Internship in the Art of Spiritual Direction

A Hybrid Two Year Program with In Person and Online Components

Bread of Life has been preparing people for the ministry of spiritual direction since 1998. Many of these people are now practicing spiritual direction, leading retreats, and facilitating groups. Others have used the experience and tools to enhance their work in ministry, teaching, health care, chaplaincy and other caring professions.

This two-year intensive training program includes monthly Saturday gatherings and periodic weekend retreats that focus on the spiritual formation of the candidate in a context of depth community while building core competencies in the ministry of spiritual direction.

We are intentionally moving some pieces of the program online in order to create wider access and also enable community building and growth in between sessions. However, we still believe that the in person component is an important way to observe the movements of the holy through body language and the energy of coming together in the same physical space. While grounded in Christian faith and practice, this program cultivates the capacity to listen for the movements of Spirit in whatever tradition or life arena they arise.

Prerequisite

Completion of Listen to Your Life, or a like year of personal formation such as Sacred Journey at Mercy Center Burlingame.

Background

We trust that the Mystery called God is fully present in any and all human experience. Our human vocation or ‘calling’ is waking up to this Presence and growing in response in ways that generate new life in our world. 

Spiritual direction attends to that awakening by encouraging partnership with the Spirit’s ongoing work of transformation in persons, communities and in our world.

We consider cultivation of a contemplative attitude and engagement in depth community as necessary to the practice of spiritual direction.

We seek to evoke these elements in our program with:

 · A combination of weekend retreats and monthly Saturdays  designed for the spaciousness needed to take “a long, loving look at the Real” together.

· An integrative and holistic approach that encompasses the whole human soul — body, mind, heart and spirit — evoking both breadth and depth in life and experience of God. 

· Practice of ongoing personal self-reflection with communal dialogue.

· Inclusion of the program components recommended by the peer community of Spiritual Directors International: theological foundations, psychological perspectives, discernment, practicum, supervision, and social engagement.

The next Internship begins with an in person retreat March 15-17, 2024 at Mercy Center Auburn. It is a 2 year program that includes in-person retreats, monthly whole-group sessions, small-group meetings with a mentor and individual supervision sessions. The cost is $3150 per year for 2 years. After an initial deposit of $550, payment plans are available. Limited scholarship funds are also available; please inquire with the office.

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