity for training in spiritual direction / the art of spiritual conversation.
Spiritual direction is also an important component of retreats offered by Spiritual Growth Ministries. In longer retreats, each retreatant normally has individual time with a spiritual director on each day of the retreat.
The membership of the Association of Christian Spiritual Directors in Aotearoa New Zealand (ACSD) is spread throughout New Zealand. ACSD has a list of spiritual directors, arranged by region (for New Zealand only), available on their website: http://www.acsd.org.nz. Further information about ACSD, including how to become a member, can be obtained by contacting their Executive through the contact link on the ACSD website.
A number of research papers addressing various aspects of spirituality and spiritual direction have been written by trainees in our Spiritual Directors' Formation Programme and are available for reading and/or downloading in PDF format. Others may be purchased in hard copy format. Click here for details.