Spiritual Direction is a soul care ministry of listening, discernment, prayer, contemplation and spiritual companionship in a confidential setting of compassion and encouragement. It is not counseling, life coaching, or consulting. Spiritual Direction is distinct from our other one-on-one Christian ministries and is not meant to replace them.
Soul Care Spiritual Direction
“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.”
(Apostle Paul, Romans 8:14 NLT)
About Soul Care Christian Spiritual Direction
Other terms used to refer to the ministry of Spiritual Direction are “Soul Friend”, “Spiritual Conversation”, and “Sacred Companionship”. We refer to it as “Soul Care Spiritual Direction” or simply “Soul Care”. It is a relationship with a wise and grounded person with whom to have conversation and pray about what is happening in your life. The spiritual direction relationship can, however, compliment other spiritual resources on our faith journey.
The goal of Soul Care Spiritual Direction is to help an individual deepen their relationship with the Lord, to look to Him for direction, and/or to learn and grow in their own personal spirituality. Our soul is a living, growing thing within us. Like the body, it needs to be taken care of to be holistically well and prosper. Soul Care Spiritual Direction can be a path to clarity in your faith walk.
Christian “Soul Care Spiritual Direction” has nothing to do with our attempting to access the Holy Spirit on your behalf, like a medium. For clarity, Soul Care Spiritual Direction is in no way associated with the work of an occult ‘spiritual advisor’. Christian spiritual directors never read palms, predict the future or involve themselves in occult practices in any way. That is not who we are nor is it what we do. Our spiritual directors are trained listeners who will accompany you as you share about your spiritual journey in Christ. He/she will help you to discern God’s presence, provision and power and the workings of the Holy Spirit in your life. Not only that, but he/she will also help you to identify your personal reactions and responses.
Hospitable, strictly confidential and grounded in Biblical truth; Spiritual Direction is a soul care ministry that helps you grow in prayer and live in your calling as a follower of Christ. During your meetings, your Spiritual Director will help guide the dialogue through attentive listening and thoughtful questions.
Spiritual Direction can also be provided in a small group and/or personal or retreat setting. This specialized area of ministry is not really about being ‘directed’, instead it is about accompanying and encouraging the directee(s) to draw closer to God in order to more fully experience Him in their daily life. While Spiritual Direction may include some level of pastoral care and counseling, it is focused on finding and responding to God even if in the midst of a storm, pain, disorder or some type of challenge.
Spiritual Direction predates modern Christian counseling and life coaching but shares key principles and insights for spiritual formation and mentorship. The main purpose of Christian counseling is healing and restoration by addressing mental health, relational and emotional issues. Christian life coaching focuses on setting goals, creating results and managing personal change. Spiritual Direction, on the other hand, is a mentoring relationship that focuses on spiritual formation and helping the directee find their own spiritual path to a deeper relationship with God. It focuses on growth and wholeness rather than on healing, solving problems and managing personal change. Spiritual mentoring/guidance can be found in the New Testament throughout the ministry of Jesus, the ministry of the apostles, and in the form of the Epistles . Actually, this practice dates back to the early Church.
Soul Care Ministries International, Inc. (SCMi™) provides Spiritual Direction as an outreach ministry service to those who; rather than needing to seek help for a clinical problem, life coaching or consulting; are primarily driven by their passion to know God better and who are looking for personal guidance and accountability toward significant spiritual growth.
The SCMi Spiritual Direction Ministry
At Soul Care Ministries International (SCMi™) our spiritual directors are all clergy persons and mature Christian mentors. Most are certified and/or licensed and have advanced degrees in pastoral care and counseling. More importantly, our spiritual directors are individuals who have responded to God’s call to soul care ministry, are spiritually gifted to serve in this specialized area of ministry, have sought formal training and education to enhance their spiritual gift and sharpen their skills in one-on-one ministry, and are commit to submitting themselves to spiritual direction.
Please bear in mind that spiritual direction services are not appropriate for every person as it is not Christian counseling or life coaching and does not replace your local church ministry. Should you feel that counseling or life coaching is more suited to your needs, please learn more about those services at this link.
Some individuals seek a spiritual director specifically to make sense of spiritual matters as well as God’s presence and direction in their life. There does not need to be a particular problem or crisis. Our spiritual directors will come alongside you, as a trusted friend and companion on your spiritual journey, to help you notice God’s presence in your life, identify and stir up your spiritual gifts and to better understand the unique person God created you to be. We will also help you develop a spiritual path by working with you on prayer, meditation and study.
Our founder, Dr. Linda King, has been divinely inspired to add this most important aspect of ministry to our outreach ministry services. This ministry service was inspired through a very special long-term relationship and spiritual mentoring by an ordained minister who she loving calls her ‘Shepherd Mother’. With a passion for and call to soul care ministry, Dr. King is most elated to introduce this invaluable ministry service through SCMi™.
The Importance of Spiritual Direction
We totally agree with this statement made by Spiritual Directors International(SDI) , “you need someone to whom to turn when things go superbly, when they fall apart, and even when life and ministry are abundantly ordinary”. This, in essence, sums up the importance of spiritual direction. There are many great reasons for seeking the companionship and friendship of a spiritual director, learn more here.
What to Expect
First and foremost, during spiritual direction there will be an explicit and consistent attention to the presence of God. Second, the spiritual director’s goal will be to assist the directee to discern the manifestations of God’s guidance for the directee’s life. During the sessions, the director will listen and asks questions to assist the directee in his/her process of reflection and spiritual growth. The director will also help the directee to be aware of and respond to God’s guidance through the use of scripture and prayer as an essential part of the spiritual direction ministry.
You may elect to meet with your spiritual director once to just have a “Spirtual Conversation” or, you may meet more than once as the Lord leads. Typically, individual spiritual direction involves meeting one-on-one (generally once a month) for about an hour or so. After an initial appointment to get acquainted and determine if this ministry service is right for you, it is helpful to set up three meetings and then evaluate how things are going. Following that, periodic evaluations are encouraged. During your first or second meeting, your spiritual director may request that you complete an enrollment form as well as a free Spiritual Health Assessment.
Our ministry of spiritual direction is provided in a safe, quiet and sacred space. That meeting place may be one of our virtual offices, the spiritual director’s home, a garden, online or other agreed upon neutral location. It must be a place of reverence to encounter God’s presence. Our spiritual directors will also be attentive to honoring the relationship and the experience with appropriate preparation, consideration, care and boundaries.
The relationship between director and directee is a covenant relationship that is established either in writing or verbally and will outline the boundaries of the spiritual direction relationship. We are committed to allowing God to work through us by the Holy Spirit, being a respectful and compassionate listener, maintaining strict confidence and adhering to ethical standards and Christ-centered ministry practices.
Honorarium
Usually there is no set fee for service for spiritual direction. However, our spiritual directors do need financial support in order to be able to offer this ministry as well as to cover expenses associated with use of our virtual offices. We do ask that you honor our suggested minimum. We also ask that you have your honorarium to present prior to or at the time of service. We can accept your credit care remittances via PayPal. In addition, you may be led to donate to Soul Care Ministries International, Inc. such that we may also be able to offer soul care ministry services to those who may be less fortunate. The honorarium should be discussed and agreed upon with the spiritual director in advance.
“. . . You also know the saying, “Workers are worth their pay.” [1 Timothy 5:18 CEV]
How to Get Started
If you would like to explore Soul Care Spiritual Direction as a way to enrich your life, have questions or would like to schedule an initial meeting, contact us. We look forward to serving you.
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