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Spiritual Direction

    Home Spiritual Direction

    Spiritual formation is the organic, life-long process wherein God forms
    His adopted child into the image of the Son of God.

    THE POTTER & THE CLAY

    The Hebrew prophet Isaiah states in poetic language that we are clay in the hands of God, our potter: “we are all the work of your hand.” This is a beautiful description of the the formation of the Christian into an object of beauty. Spiritual formation is the organic, life-long process wherein God forms his adopted child into the image of the Son of God. This process “includes all attempts, means, instruction, and disciplines intended toward deepening faith and furtherance of spiritual growth” (Gerald May).

    As we progress in our Christian life, spiritual guidance will come to us in many ways—from friends, teachers and many other sources. When, however, this guidance comes in the form of an intentional one-on-one conversation with the sole goal of one individual’s growth, this is spiritual direction. This special process includes three persons: the spiritual director, the directee, and most importantly the Holy Spirit, who is at the center of the practice of spiritual direction. Through regular meetings with a spiritual director, the directee comes to experience and understand God’s transforming work of the Holy Spirit, leading to an opportunity to more fully respond to God’s personal communication.

    THE HISTORY OF SPIRITUAL DIRECTION

    The Christian church has a long history of modelling spiritual guidance after Jesus, the central biblical model for the practice of spiritual direction. In the New Testament period, the apostles and pastors exemplified this (see Galatians 4:19). Later the monks of the Eastern church, especially those who came to be known as the Desert Fathers and Mothers, more formally defined an emerging tradition of spiritual direction.

    Historically, there are three Christians whose writings have had an especially significant impact on spiritual direction, especially as understood and practiced by Protestants. St. Teresa of Avila’s Interior Castle provides a clear path to spiritual deepening and growth. The Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross has given voice to the experience of the Christian when God seems to have vanished. St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) wrote of his prayer and experiences with God and developed a systematic model for knowing Christ, which he called the Spiritual Exercises.

    In recent years there has been a rediscovery of these men and women, as well as others who left to us writings on spiritual guidance and direction, and a deliberate attempt to adapt their disciplines, practices and teachings to the needs of the modern church (both Catholic and Protestant, in separate, converging streams.) It is this modern application of the ancient art which, when rooted in Jesus, is so exciting for the life and health of today’s church. Among current Protestant writers, we are blessed by the writings of Margaret Guenther, Jeannette Bakke, and Gordon T. Smith.

    WHAT WE OFFER

    Spiritual direction is at the foundation of what we do. Here is what we offer at Emmaus Formation Centre.

    Spiritual Enrichment

    Spiritual Direction: One-On-One
    Spiritual Direction: Church Support
    Spiritual Direction: Retreats (Group / Individual / Pastors)

    EDUCATION TRAINING PROGRAM

    Spiritual Formation Studies Certificate: 2 Year Program
    Spiritual Direction Practice Certificate: 1+ Year Program

    To contact an Emmaus spiritual director, please send your request to ann@emmausformation.ca

    Spiritual Direction

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    • The Potter and the Clay
    • History of Spiritual Direction
    • Spiritual Direction Resources
    • New Cohort 2021
    • Download Application Form

    Courses Open for Registration

    • Placeholder Spiritual Direction 4: The Ministry of Spiritual Direction $905.00
    • Placeholder Soul-Shaping Direction: INTRODUCTION TO SPIRITUAL DIRECTION 1 $815.00
    • Placeholder Soul-Shaping Practices: LIVING THE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES $815.00
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    Spiritual formation gives us some really important Christian tools, primarily the spiritual practices to meet the deep longings and the big challenges of life.
    Rev. Dr. Paul Bramer
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    The testimonies of people who had experienced the benefits of having a spiritual director were moving and inspiring. Your ministry is a wonderful expression of God's love and tender care for His treasures here on earth.
    Steve Read, PHD
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    There's so much more you can learn with other people than when you're just reading scripture by yourself. The Spiritual Direction program has expanded my thinking about God, spirituality and how very different we all relate to Him. I highly recommend this program.
    Tammy Pierce, Emmaus Student
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    The course has developed a new hunger in me for scripture. I also appreciate the time of group spiritual direction as we process together between classes.
    Lynne Ball, Emmaus Student
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    Taking time in spiritual direction to reflect on where God is, day-to-day, has awakened in me, a clarity of vision. It has renewed my passion and continues to be a crucial part of my spiritual discipline. The impact of spiritual direction affects not only me, but my congregation and the community we serve.
    Rev. Angie Song, Associate Pastor, Vaughan Community Church
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    The first course – Introduction to Spiritual Formation – gave us high quality instruction that incorporated visuals, art, music, spiritual direction exercises as well as teaching that reflected a scholarly breadth of understanding and insight into both historical and current Christianity. I’d recommend this course, alone, for anyone interested in gaining a solid introduction into ancient-contemporary Christianity, and grasping something of how our orthopraxy and orthodoxy can fit even better together! Emmaus is a long-waited for gift, to believers and churches in the GTA and surrounding areas.
    Naomi Johnson, Emmaus Student
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    Ministry is challenging and can leave those who pursue it feeling depleted and lonely. Spiritual direction replenishes me. It deepens my perspective, keeps me grounded in God’s Word and reminds me that I am connected with Jesus and his community of friends.
    Rev. Andrew Gordon, Pastor, Compass Church
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    I discovered that I was serving out of a depletion—a growing depletion of soul. And so I knew that I needed someone to come alongside of me, and not listen for me—but to listen with me. And I think every emerging leader needs a spiritual director. Not to replace God. Not to replace the discipline of being in silence, in solitude, and listening to God through scripture, through His holy word, through the presence of the Holy Spirit—but to help clarify the questions.
    Rev. Marc Gauvreau – PAOC Discipleship & Spiritual Direction
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    Spiritual direction and spiritual formation has been a journey that I will continue for as long as I’m in ministry, and as long as I have breath because the benefits are just so astounding, and I can’t imagine carrying on in ministry without it.
    Rev. Ron Shantz, Executive Director, Front Line Outreach
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    How is your relationship deepened and nurtured in the context of your ministry? Many in ministry often say it’s not, and we’re all running around like a chicken without a head. It’s crucial, that we all have—especially in ministry—a spiritual director. These conversations about spiritual direction are immensely helpful because it starts where you are at—of your own ego and of your own desire to be somebody important in ministry. Now I can lead a life where I'm responding to God, rather than soliciting a response from God.
    Rev. John Kim – Pastor Bridgeway Church
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    The Individual Retreat is a process over a period of days where you interact with scripture, learn ways of praying, and develop that kind of personal connection with God. So it’s a process of developing our soul-connection—spirit-connection—with God, so that we are seeing God’s work in daily life, and that we are creating space for God in the crush of the normal things that happen in our daily lives. So that is one of the formation processes that an organization like Emmaus can facilitate or help with in churches—is to run retreats like that, that help people get into that mindset.
    Rick Wukasch – Associate Pastor, The Meeting House
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