Spiritual Direction is a ministry of companionship between you, a trained spiritual director, and the Holy Spirit. This is a relationship where we learn to notice and pay attention to the presence of God in your daily life. Through spiritual direction we become aware of God's awareness and the gentle reminders that we are beloved children, made in God's image.

“Our lives are not problems to be solved but journeys to be taken with Jesus as our friend and finest guide.”
Henri Nouwen, Spiritual Direction: Wisdom for the Long Walk of Faith

Questions & Answers

Here are some answers to common questions.

Spiritual direction is a relationship for discernment, which supports your desire to respond to God’s invitations for you. Unlike mental health counseling, however, spiritual direction does not offer a clinical diagnosis or treatment for symptoms like life-impacting anxiety or a depressed mood that has lingered for several weeks or more.

Spiritual direction supports you and your relationship with God when…  

  • You have questions about faith and life
  • You desire a deeper connection with God
  • You desire a deeper connection with yourself
  • You want to grow in your life of prayer/meditation
  • You’re in a time of transition and would like support as you discern next steps
  • You want to respond to suffering and injustice from a place of faith and prayer 

A trained spiritual direction can help you…

  • Notice God’s presence and action in your life
  • Discover new prayer practices to refresh and support your relationship with God
  • Help you listen for who God has created you to be and how God invites you to respond to the people, events, and circumstances of your daily life

You can expect to meet for about an hour. The session begins by taking a few moments to get grounded. That may be an opening prayer, a poem, or silence. Once you feel ready, you can begin to talk about whatever you wish to talk about. People sometimes talk about important relationships, work or lack of work, retirement, life transitions, God sightings in nature, pets, or events in the wider community or world. You can expect a Spiritual Director to listen respectfully and to ask questions that are intended to help you go deeper and notice God’s presence in your life. After an hour, the session ends with a closing prayer.

Spiritual direction is typically a monthly meeting. It can be a long-term relationship (lasting a few years) or it can be a short-term commitment (lasting a few months). Spiritual direction can happen in-person at Sanctuary Columbus or online via Zoom.

You and your spiritual director will discuss and finalize your fee during your first session so that you will be able to plan for this investment of your time, emotional energy, and money accordingly.

Register for Spiritual Direction

Thank you for your interest in signing up for our spiritual direction ministry. Please fill out the form below and we'll be in touch with you shortly.

Registration Questionnaire