Group Spiritual Direction
Group spiritual direction is a process in which people gather together on a regular basis to assist one another in an ongoing awareness of God in all of life. They are seeking support for their responsiveness to God and they agree to support others in that same responsiveness. The process allows for individual sharing by each participant with periods of silence for prayer and discernment. Groups are limited to 3-5 members with a facilitator. Consultation as to one's readiness for group spiritual direction is available upon request.
Essential to the life of the group is the willingness of each member to agree:
- To commit themselves to an honest relationship with God
- To participate wholeheartedly in the group process through prayerful listening and response
- To open their spiritual journeys for consideration by others
- To attend each scheduled session
Spiritual direction in either the individual or small group setting enables a person to:
- Pay attention to God's personal communication
- Respond to this personal communicating God
- Grow in intimacy with God, self, and neighbor
- Live out the consequences of the relationship
Contemplation and personal reflection on one's life and prayer bring this communication to awareness. Articulating and clarifying these experiences with a spiritual director assists the person to notice even more about his/her conscious relationship with God. Direction offers a safe, non-judgmental place of welcome for the directee where his/her experiences are taken seriously.