Spiritual Direction, sometimes referred to as ‘spiritual guidance’ or ‘spiritual friendship’, focuses on an encounter with God through human experience and seeks to enable an individual to respond to God’s presence in ever deeper and broader ways. There is a difference between spiritual direction and counselling. Where counselling deals primarily with problem areas of one’s life and attempts to bring healthy resolutions to crises, Spiritual Direction is concerned with finding and responding to God and becoming more attuned to God’s presence in order to respond more fully to that presence in all of life.

HERE is an excellent web description of what we understand Spiritual Direction to be.
HERE is a pdf file which is helpful in giving the questions you need to ask yourself and a potential director.

We offer help and advice to individuals seeking a Spiritual Director. Read the leaflet (HERE) and send answers only to those questions that appear most significant to you now, together with your postal address and email to Fr Patrick for Sussex and Surrey or to The Retreat Association for elsewhere.

Further details via the Bookings Secretary.

Group Supervision for Spiritual Directors
led by Marie Thurtle and Frances Henley Lock

Two hours during the day or evening.
Supervision in a group setting (maximum 8 per group) for those working as Christian Spiritual Directors. Meeting about every six weeks. Jane Russell meets near Chichester. Individual Supervision might be arranged with these and a few more supervisors that we know.

Dates 2007-8 series:
Wednesdays - 2007: Sep 19, Oct 31, Dec 12; 2008: Jan 23, Mar 5, Apr 16, May 28, Jul 9.
Fridays - 2007: Sep 21, Nov 2, Dec 14; 2008: Jan 25, Mar 7, Apr 18, May 30, Jul 11.
COST: Per person per session £15 (£112 for annual series of 8 meetings)

Dates 2008-9 series:
Wednesdays - 2008: Sep 24, Oct 29, Dec 10.
Fridays - 2008: Sep 26, Oct 31, Dec 12.
2009 to be arranged.
COST: Per person per session £16 (£115 for annual series of 8 meetings)

Further details and application forms are available from the Bookings Secretary.

Quiet Days for Spiritual Directors (leaflet)
Led by Jane Russell and Frances Henley Lock
Wednesdays:
2007 November 21st
2008 February 27th
2008 June 11th
2008 November 19th

Retreat and Formation days for Christian Spiritual Directors offering continued learning and reflection for men and women of all Christian denominations engaged in this ministry. The purpose of these days is to provide the opportunity for further learning and prayer to encourage and inspire us in our ongoing ministry.

Timetable::
10.00 for 10.30 am: Arrivals, at Worth Abbey Church Narthex
10.30 am: Talks, Discussions, Workshops
1.00 pm: Monastic Midday Prayer and Lunch (provided)
2:30 - 4.00 pm: Afternoon Session

Food: Lunch, Coffee & Tea provided.
Cost: £23 per day or £42 for two. Payable in advance please.

Learning Days for Christian Spiritual Directors

Retreat and Formation days open to anyone wanting to develop their understanding of spirituality, whether or not involved in Spiritual Direction, offering continued learning and reflection for men and women of all denominations. They are all on Saturdays and with invited speakers on spiritual topics. Please enquire for topics and dates.

Food: please bring a packed lunch - Coffee & Tea provided.
Cost: £26 per day

Timetable::
10.00 for 10.30 am: Arrivals, at Worth Abbey Church Narthex
10.30 am: Talks, Discussions, Workshops
1.00 pm: Monastic Midday Prayer and (your own packed) Lunch
2:30 - 4.00 pm: Afternoon Session

2008 May 10th, Saturday
Managing Conflict in Relationships - Fodhla McGrane
Spend quality time looking at the friction we often experience with others - at work, at home, in the community, and at church. We’ll discuss our typical reactions to conflict, and equip ourselves with effective alternatives for preventing conflict or for helping us and others to get through it. Our sessions will be based on the Bible and the Rule of St Benedict. The day will also provide time and space for personal prayer and reflection.
Fodhla works as a teacher and trainer in interpersonal communication skills, she is an oblate of St Benedict (a lay person who follows the Rule of St Benedict in daily life), she has a PhD in interpersonal dispute resolution in the workplace and her work is published in the Leadership and Organisational Development Journal.
If you cannot make this date, there is a weekend residential retreat (April 11th - 13th) on the same theme and a weekend will also run at Douai Abbey, (February 8th-10th), located in Berkshire.

Other dates and speakers t.b.a.