Welcome to the North Park Theological Seminary Center for Spiritual Direction!
Substantial funding for the Center and particularly its program to train program participants in
the ministry of spiritual direction comes from the Evangelical Covenant Church's Sustaining
Pastoral Excellence grant from the Lilly Endowment. Primary goals of the Center are to serve
the ECC and reflect the distinctive heritage and ethos of the Covenant. The Certificate program
includes three summer intensive courses, and during the intervening two years, practicum
courses, for a total of 15 semester hours of academic credit.
Dates: Year 3 (graduating class) and Year 1 (new incoming class) meet August 3-9, 2009.
Year 2 (second year intensive) meets July 20-August 2, 2009.
Application and materials deadline is March 31, 2009.
Statement on Spiritual Direction
The underlying assumption of spiritual direction is that God acts in every area of our lives. God
is present in our marriages and families, our work and working relationships, our leisure and our
quiet times. God is there in our doubt as well as our certainty, in our weakness as well as our
wholeness. To receive the gift of this ministry we need to accept God's presence in all areas of
our lives. We need to commit ourselves to be as honest as we are able about our Christian life,
and be willing to trust in the transforming power of God's love.
Spiritual direction is a ministry of listening, discernment, and prayer in a confidential setting of
encouragement and compassion. Through this ministry one finds a spiritual companion who can
listen to the stories of one's life and help discern the presence and work of God's Spirit. Though
we believe God is always calling us and leading us, sometimes we need a "soul friend" to help us
to recognize God's voice and respond to his presence. This companion intentionally sets aside
the concerns of his or her own life to listen and attend to the experience of God in the life of the
other. The ministry of spiritual direction is the ministry of being such a listener and friend. The
goal of spiritual direction is that those who enter into direction would grow closer to God and
become more the persons God created us to be in Jesus Christ.
Statement on The Center for Spiritual Direction
The Center is a ministry of the Evangelical Covenant Church and North Park Theological
Seminary for the training and equipping of spiritual directors. Rooted in the Covenant heritage,
its identity springs from the Protestant Reformation, classical Lutheran Pietism, and other
evangelical movements. The Center's vision is to provide education of the highest quality,
marked by distinct values of adult learning principles including experience and reflection models
that are practitioner based.
Those who complete the certificate program will be equipped to offer services of spiritual
direction to their respective constituencies. Covenant pastors whose program is funded by the
Lilly Endowment grant will agree to provide spiritual direction free of charge for one year for
three colleagues in ministry. The Center, a cooperative effort between the Departments of
Ordered Ministry and Christian Formation of the Evangelical Covenant Church, and North Park
Theological Seminary, will engage in ongoing research and development in the ministry of
spiritual direction - intended to benefit a wide audience. The Center will also facilitate an
Association of Covenant Spiritual Directors in order to enhance cooperation within a
denomination-wide network of spiritual directors.
Year One: "Spiritual Direction: Listening to the Movement of God" |
| The curriculum for the first year is designed to guide program participants through a process of
discernment. Those who through this year of discernment have their calling to the ministry of
spiritual direction confirmed will continue through the remainder of the program. Others, for
whom the ministry of spiritual direction is not confirmed, will complete their studies with year
one. The curriculum will be designed so that year one can stand alone and provide value for
program participants in itself, or as the foundation upon which the rest of the program is built.
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| Summer Intensive 1: At North Park - one full week, including one weekend (3 sem. hrs.) |
| Given the importance of listening in the ministry of spiritual direction, this course will center on
development of this capacity. Foci will include listening to God, the other, the self, the Word,
and the world. Beginning with an all-day retreat, the course will include personal spiritual
direction, contemplative listening groups, and self-assessment practices for development of
discernment.
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| Practicum 1: work will be done in the students' home locations (3 sem. hrs.) |
Program participants are required to choose a spiritual director and complete 10 sessions (one
hour each) of direction prior to Summer Intensive II. The cost of spiritual direction is the
responsibility of the student.
It is expected that program participants will continue in their personal discernment process to
confirm the gift of direction in their lives. There will be reading assignments, reflection paper
and/or journaling requirements throughout the year. Preparation and readings for Summer
Intensive 2 will be required of those continuing in the program. Students may also choose an
area of interest and pursue that topic more fully. Some work will be facilitated by online
resources.
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Year Two: "Spiritual Directing: Listening to the Movement of God with Another" |
| Summer Intensive 2: At North Park - one full week, including one weekend (3 sem. hrs.) |
The middle year will focus on skill development as a spiritual director. In the classroom
program participants will give and receive direction from each other, developing skills through
practice and evaluation. Participants will be introduced to the practice of the Verbatim, which
will be a requirement during Practicum II.
In addition to developing themes from Year One, there will be presentations on addictions and
12 step programs, anger, grief, physical and psychological health, and Biblical models of
spiritual direction.
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| Practicum 2: work will be done in the program participants' home locations (3 sem. hrs.) |
| During this year, program participants will continue monthly meetings with a spiritual director.
The cost of spiritual direction is the responsibility of the student. Those in the program will also
give direction to one or two persons and participate in regular sessions with a supervisor. An
online series of sessions on dreamwork or other arenas for listening and discernment will be part
of this year as will preparation and reading on topics for Summer Intensive 3. |
Summer Intensive 3: "The Ministry of Spiritual Direction: Listening to the
Movement of God in Church and Community." |
| At North Park - one full week, including one weekend (3 sem. hrs.) |
| This final course will look at the broader scope of spiritual direction as a ministry. Foundational
issues for the tradition will be further developed including the history and theology of Christian
spiritual direction and psycho-spiritual models for understanding the dynamics of spiritual
direction and growth and the varieties of spiritual experiences, and issues in the adoption and
development of this ministry in church and society. Related aspects of the ministry will be
addressed and practiced including sensitivities and competencies for facilitating group direction,
leading contemplative retreats, cross-culturally directing, healing prayer, preaching/teaching/
managing in a spiritual direction modality, peer supervising, managing a ministry, continuing
education, and professional associations. Course participants will serve as retreat leaders and
spiritual directors for the incoming first year class. A two day contemplative retreat during
which we will especially attend to the movement of God in our churches and communities will
conclude the program.
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Faculty and staff for the Certificate in Spiritual Direction will include:
- Richard Carlson
- John Weborg
- Helen Cepero
- Ellen Kogstad
- Paul Bramer
- M. Randolph Thompson
- Ida Regina Lucas Oliver
- Deborah Blue
- Jeff Mitchell
- And others
Each course requires an investment of approximately 110 hours of work that will include a
variety of experiences, disciplines, readings, reflections, and other ways of learning.
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