Grafted Life Ministries

Chris Freet

Lancaster, PA, United States

Chris has served in various ministry roles for over 20 years. He has been on his own journey with spiritual direction...

About Me

Chris has served in various ministry roles for over 20 years. He has been on his own journey with spiritual direction and contemplative Christian practices for a number of years. After experiencing his own Dark Night during an extremely difficult ministry season, connecting with a spiritual director and the contemplative Christian practices were restorative to his life and soul, deepening his own faith. This has led to a new passion for Chris, he desires to hold space for others to engage with God through spiritual direction.

Chris has received training/education from the following schools:

Listening People to Life, Spiritual Direction Certificate
Kairos University (2024)

Doctor of Ministry
Missio Seminary (2020)

M.A.R. (Global and Contextual Studies)
Evangelical Seminary (2014)

M.A.R. (New Testament Studies)
Evangelical Seminary (2007)

Contact

Phone: (717) 847-2200 (cell)

Email:

Prefer Contact By: email

Available For

In-person Direction: YES

Tele-Direction: YES

Group Direction: YES

Retreat Leading: NO

Languages Spoken

English

Specialties

Works with...

Pastors/Ministers

Leaders

Men

Women

Staci Frey

Budapest, , Hungary

As God's beloved, we are indwelled by the living and powerful Spirit. I view spiritual direction as a time and space...

About Me

As God's beloved, we are indwelled by the living and powerful Spirit. I view spiritual direction as a time and space set aside to pay closer attention to this life within us - to co-listen for the divine yearnings so that we can more openly receive the life God has given us and to more freely release that life to those we are in relationship with.

My spiritual direction certificate is from Truett Seminary and I also received training through the School of Spiritual Direction led by Larry Crabb. I currently live in Budapest, Hungary and primarily serve global workers and missionaries.

Contact

Phone: 512-744-7184 (U.S. cell & Whatsapp)

Website: www.meintl.org/frey-bio

Email:

Prefer Contact By: Email

Available For

In-person Direction: YES

Tele-Direction: YES

Group Direction: YES

Retreat Leading: NO

Languages Spoken

English

Specialties

Works with...

global workers

missionaries

Expertise in...

cross-cultural living

grief and loss

transition

lectio divina

Eldon Fry

Carlisle, PA, United States

Eldon grew up in a very rural setting of the Bitterroot Mountains of Idaho but has spent most of his ministry...

About Me

Eldon grew up in a very rural setting of the Bitterroot Mountains of Idaho but has spent most of his ministry in university and college contexts. He is a graduate of Oklahoma Wesleyan University, Kansas State University and Graduate Theological Foundation (D.Min.) and attended Penn State University. He is ordained in The Wesleyan Church but has served most of his life in interdenominational contexts including Manager of Pastoral Care at Focus on the Family. Eldon is a published author,(Growing Up Idaho and Spiritual Formation: Attention Along the Way) and founded two organizations, The Encouragement Center in Colorado and Open Hands (non-profit) in Pennsylvania. He pastored three congregations that experienced significant growth and served as College Chaplain at Messiah College, College Pastor and Dean of Chapel at Bethel University and then returned to Messiah University as College Pastor and successfully served as a consultant for two significant churches in difficulty. He has taught Christian Spirituality as an adjunct at Messiah University. Eldon taught Spiritual Formation and Counseling in the graduate counseling program at Messiah University and designed a Christian Spiritual Formation model for the university. He received training in spiritual formation and spiritual direction from Kairos Center for Spiritual Formation and Shalem in the D.C. area and has led Sabbath Space for Kairos as an adjunct faculty mentor for a nine-month cohort and served three times as an adjunct at Fresno Pacific University and Seminary. He continues to offer A Day Away, a retreat of silence and solitude for those seeking renewal and teaches and provides supervision for Spiritual Directors. He has been a resource person for a variety of retreats, pastoral teams, conferences, consulting, coaching and as adjunct at Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary and mentor of seminary students from four graduate programs.

Eldon and Ginger have been married for over 58 years. They have two children and six grandchildren with whom they have great fun. Six years ago they moved to a cabin on two acres of white oak trees near Mt. Holly Springs. Eldon retired from Messiah College June 1, 2014 and currently provides spiritual direction and faith coaching for pastors and leaders of fourteen denominations as well as leading retreats and teaching as an adjunct. He recently served as a part time transitional lead pastor focusing on forgiveness and leadership for Daybreak Church and has completed two stints as an interim in Brethren In Christ churches and one Baptist church. His books Growing Up Idaho and more recently Spiritual Formation: Attention Along the Way have been published and are available at Openhandsministries.org or Amazon.
Contact info: eldonefry@gmail.com Phone 717-385-3980
Office and Mailing address: 25 White Oak Drive in Carlisle, PA 17015

Contact

Phone: 717-385-3980

Website: www.openhandsministries.org

Email:

Prefer Contact By: email

Available For

In-person Direction: YES

Tele-Direction: YES

Group Direction: YES

Retreat Leading: YES

Languages Spoken

English

Specialties

Works with...

pastors and church leaders

Expertise in...

Ignatian

Enneagram

men's spirituality

trauma and grief

Lesa Gardner

Wichita, KS Metropolitan Area, KS, USA, KS, United States

Having initially sought Spiritual Direction for a specific season of my life, it has become a life-giving, regular spiritual practice. The...

About Me

Having initially sought Spiritual Direction for a specific season of my life, it has become a life-giving, regular spiritual practice. The benefits I have received are something I joyfully extend to others. They include: being listened to non-judgmentally and attentively, acknowledging questions and disturbances, new awareness of God’s presence and workings in both ordinary and extra-ordinary circumstances, discernment of how to respond to Him, a more personal relationship with God in Christ, help moving from unhealthy patterns, and stamina to walk through dryness or stagnation.

I have been a student of the Bible my whole life. Adding contemplative practices such as Spiritual Direction to that study has made it more personal and practical. I have been drawn more deeply into a relationship with Christ and all the expressions of that love with others.

Having served on the staff of our church for 20 years, God has given me understanding and empathy for the particular loneliness and pressures of spiritual leaders.

Having a safe person where you can be known is wholesome. To have a well-trained witness of your spiritual journey, who can help you recognize where God is at work is life-giving.

God has called me to that kind of hospitality. Praise be to God!

BS from Friends University
Spiritual Direction, 2 Year Program, Sustainable Faith

Contact

Phone: 316-253-5499

Email:

Prefer Contact By: Any

Available For

In-person Direction: YES

Tele-Direction: YES

Group Direction: YES

Retreat Leading: YES

Languages Spoken

English

Specialties

Works with...

Church leaders

students

ministers

family of ministers

terminally ill

marginalized

caregivers

women

Expertise in...

Women’s spirituality

creativity

art

grief

dark night

Nadine Gascho

Kitchener, ON, Canada

Nadine Gascho, MA in Spiritual Formation, certified spiritual director through Soul Stream, Canada Are you longing for a deeper relationship with...

About Me

Nadine Gascho, MA in Spiritual Formation, certified spiritual director through Soul Stream, Canada

Are you longing for a deeper relationship with the Lord in this season of your life? Do you ever wish that someone would come along side you in this journey, compassionately listening to where you are at, while prayerfully bringing you before God? Is your desire to grow in recognizing His active presence (where God is showing up) in your daily life, no matter what the circumstances? Are you in the middle of decision-making and just wish someone were there to prayerfully listen as you seek to discern your way forward?

Spiritual Direction focuses on deepening your relationship with God, while receiving His tender love. As a spiritual companion and fellow-pilgrim, my desire is to offer you a safe space to share your story and to explore the journey of your heart. With the focus on listening for how God is present, I look to the leading of the Holy Spirit (as the true Spiritual Director). Spiritual Direction is an opportunity for you to “just be”, receiving the gentle touch of Jesus in the silence, allowing Him to meet you where you are at. As you share openly and honestly, responding to His invitations, you will grow in both your knowledge of God and of yourself. I will not attempt to fix, heal, or give advice. Instead, I will continue to point you to the One who can, and, who, ultimately, transforms hearts. Whether meeting in-person or through video conferencing, the session with you is an unhurried, contemplative space.

Our time together may include practices such as prayer and Biblical meditation, paying attention to emotions and physical responses, while pausing to listen in silence. In response to God’s invitations, there may be a key scripture to take home and ponder or a spiritual discipline to practice between sessions.

I was born and raised in Zambia, Africa as a missionary kid. My life has been full of a wide variety of experiences, including teaching as an elementary school teacher in Ontario and working in missions in Australia, Malaysia, Scotland, and Canada. While in missions, I became passionate about pursuing spiritual health and supporting others in their own journeys. As a result, I began a quest to experience God’s love and respond to Him. I was introduced to the ministry of Spiritual Direction, which has since become an incredible gift in my own life: enabling me to receive His truth - seeing myself, my circumstances, and the world around me through His eyes.

I consider it a privilege to come alongside, nurture, and support others in their pursuit of God, in this season of my life. I offer out of God’s transforming work in my own life around themes such as: discovering our identity and sense of belonging in Christ, working through loss and grief, navigating transition in ministry/life’s stages, finding God in the midst of loneliness/solitude, and partnering with Jesus as single/married women in ministry. While still in missions, I am particularly drawn to and have much to offer to cross-cultural workers and women in ministry (but am open to all).

After years of being single in ministry, I am now married and a grandmother of nine! As a life-long learner, I enjoy relating with others through ethnic foods, books, and cozy coffee shops. I most deeply connect with God through Scripture, being out in nature (often with my camera), in silence, and through corporate worship.

Contact

Email:

Prefer Contact By: email

Available For

In-person Direction: YES

Tele-Direction: YES

Group Direction: NO

Retreat Leading: NO

Languages Spoken

English

Specialties

Works with...

missionaries

cross-cultural workers

women in ministry/leadership

Canadians

Americans

Asians

Africans

Europeans

Expertise in...

cross-cultural

third-culture kids

life coach

Lectio Divina

women in ministry

singleness

transition

loss

grief

Pilar Gateman

Okotoks, AB, Canada

I am a Spiritual Director, Chaplain, Anglican Priest, Educator, Retreat Leader and Pastors coach. I enjoy walking alongside people helping them...

About Me

I am a Spiritual Director, Chaplain, Anglican Priest, Educator, Retreat Leader and Pastors coach. I enjoy walking alongside people helping them see where God is acting, as we are transformed while finding the Way.
I was trained in a contemplative evocative approach to spiritual direction and am deeply encouraged by walking alongside people helping them notice the work of God as we find the way together.

I am happy to meet online or in person.

Contact

Phone: 403-634-8950

Website: https://www.ftwspiritualdirection.com/

Email:

Prefer Contact By: Email

Available For

In-person Direction: YES

Tele-Direction: NO

Group Direction: YES

Retreat Leading: YES

Languages Spoken

English

Spanish

Specialties

Works with...

Works with leaders

students

clergy

pastors

pastor families

Expertise in...

Lectio Divina

Spiritual Autobiography

Discernment

Ignatian spirituality

Examen

Jenny Gehman

Millersville, PA, United States

I am a freelance writer and spiritual director with 20 years of experience in retreat ministry. My passion is to experience...

About Me

I am a freelance writer and spiritual director with 20 years of experience in retreat ministry. My passion is to experience, embrace, and extend the hospitality of God, at whose table we are healed and made whole. My approach to spiritual direction is to offer a safe space to set your soul down and sift through what’s there. In 2016, I entered what I call my “weeping years.” Years in which I and my husband lost places, people, provisions, and purpose. It was during this time of great grief that I came to know the intimate bending, tending, and mending of God. I reside in the Amish country of Pennsylvania with my husband of 34 years and our adult son who is on the autism spectrum.

Contact

Website: jennygehman.com

Email:

Prefer Contact By: email

Available For

In-person Direction: YES

Tele-Direction: YES

Group Direction: YES

Retreat Leading: YES

Languages Spoken

English

Specialties

Works with...

Works with women

missionaries

leaders

those with chronic pain

Mom's of special-needs children

those dismantling their faith

young and aging alike.

Expertise in...

Experienced in women's spirituality

grief

discernment

JoAnne Geiger

Lehigh Valley, PA,

Hi there! Spiritual Direction was not something I had ever heard of, until the pandemic when I was logged on to...

About Me

Hi there!

Spiritual Direction was not something I had ever heard of, until the pandemic when I was logged on to a 'Soul Care' series provided by the counseling center where I had been attending. Perfect timing!

Not only did the soul care practices meet some deep needs, the idea of Spiritual Direction began to grow within me. After some research, I applied to and was accepted at Kairos University out of Sioux Falls, SD.

The two year program, 'Listening People to Life', was filled with deep, rich invitations to experience God In new/old ways. My cohort or classmates and professors were and still are very close. We continue to meet monthly and even make daily check in calls.

I love to know God in ways that are 'outside of the box' and also in ways that are ancient and profound as well as in the simple ways of living daily life.
I enjoy listening to people's stories and sharing their questions and pondering and intrigues about God and life and how we fit together.

I am also very deeply moved by the real, hard questions and situations in life...and not afraid to be raw and honest with God. I have been through a very long 'dark night of the soul' involving a lot of transition and waiting, and have spent many sleepless nights wrestling with God and my own tough questions. There is a time to weep and a time to laugh.

Most of my experiences with Spiritual Direction has been 'pre-spiritual direction certificate'...as I believe I had offered this gift through youth ministry, missions, small groups and retreats for many years prior, with simply the spiritual gifts that God gave me. Certainly I was learning as I went along and not at operating on a professional level. Currently, I am excited to begin a ministry specifically geared towards Direction.

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

What time is it for you and what is God inviting you to? Reach out, let's take the journey together!

Contact

Email:

Prefer Contact By: EMAIL

Available For

In-person Direction: YES

Tele-Direction: YES

Group Direction: NO

Retreat Leading: NO

Languages Spoken

ENGLISH

Specialties

Works with...

Women

Youth/Young adults

Singles

Missionaries

Teachers

Church Leaders

Seekers

Expertise in...

Women's spirituality

grief

depression

dark night of soul

cross-cultures/missionaries

creativity

sacred pathways and spiritual practices

Lana Gentile

Vernon Hills, IL, United States

My heart and passion in spiritual direction is to create an environment for individuals to come and be a soul in...

About Me

My heart and passion in spiritual direction is to create an environment for individuals to come and be a soul in God’s presence. Spiritual direction is an invitation to explore, and engage the miracle, the mystery and the movement of Christ in you and to experience the deep heart of God which leads to freedom and abundant life in Christ. Together we seek to discover your true desires so that you can live into the giftedness and purpose that God has planted in your heart. Colossians 1:27 tells us that, “God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Just like a caterpillar is created specifically to become a butterfly, each of us is created to be first a child of God in relationship with Him, and second to claim our unique presence in our community. Just like the caterpillar, we need to be transformed from the inside out. The caterpillar spins a cocoon called a chrysalis in which it is encased, and it’s molecular structure is completely transformed into a butterfly. Spiritual direction is like a chrysalis where transformation happens. There is a great mystery in how God transforms a caterpillar into a butterfly. There is also a great ministry in how the Spirit transforms a human soul. In spiritual direction we open ourselves to this mystery, to the Holy Spirit’s transforming presence by engaging various spiritual practices, such as Lectio Divina, Visio Divina, Centering Prayer, etc.

I’m a graduate of Trinity International University (BA in Group & Interpersonal Communications), earned a Certificate in Spiritual Transformation (from the Transforming Center) and a Certification in Spiritual Direction (from Christos Center for Spiritual Formation).

My personal interests are in health & wellness, exercise, yoga, crocheting, crafting in many different forms, seeing God’s creation through my camera, and organizing.

Contact

Phone: 847-951-1583

Email:

Prefer Contact By: email

Available For

In-person Direction: YES

Tele-Direction: YES

Group Direction: YES

Retreat Leading: NO

Languages Spoken

English

Jennifer Gibello

Irvine, Orange County, CA, United States

Earth’s crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God: But only he who sees, takes off his shoes, The...

About Me

Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God:
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes,
The rest sit round it, and pluck blackberries…
from Aurora Leigh by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

I am a trained Spiritual Director with Christian Formation Direction Ministries. I offer direction in person, on zoom and also out in nature.

My role as a spiritual director is to hold prayerful space for you to process questions, longings, and desires in a safe environment. As your spiritual companion my goal is to remain attentive to the spirit of God on your behalf. God is ultimately the director, and my role is to listen to your story, while simultaneously listening to God, helping you become aware of what God is up to in your life. The premise of this relationship is that God is always present and active in our daily lives in a multitude of ways. We are spiritual beings and therefore all aspects of our lives are spiritual. This means that every area of our lives is invited to be shared at a direction appointment. Our time together creates a safe space for curiosity, honesty, discovery, reflection, and held silence. It is a space where there are no experts but two people submitting to the movement of God.

Contact

Website: www.jenngibellosd.com

Email:

Available For

In-person Direction: YES

Tele-Direction: YES

Group Direction: NO

Retreat Leading: NO

Languages Spoken

english

Wendy Gierhart

Cleveland, OH, United States

There's such nourishment that comes to a soul from having another set of eyes and ears on the journey, being seen...

About Me

There's such nourishment that comes to a soul from having another set of eyes and ears on the journey, being seen and known by a compassionate other who is also living this human life. I bring a contemplative, trauma-informed approach to Spiritual Direction, offering a safe place to let your soul rest and check in with what’s stirring in life’s ebbs and flows, in your desires and longings, and to honestly explore yourself within the context of your own unique story and where God is in the midst of it.

I hope to create a spacious place for you to be curious, to lament, to doubt, to savor goodness, to pause and wonder, to ask the questions bubbling in your soul, to dig deeper. I’m here to hold space for it all as we share the experience of being loved by Love.

I’m a Spiritual Director through Cleveland Abbey, a collaborative care practice of spiritual directors, therapists and coaches. I have served in various church ministry and educational roles over the past 15 years, most recently serving as a hospice chaplain and currently as a pastor at Lakewood Vineyard.
I hold a seminary degree and am certified as a Spiritual Director through Sustainable Faith. I also have further training in Somatic Internal Family Systems Therapy and love to bring embodied practices as part of healing care. Out of my own story of healing, receiving spiritual direction, and experiencing how meaningful it is to have a companion on the journey, it’s a true gift to companion others on their own.

Contact

Phone: 845-405-6611

Website: clevelandabbey.com

Email:

Prefer Contact By: email

Available For

In-person Direction: YES

Tele-Direction: YES

Group Direction: YES

Retreat Leading: YES

Languages Spoken

English

Specialties

Works with...

Anyone

Men or Women

leaders

Pastors

those healing from trauma and abuse

Expertise in...

inner healing

life transitions

contemplative prayer

embodied practices

internal family systems

ignatian spirituality

spiritual formation

spiritual abuse

narrative/story work

Deborah Gill

Griffin, GA, United States

My motto is Grace and Truth; and my goal is to be a best friend of Jesus and to love others...

About Me

My motto is Grace and Truth; and my goal is to be a best friend of Jesus and to love others toward the same.

It has been a joy to serve my Lord Jesus Christ as a senior pastor, missionary, professor, and denominational leader of discipleship. I have been married for 30+ years to my kindred spirit, Jan Gill, an architect/designer of churches. We spent the entire 12 months of the 2014-15 academic year "spiritual adventuring”: traveling 12 countries in pilgrimage—journeying deeper into the presence and power of God. We stayed in monasteries and retreat houses, interviewed spiritual leaders, and concluded with a 32-day Ignatian Retreat.

My ministry specialities include retreats, pilgrimages, and working with a few directees or groups a year who are hungering for more of God, desiring to hear the voice of God, or longing to abide in Christ. Many of my directees are women in ministry and leadership; and some seek spiritual direction when facing professional transitions, or wanting to be intentional in life-stage planning, or because they have heard an invitation of the Holy Spirit.

Personally, I have been greatly blessed by Ignatian Spirituality (the Ignatian Exercises, 19th Annotation, Examen of Consciousness, and Ignatian Discernment); Carmelite Spirituality (Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle and spiritual formation coaching with the Teresian Mansions Mapping Tool); and the spirituality of the ancient Celtic Christians and the Desert Fathers and Mothers and their contemporary counterparts.

I have completed the Selah Certificate in Spiritual Direction training program; the six-week English Immersion Course in Ignatian Spirituality at Cova Manresa Spain (above the cave where Ignatius of Loyola wrote the Spiritual Exercises); have a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies (Old and New Testaments); and am an ordained minister.

Contact

Phone: 417-379-5297

Website: SherpaClimb.org

Email:

Prefer Contact By: Email

Available For

In-person Direction: YES

Tele-Direction: YES

Group Direction: YES

Retreat Leading: YES

Languages Spoken

English

Specialties

Works with...

ministers

missionaries

educators

women in ministry

seasoned adults

Christ-followers who long to go deeper and higher

Expertise in...

Ignatian

Brenda Giordano

Bellevue WA, USA, WA, United States

It is a joy to companion with people in this beautiful work of the Holy Spirit where we discern what, where...

About Me

It is a joy to companion with people in this beautiful work of the Holy Spirit where we discern what, where, and how God is moving. Listening to my directees fills me with wonder and awe at how our mighty, creative, and loving God the Father, the Spirit, and our Lord Jesus personally engage with us. My call to spiritual direction started before I knew there was such a ministry when I’d titled myself a ‘spiritual midwife’. The professions that have crafted me before becoming a spiritual director including thirty years as a master’s prepared registered nurse and fifteen years working with multi-national software development teams. I completed a two-year graduate certificate program at the C. John Weborg Center for Spiritual Direction at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago in 2022.
I’ve been married for more than thirty-five years to Jim and we have two sons, one living nearby, and one in heaven. I was privileged to be involved in leadership with Bible Study Fellowship for ten years. I volunteer at my church where I currently serve on the Elder Board. I have a strong creative streak and love to write music and lyrics for musical theater. I’ve also experienced the personal heartbreak and grief of a loved one’s mental illness, addiction, and incarceration. It was this heartbreak that eventually opened the door for me to enter the ministry of spiritual direction. I offer a complimentary session (in-person or online) for anyone interested in seeing if we are a fit.

Contact

Phone: (206) 409-8726 (cell or text)

Website: https://www.brendaspiritualdirector.com/

Email:

Prefer Contact By: Email or text.

Available For

In-person Direction: YES

Tele-Direction: YES

Group Direction: YES

Retreat Leading: YES

Languages Spoken

English

Specialties

Works with...

Lay leaders

pastors

pastor's spouses

IT professionals

business professionals

healthcare professionals

loved ones of the mentally ill

loved ones of the incarcerated

people in transition

people in grief.

Dale Gish

San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA, CA, United States

Catherine of Sienna said God is always looking at us with a gaze of love and we are invited to stop...

About Me

Catherine of Sienna said God is always looking at us with a gaze of love and we are invited to stop and receive that loving gaze. As a spiritual director, I walk with people as they seek to open themselves to God’s love, to experience their belovedness, and let that love overflow to those around them. There are many barriers and distractions, we fall short, we struggle, but God is patient, does not give up on us, and invites us to open our hearts to know his presence and care in every season of our lives.

As a spiritual director and pastor, I offer individual spiritual direction and lead people through the Ignatian Exercises, a life-transforming journey of prayer.

For more than 25 years as a pastor and leader in Christian ministries, I have experienced the joys and sorrows of the life of faith. I worked hard, gave myself sacrificially to God and to God’s people. Along the way, I became depleted, worn down, and came to the end of myself. In that place of brokenness and need, the Lord met me and began a journey of soul restoration. This led me to seek spiritual direction, to discover a renewed calling, and ultimately to become a spiritual director.

I have a passion to walk with others on their journey of soul restoration, to strengthen and encourage pastors and ministry leaders, and disciples of any kind, to help them grow in relationship with the living God. Through the years I have walked closely with spouses struggling in their marriages, those suffering from serious mental health problems, those in times of doubt and deconstruction. I seek to embody God’s patience, care, and compassion, wherever someone is on their journey. I seek to see my directees in and through the love of the Father, encourage them to encounter the compassion of Jesus, and to open themselves to the Spirit’s work in their lives.

I have Masters of Divinity from Bethany Theological Seminary, graduated from both the SoulFormation Academy of Spiritual Direction and Formation, and the SoulFormation School of Spiritual Direction. I was trained in Ignatian spirituality through SoulFormation, have led more than 70 people through the Ignatian Exercises, and now train directors offer the Ignatian Exercises as well.

My wife Debbie and I have been married for more than 25 years and have two teenage daughters. Together we lead a marriage ministry in the San Francisco Bay Area and seek to encourage couples towards God and into deeper connection with one another.

I currently am currently accepting new directees and you can book a free initial session at this link. https://calendly.com/dalemgish

Contact

Phone: (415) 608-4604

Website: https://www.deeplybeloved.com/

Email:

Prefer Contact By: Email

Available For

In-person Direction: YES

Tele-Direction: YES

Group Direction: YES

Retreat Leading: YES

Languages Spoken

English

Specialties

Works with...

Men

Women

Pastors

Leaders

Missionaries

Asian American

Anyone seeking God

Expertise in...

Prayer

Ignatian Exercises

Spiritual Exercises

Mental Health

Trauma

Discernment

Contemplative

Third-Culture

Desire for God

Grief

Midlife Crisis

Burn-out

Discipleship

Enneagram

Bi-vocational

Disorientation

Ralph Gjerde

Montrose, PA, United States

I started my career in the business world and transitioned into full time ministry about 10 years ago. I've worked as...

About Me

I started my career in the business world and transitioned into full time ministry about 10 years ago. I've worked as a pastor of spiritual formation and as a director of a Christian retreat center. I have a masters degree in theology from Wheaton Graduate School and another masters degree in spiritual formation and direction from Richmont Graduate University. I am also a graduate of the Renovare Institute of Spiritual Formation. I became a Christian through the Navigators in college. Major spiritual influences: the lives and writings of Ole Hallesby, George MacDonald, and Dallas Willard. As far as hobbies and interests are concerned, I love mountain biking, traveling, cross country skiing, reading and am now working hard at learning German. I'm a big believer in the need for our lives and ministries to flow from a heart seriously and continually seeking intimacy with our Father. I offer spiritual direction to anyone who wishes to grow closer to Christ.

Contact

Phone: (845)645-6264

Email:

Prefer Contact By: Phone or email

Available For

In-person Direction: YES

Tele-Direction: NO

Group Direction: NO

Retreat Leading: YES

Languages Spoken

English

Norwegian

Specialties

Works with...

Pastors

church leaders

retreat participants

and anyone who wishes to grow closer to Christ.

Expertise in...

Ignatian

Lectio Divina

Karen Gleason

East Lansing, MI, United States

Trained in Spiritual Direction, I have a considerable amount of experience with leading and attending silent retreats. It’s my sweet-spot. I...

About Me

Trained in Spiritual Direction, I have a considerable amount of experience with leading and attending silent retreats. It’s my sweet-spot. I welcome and embrace listening to people talk about their journey with Jesus, in this listening ministry of Christ-centered Spiritual Direction. I give space for them to share, leaning into their stories, and comforting them in the places that they find themselves in.

Spiritual direction is the ministry of listening to God together. I seek to provide a safe, prayerful, and confidential space in which we can do just that, look together for the presence of God in the events of your daily life. My role is to simply come alongside you to help you notice God’s movements. Awareness is key to moving deeper with the Lord. You would come to our times together prepared to talk about your prayer life. I would listen. It's a quiet, contemplative time together waiting on the Lord. I will encourage and support you as you notice (begin to notice or want to notice more) and respond meaningfully to God’s invitations and to greater awareness of Him in all of life.

In a nutshell, I hold space for people to explore the movements of God in their life by asking questions and listening deeply to them and the Holy Spirit, as they seek to become present with the One who is always present with them.

A little bit about me: I enjoy doing a multitude of things not limited to but including studying the Word of God and leading Precepts, family time, homeschooling, connecting with friends, reading, nature, camping, gardening, hiking, being active, laughing, learning, crocheting, knitting, arts and crafts of all kinds, coffee, and practicing thankfulness with contentment. Mercy and teaching are my Spiritual gifts. I’m currently active as a Stephen Minister.

Contact

Email:

Prefer Contact By: E-mail

Available For

In-person Direction: YES

Tele-Direction: YES

Group Direction: YES

Retreat Leading: YES

Languages Spoken

English

Specialties

Works with...

women

men

church leaders/directors/employees

young adults

mature (elderly/aging) persons

grieving

missions

homeschooling

Expertise in...

leading silent retreats

Lectio Divina

Ignatian exercises

centering prayer

listening prayer

body prayer

art

breath prayer

grief

music

rhythms

Larry Glover-Wetherington

Durham, NC, United States

My spiritual formation began when a nursery worker from the church my parents attended visited our home seven days after I...

About Me

My spiritual formation began when a nursery worker from the church my parents attended visited our home seven days after I was born and enrolled me in the Cradle Roll. My father was called into ministry several years later, and church was the context of my life. The first time I remember hearing about God, or Jesus, or the Holy Spirit were childhood experiences in church.

As a young person, I began to encounter major changes and challenges in my life. My college education was interrupted by four years in the Air Force, 1968-1972, where I served in Texas, Japan, and Vietnam. I returned from Vietnam embittered and very spiritually needy. After my discharge from the Air Force, my wife and I moved to Gainesville, Florida, so I could finish my BA degree at the University of Florida. Having been separated a year by the Vietnam tour of duty, we immediately began our church life together again.

The Sunday School lessons were about Joseph in the Old Testament. From my Vietnam experience, I readily identified with Joseph being sold into slavery. I was floored when Joseph said to his brothers, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.” How could he say that? How did he know that? Where did he get his faith? It occurred to me one day after much soul-searching, that from his dreams Joseph had realized that God had called him to a higher purpose. All the tragedies had not prevented God’s redemptive purpose for him and, in fact, had him at the very place God needed him to be.

One Sunday afternoon in my living room, the Holy Spirit brought it home to me that I, too, was loved by God, and God had purpose for my life. I didn’t know how Vietnam fit into that, but I trusted God to bring the pieces together. I encountered Christ so personally and profoundly that I felt healing and acceptance fill my being. I began to experience profoundly transforming spiritual growth.

I had entered the University of Florida to go to their Law School. During my last semester, it was time to take the LSAT. During those weeks, I was also reading through the New Testament devotionally. One day in the Spring, between classes, I sat under a pine tree, still very much in prayer about God’s direction for my life, and I turned to the next chapter in the New Testament, which was Ephesians 3. Shortly, I began to read the words, “I, who am less than the least of all the saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.” God quickened those words to me in that moment, and I knew God was calling me into the pastoral ministry. To prepare I received the MDiv and ThM degrees from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I have now accompanied individuals and churches for 41 years as a pastor.

When I turned 50, I sensed that God was calling me to a different place in our relationship. I yearned for a deeper intimacy with God, a different language for my spirituality, a more expansive understanding of transformation and spiritual formation, and a more effective usefulness in the Kingdom of God.

I had heard about spiritual direction in seminary, but besides the demands of seminary and pastoring a church, my wife was chronically ill, and I was her primary caretaker. She subsequently died at age 40. Her name was Myra Jane (Janie) Wetherington. The epitaph God gave me for her was: "She was the joyful presence of the suffering God." The journey of being present to her through her illness and death has been one of my most profound walks with God both in questions and assurance. I remarried a couple of years later to Miriam Anne Glover, and we combined our names to Glover-Wetherington.

At the age of 50, I entered the Spiritual Guidance Program offered by the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation and received a Certificate of Completion in 2001.

The spiritual journey begins with an inner longing for God, who is grander than us, to satisfy an emptiness within. We may strike out on a search for God only to discover the wondrous truth that God is already searching for us; that our yearning for God is also God’s yearning for us.

Our journey to God is not something we achieve; instead, it is a response of love to God, who wants a love relationship with us that is real and personal. This relationship is a gift that we receive and a choice that we make. The Christian life is not only a journey to God, but a journey with God, within the embrace of God. It is a life lived out of the continual life-giving presence of Christ around us and within us.

Do you have a deep desire for intimacy with God? Have you experienced perplexing spiritual dilemmas and wanted to talk about it without fear of censorship or someone trying to fix you? Has God been at work in your life, but you didn’t recognize that it was God, or how God was leading? Have you been in a period of time where your prayers seem like the doldrums? Does your spiritual life seem dry and meaningless? Does your life seem incredibly busy and without meaning? Have you been away from God for a long time and are wondering how you can cultivate God’s presence in your life? Are you going through a time of major transition? Do those around you look to you for spiritual guidance, but you need a place to talk about your own spiritual concerns? If you find yourself responding positively to these questions, you would benefit greatly from spiritual direction.

I always begin a spiritual direction relationship with three sessions of discernment. We can then prayerfully discern if we are a good fit for that journey. I would love to explore that possibility with you.

Contact

Phone: 19195646061

Website: https://www.CompanionsAlongTheWay.com

Email:

Prefer Contact By: email or phone

Available For

In-person Direction: YES

Tele-Direction: YES

Group Direction: YES

Retreat Leading: YES

Languages Spoken

English

Specialties

Works with...

Pastors and church leaders

pastor's family

missionaries

students

elderly

married couples

military

terminally ill

business professionals

major transitions in life and work

Expertise in...

Certificate in Spiritual Guidance - a two-year program for spiritual directors by the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation

Group Spiritual Direction

Forty-two years pastoral ministry

spiritual direction for clergy and lay leaders

life transitions

Board Certified Coach (BCC ) Certificate # 3189 by the Center for Credentialing & Education

Joseph Goetz

Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Area, USA, , United States

Expedition Ministries Personal Journeys in Spiritual Direction and Spiritual Formation I'm known for being a focused and intent listener. Your story...

About Me

Expedition Ministries
Personal Journeys in Spiritual Direction and Spiritual Formation
I'm known for being a focused and intent listener. Your story matters to me because it matters to God. Our sacred covenant is not just confidential but held with the utmost care and respect, ensuring your safety and security.
I’m a trusted leader and guide specializing in one-on-one spiritual direction and group spiritual formation retreats in the wilderness. My spiritual formation retreats are transformational and custom-made to meet your needs, focusing on silence, solitude, and spiritual growth.
I’m a commissioned graduate of Tending The Holy from Christos Center for Spiritual Formation.

Contact

Phone: 6512103820

Website: In process

Email:

Prefer Contact By: joe.goetz63@gmail.com

Available For

In-person Direction: YES

Tele-Direction: YES

Group Direction: NO

Retreat Leading: YES

Languages Spoken

English

Specialties

Works with...

Men's Spiritual Direction

Women

Men and Coed Wilderness Spiritual Formation Retreats

Expertise in...

Men's Spirituality

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