For Immediate Release
Spiritual Directors International
Phone: 425-455-1565
E-mail: office@sdiworld.org
www.sdiworld.org International Meeting of Spiritual Directors in Houston, Texas, USAHouston, Texas, February 1, 2009 - People concerned about spiritual well-being, from around the world and across faith traditions, will gather in Houston, Texas, April 15-21, 2009. Looking to the future, the events focus on spiritual companioning in health care, with the marginalized, in inter-faith dialogues and with the next generation, and, will provide a foundation of hope for these challenging times.
Events include: pre-conference institutes on
Men’s Spiritual Journey; Health Care as Sacred Vocation; and, Practices of Spiritual Presence, a free, interactive, public event introducing spiritual direction and being present, with some of the practices of this contemplative ministry. The three-day conference includes workshops with an international faculty and a special mealtime interfaith dialogue facilitated by the Houston-based Amazing Faiths Project, a post-conference Leadership Institute and a Pilgrimage to Sacred Sites in Houston.
Ronald Rolheiser, OMI, is the keynote speaker of the conference, which is open to everyone interested in the ministry of spiritual companionship. Rolheiser is President of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas. His books are popular throughout the English speaking world and his weekly column is carried by more than sixty newspapers worldwide.
Spiritual direction is the process of accompanying people on a spiritual journey. It is a contemplative practice common to all faith traditions with the director called variously companion, counsellor, mentor, teacher, witness, or guide. In these challenging times more and more people are called to this process, both as companion and searcher, individually and in groups.
Spiritual Directors International is a multi-faith learning community that provides support for and communication among spiritual directors, interns, clergy, laity, chaplains, hospice workers and others involved in spiritual care. In addition to hosting educational events, Spiritual Directors International publishes
Seek and Find: A Worldwide Resource Guide of Available Spiritual Directors, Presence journal, Connections newsletter, Guidelines for Ethical Conduct in Spiritual Direction, and other resources that foster the global ministry of spiritual direction.
Google Ranks Spiritual Directors International Number One
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Nick Wagner
editor(at)sdiworld.org
www.sdiworld.org
Google “spiritual director,” using the “I’m
Feeling Lucky” option, and you’ll get the Web site for Spiritual Director’s International (www.sdiworld.org). That’s
because the Spiritual Directors International home page has been ranked first by Google out of more than 4,850,000 possible pages. Change the
search term to “spiritual direction,” and the Spiritual Directors International site is still ranked number one.
“This is very exciting,” said executive director Liz Budd Ellmann. “Since launching our renovated site, it has been our
goal to establish a place on the Web where the entire world can come to learn about spiritual direction.”
“Spiritual
direction,” according to Jesuit Father James Keegan, “is the contemplative practice of helping another person or group to awaken
to the mystery called God in all of life and to respond to that discovery in a growing relationship of freedom and commitment.” Keegan
is a member of the organization’s coordinating council.
According to Ellmann, the next stage of development of the popular
site will be to include a “Seek and Find" directory of spiritual directors all over the world. “Anyone can find a spiritual
director on our site right now. All they have to do is click on the ‘Find a Spiritual Director’ link. Then they can use an
interactive world map to find a regional coordinator who knows all the spiritual directors in their city or area. But we plan to give people
even more direct access in the near future by using the Internet to help connect directors and directees.”
The site also
provides a “how to” segment, according to Ellmann, that walks the uninitiated through the process of finding a spiritual director
that fits with the spiritual and cultural background of the seeker. “Finding a spiritual director is a very personal and spiritual
quest,” said Ellmann. “We suggest a person seeking a spiritual director contact at least two spiritual directors to interview
using some of the questions we provide on the Web site.”
Workplace Expert Discusses Spirituality in the Office
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nick Wagner
Spiritual
Directors International
editor(at)sdiworld.org
www.sdiworld.org
Liz Budd Ellmann, executive director of
Spiritual Directors International, recently participated in a panel discussion on group spiritual direction in the workplace at the Heart of
Spiritual Guidance conference in Palo Alto, California. Ellmann, who established a spiritual direction ministry serving people in the
workplace before coming to Spiritual Directors International four years ago, has a deep interest in how spiritual direction can be used in
group settings. During the panel discussion, she pointed out that spiritual direction is a growing ministry around the world and group
spiritual direction in particular is a growing phenomenon. “I believe spiritual direction can help anyone live a more fulfilled
life,” said Ellmann. “However, most people will likely not find themselves in a traditional, one-on-one, spiritual direction
setting. Bringing the ministry of spiritual direction to naturally occurring groups, such as work groups, is a more realistic way for people
to explore their spiritual journeys.”
Spiritual Directors International began in 1989, in a gathering of primarily
Roman Catholic spiritual directors at Mercy Center in Burlingame, California. In the ensuing years, the organization has grown to include
members in more than 50 countries around the world and in a wide variety of faith traditions. According to Ellmann, the organization
continues to grow at a rapid rate.
For information on resources for using spiritual direction the workplace, e-mail Spiritual
Directors International, office@sdiworld.org.
