The Art of Spiritual Direction
Spiritual direction is a centuries old practice dating back to the early church and to the desert fathers and mothers.
The spiritual director opens a place of hospitality for the pilgrim to explore and reflect on their relationship with God, others and all
of creation.
The focus of spiritual direction is not counselling, pastoral care or advice-giving, but rather helping pilgrims to become more aware of the mystery of God’s presence and action within their human experience and assisting them in making a fuller and freer
response to it.
This spiritual direction formation program is officially recognised by the Australian Ecumenical Council of Spiritual Direction https://spiritualdirection.org.au/formation-programs/aecsd-recognised-programs/
Formation Program:
The program emphasises the primacy of our relationship with God that deepens our relationship with others and all of creation; different forms of prayer and of prayerful attitude, the development of interior freedom and external justice, and attentiveness to the movement of God’s Spirit in all areas of our lives.
The practice of spiritual direction is central and will be supported by ongoing supervision and practice reviews. The focus is prayerful, reflective and contemplative.
Formation in spiritual direction is for those who:
- are called to journey with others in their spiritual life.
- have a mature Christian faith and an involvement in a faith community.
- experience a life of prayer.
- have received spiritual direction from a qualified spiritual director for at least a year prior to commencing the course.
- are already being approached by others for conversations around life and faith.
- have sufficient life experience to open to pilgrims a relational and sacred space of acceptance and attentiveness.
- desire to deepen the faith journeys of others by reflective, prayerful and responsive listening.
Formation Team:
The formation team are from an ecumenical background with training in formation, education, and other fields. All are spiritual directors and members of the Conference of Spiritual Directors (Australia). See About Us.
Course Times: This is a two year face-to-face course held during tertiary terms. There are four three-day modules each year plus triads (a morning each month). These will be held in February or March, May, July and October or November. The next course will begin in 2025.
Cost: $3600 for the two year course (Retreats and supervision extra)
Closing date for applications for 2025-26 program November 2024
Further info and application form – please contact: info@stillpointcentre.com.au
Endorsements from previous participants in Formation in the Art of Spiritual Direction Training Program:
Ann Vogt – “Having completed my training in spiritual direction in this course, I would encourage those who are feeling called, to “take the plunge”. The course will expose you to deep waters of Christian contemplation and the art of Godly listening for others and yourself. “
Elva Neale – “During the course I was led gently by the formators who are so hospitable in spirit to a richer, deeper relationship with my God; from this freer place, the content and experiential nature of the course has enabled me to journey with other pilgrims to deepen their relationship with their God as they meet their God in the experience of their daily lives.”
Donna Davies – “The two year formation journey took me from a place of feeling I would never have the inner knowing to journey with another on their spiritual path – to a place of allowing, trusting and noticing God’s gentle leading and directing of me to ‘lead’ the other….”