Spiritual Directors International Leadership Institute
Where Leaders Connect, Contemplate, Create
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wisdom House, Litchfield, Connecticut, USA
The Many and The One: Multi-faith and Interfaith Sensitivities in Spiritual Direction and Formation
co-facilitated by Carol A. Fournier, NCC & Shawn Israel Zevit
>>>> Click here to register online now.
Join Us
Spiritual Directors International has designed an interactive one-day Leadership Institute especially for faculty, staff and directors of spiritual direction programs. If you or your institution is evaluating whether to start a spiritual direction formation program, you are welcome to come learn from decades of experience that will be attending the Leadership Institute. Space is limited to forty participants.
Purpose
- Explore what it means to form spiritual directors, mentors, and supervisors across the spiritual, faith, and belief continuum
- Discover essential competencies for pluralistic contexts
- Engage in practical processes for integrating diverse perspectives
Program
We live in an ever increasingly diverse and globally-connected environment. What does it mean to train “Multi-Faith” or “Interfaith” spiritual guides or directors? As trainers, it is essential to engage in formation that results in competent practice for a pluralistic world. As spiritual directors awareness of pluralistic processes in spiritual formation and how to apply these is foundational to effective service in diverse settings.
The simple diversity in terminology and practice between faith traditions, and the manner in which formation of directors or guides, ministers, and teachers is conducted is profoundly different. The skills cultivated in spiritual formation, while similar, are applied in diverse fashions and by utilizing different spiritual development models.
Many programs offer training within specific faith based theology, while skills such as learning how to hear, listen, and respond to diverse “languages”, orientations, and theologies is essential, it presumes some agreement in belief among participants. What are the implications of such things when as spiritual directors we move in the world of metaphor, symbolism, ritual, prayer and meaning making? How do we open to God’s presence and flow as spiritual directors with whomever we are sharing the journey?
During this experiential program, you share in perspectives that emerge from “Interfaith” and “Jewish” spiritual guidance, direction and mentor formation programs. Through story, song, and active engagement, you have an opportunity to explore new paradigms in formation. Our hope is that you leave the program with some practical ideas for implementing and evaluating your present training programs for pluralistic orientations to formation of the whole director or guide.
Presenters
Carol A. Fournier, NCC is co-founder of the Silver Dove Institute, an educational non-profit. Since 1996, she has offered formation for Interfaith spiritual directors, guides, counselors, educators and ministers internationally. Carol is a nationally certified counselor with a specialty in spirituality and ethics. She serves as a spiritual guide, mentor and teacher in a variety of settings. Carol is the recipient of the 2008 Outstanding Faculty Social Justice Award at the University of Vermont because of her leadership and guidance of the President’s Committee on Spiritual and Religious Life Issues as well as contributions in the area of pluralism and Interfaith service. Presently, she is writing materials for publication in the areas of Interfaith spiritual formation, as well as formation of the next generation of spiritual directors.
Rabbi Shawn Israel Zevit offers spiritual direction at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and the Aleph Mashpiah (Spiritual Direction) Program. He serves on the Advisory board of Yedidyah. Shawn is author of “Offerings of the Heart: Money and Values in Faith Community,” and a recording artist. He is a congregational consultant and is currently Director of Outreach and Tikkun Olam (Social Justice) for the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation.
Schedule: Thursday, October 30, 2008
8:30 a.m. Registration
9:00 a.m. Presentation & Contemplation
Noon Meal provided
1:00 p.m. Presentation, Contemplation, Integration
4:30 p.m. Closing Prayer and Adjourn
6:00 p.m. No Host Dinner in Litchfield
Tuition and Registration
US$85.00 includes midday meal. If members register online, before July 15,
2008, the tuition is US$75. Register now.
Registration Deadline: September 15, 2008. Registration will be confirmed upon
receipt of payment. Fees will be refunded (less US$35 administrative fee) before
October 1. There will be no refunds after October 1.
Sponsored by Spiritual Directors International
Pegge Bernecker, Outreach Developer will host the Leadership Institute.
Location and Directions
229 East Litchfield Road,
Litchfield, Connecticut USA 06759-3002
Telephone: 860-567-3163; Fax: 860-567-3166
The Wisdom House Web site has excellent driving directions, and for arrival via
Metro North, Bradley International Airport, and Bonanza Bus Lines.
Too far to travel for a one-day Leadership Institute? Consider staying longer...
Immediately following the Spiritual Directors International Leadership Institute, join the Friday evening through Sunday noon Casagrande Institute for Interfaith Conversation at Wisdom House. For more information and to register for the interfaith conversation separately, visit the Wisdom House Web site.
Past Leadership Institutes attendees share…
“I loved the great diversity in the group. The
rooms were just the
right size, convenient and comfortable. Lunch was delicious.
There was a good mixture of presentation, small and large
group sharing”.
Patricia McDermott, IHM, Loyola Retreat House
Falls Church, Virginia, USA
“Besides the content and presentations being
very helpful
as we approach developing a training program, the contact
and conversations with such diverse colleagues were deeply
enriching and enlivening.”
Rev. Paul Millin, Rolling Ridge
Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
“Very enlightening. Great to network.
Excellent.”
Rhona Marie Gulliver, SCIC, Audite
St. John, New Brunswick, Canada
“I am blessed to have had the experience to
gather again with
the yearning, prayerful, open sisters and brothers of the wider
spiritual direction community who were invited to a deeper
contemplation, to relationships of trust and risking the new
ways to discern how God is revealing Godself.”
Rev. Lynette Marie Dungan, Uniting Church in Australia
Glen Waverley, Victoria, Australia
Click here to download the Event Brochure.
Click here to register online now.