This application is for Cohort 2027 of the Certificate in Contemplative Spiritual Direction program, a two-year formation and training program for persons who discern a call to the ministry of spiritual direction. Applicants will be notified of the status of their application within two months of completing their submission.

To complete the application, you will need to submit the following:

• One current reference, including name, phone number, and email address.
• A PDF or Word document of your responses to the short essay questions, found below.
  • Responses must be ready to upload when you are filling out the application. Emailed responses will not be accepted.
• Name and contact information of your Spiritual Director.
• A non-refundable application fee of $75.

Reference

Your reference should be a current spiritual director or a faith community leader (such as a pastor, elder, or ministry leader) who knows you well and can speak to your spiritual maturity and readiness for this program. That person must fill out the online reference form found at THIS LINK. Please share the information and link directly with your reference.

Spiritual Director

This may be your current spiritual director or someone whom you have arranged to begin spiritual direction with. Please provide their name, phone number, email address, and the date you began or expect to begin meeting with them.

Short Essay Questions

Please respond thoughtfully and completely to each of the following prompts before starting the application form. Save all your responses as a single PDF or Word document of no more than five pages. You will be asked to upload that file in the application form. Responses will not be accepted via email.

1. Tell us about your inner life, spiritual practices, and the relationships that sustain you.
2. How do you understand your call to the ministry of spiritual direction? What experiences, relationships, or significant life events have shaped or deepened this sense of call?
3. If applicable, describe your experience of giving and receiving spiritual direction. What in this experience supports your desire to learn more about spiritual direction? Any psychological counseling received or given that has contributed to your insight into human nature? What communal support are you receiving to undertake this training?
4. What attracts you to this program? What specifically do you need from our program?
5. Provide your proposal for program requirements on one page. This includes details on:

• Plans for receiving spiritual direction for yourself, and the length of time you have been in spiritual direction.
• Plans for offering direction to at least two individuals, and the length of time you have been directing if you already have been.
  • Please note that we welcome individuals with a variety of experiences. Some people come to the training having already offered spiritual guidance in some form, whether formally or informally, and we encourage them to share that experience. However, having prior experience as a spiritual director is not a prerequisite. We expect you to direct two individuals throughout the program. We will provide guidance once you are in the program.
• Plans for how, with whom, and where you anticipate applying or using what you learn in this program.

Facilitators

Deedra Rich, Jan Lugibihl, Jane Vennard, Sharon Junn, and Sue Park

Schedule

Applications will close May 1, 2027.

Application Fee

There is a $75 non-refundable application fee. $225 is due upon acceptance into the program. More details will be available upon acceptance.

Contact

For questions about registration or for technical assistance, email lifelonglearning@ctsnet.edu. For questions about the course content, please contact Sharon Junn at junns@ctsnet.edu.

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