Thursday, April 8, 2010, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
The twenty-first century confronts spiritual direction formation programs with vast new challenges. Budgets are down, spiritual formation expectations are up, and many traditional programs have closed, changed status, or are currently in serious jeopardy. Faced with ever expanding change, how do we remain anchored in a contemplative mode as we respond to taxing new demands?
An attitude of gratefulness can guide us! Brother David Steindl-Rast, OSB, believes: "Life is full of surprises. And surprise is the key to gratefulness." Perhaps the attitude of grateful surprise can gift us with new ways of embracing the here and now of the world today when program staffs need to recognize and manage initiatives geared to:
- Societal changes, including new immigration patterns
- Economic impacts
- Government, Health Care, Seminary and Corporate relationships
- Technological advances allowing online outreach and marketing
- Electronic communications with program participants, alumni, and supporters
- PowerPoint presentations, Webinars, and curriculum preparation
Responding to the signs of the times requires program transformation. The 2010 Leadership Institute approaches the challenge within the context of smaller staffs and shrinking monetary resources. Together we will spend time noticing the opportunities these changes offer as well as the challenges we all face. The survival of spiritual director formation and training programs depends on making these transitions intentionally and collaboratively. Let’s help one another through this threshold time.
Institute Teaching and Facilitation Team: Mayra Hall, Carol Ludwig, Sandra Padilla, and Maureen Schlitt have decades of experience working with spiritual direction, formation and training programs, youth ministry, change management, and technological innovations in many settings. They have experience with Webinars and online forums, including Spiritual World Net. They will bring their wide ranging experience to the Leadership Institute and invite a shared community dialogue where together we will explore how to enter and thrive in this new world of spiritual director formation and training. Cost: USD$85.00