The Course in Spiritual Direction
After a number of years being 'directed' some may feel called to look at
becoming a spiritual director themselves. There are a number of courses
available in the South East:
The Essex and East London Course in Spiritual Direction is an ecumenical course for mature Christians. It is a five term course with twenty participants and a core group of five. These twenty five people are from different strands of Christianity, both lay and ordained.
The present core group come from the Methodist, Roman Catholic and Anglican churches.
The course has been running, with different core groups, for some fifteen years with the aim of developing Christian souls to the point where they can act as Spiritual Directors and help others discern where the Holy Spirit is leading them. The course aims to cover all areas of spirituality and is heavily experiential, requiring a high degree of openness and willingness to share.
The current course began in September 2007 and will end at Easter 2009. It is hoped the next course will begin in September 2010 and run to Easter 2012, but these dates are not yet firm. Further information will be on this site, when it becomes available.
Course in
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
An experiential learning opportunity for
those who listen and pray with others
Autumn 2007 - Spring 2009
mainly at
The Chelmsford Diocesan House of Retreat, Pleshey, Essex
and partly at
The Brentwood Diocesan House of Prayer, Abbotswick, Navestock Side
Spiritual Direction is a one-to-one ministry of prayer and listening. The Course in Spiritual Direction is an ecumenical one, sponsored by the Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops of the diocese, which has been offered for over ten years. It is open to lay and ordained Christians of all traditions. It takes place at the Retreat House in Pleshey, a quiet place, offering space for prayerful reflection and spiritual renewal.
The Aim of the Course is to provide an opportunity for course members to grow in spirituality and persona) development. Through shared experience, participants will be challenged to a deeper awareness and effectiveness as they help others discover what God is doing in their lives.
The Course Members will be a group of up to twenty people who are engaged in one-to-one prayer or listening. They will be open to growth, willing to share at a deep level and ready to accept supervision. They should have a mature faith, be emotionally stable and be prepared to bring responsible and wholehearted commitment to the Course.
The Course Programme runs from September 2007 to March 2009. It includes three residential periods and fourteen whole days. Residential periods will take place as follows: 1820 Sept 2007; 15-16 Jan 2008; 16-18 Sept 2008. Course Days are usually on the first Thursday of each month, with the exception of April and August. The Day begins at 9.30am and ends at 4.OOpm.
Methodology Prayer, reflection, discussion and discernment will be used alongside input and practical exercises in this experiential course.
The course will explore the nature of Spiritual Direction; individual faith journeys and spiritual pilgrimage; listening skills; images of God; different traditions of spirituality; the interface between spirituality, gender, personality and human development; and the practical skills needed in Spiritual Direction.
The Course is planned and facilitated by a Core Group who bring the experience of having previously participated in the course. They are:
• Philip Banks (Church of England)
• Linda Barnard (Church of England)
• Julie Cristin (Methodist Church)
• Hilary
Davey
(Church of
England) . . .
• Brian Devine (Roman Catholic Church)
Consultants to the Core Group:
• Canon Christine McCafferty founder member of the Course in Spiritual Direction
• Canon Roger Matthews Bishop's Adviser for Mission & Ministry
a sacred space
a shared listening
a sacramental hospitality