Trinity Annual Conference

1. What Is Spiritual Direction?

Spiritual direction involves helping people grow in their relationship with God. This happens by inviting people to notice and attend to God’s presence and work in their daily lives, then to discern and respond to God’s invitations for them. Grounded in biblical truth, confidentiality and hospitality, spiritual direction is a ministry that helps you grow in prayer and live into your calling as a follower of Christ. Currently, we are only offering online spiritual direction.

2. What do Spiritual Companions do?

Spiritual direction takes place in the context of a trusted relationship. A spiritual companion is a trained listener who will accompany you as you share about your spiritual journey. He or she will listen attentively to you, and may gently question, challenge or suggest ways of praying and helpful spiritual disciplines that will help you deepen your relationship with God. This sacred conversation takes place in a prayerful atmosphere which acknowledges the Holy Spirit as the director who leads and guides the conversation.

3. How often are these sessions?

Generally once a month. To enjoy the benefits of spiritual direction, we recommend a minimum of 6 sessions to start with, as it takes time to gradually develop trust and open up more.

4. What typically happens in a Spiritual Direction session?

The first session is usually an introductory session for you and your spiritual companion to get to know each other. He or she will answer any questions or clarify any expectations you might have about spiritual direction. You may continue with subsequent sessions together if you feel safe and at ease in sharing your life with the spiritual companion assigned to you.

Spiritual direction sessions are typically 45-60 minutes long. A session might begin with a time of silence, centering or prayer. Then, you and your spiritual companion will often spend time discovering and dialoguing about the movements of God in your life recently. The session will usually end with a time of prayer as closure. A spiritual direction session is a place of openness and safety, where you and everything you bring are welcome and kept confidential.

5. How do I prepare for a Spiritual Direction session?

It will be helpful to review your journal and reflect on the time in between sessions - paying attention to significant inner movements (prayer experiences, feelings, questions) and notable outer events happening in daily life.

6. Is Spiritual Direction for me?                       

People meet with a spiritual companion for many reasons. Some desire to grow in their relationship with God and are seeking guidance on how to take their prayer lives deeper. Some are in the midst of life transitions, facing a crisis of faith or spiritual dryness, or seeking discernment in times of choice. Whether you seek a spiritual companion during a specific season of your life or engage with one as part of your regular spiritual practices, spiritual direction is beneficial in many ways. The direction relationship is meant to be entered into with prayerful and careful attention.

7. How is Spiritual Direction different from other helping and caring ministries?

Spiritual direction differs from discipleship, mentoring, counselling or therapy because the focus is not on teaching, training, problem-solving or dealing with specific life issues, although sometimes they will be addressed. In direction, the focus is on one’s relationship with God and to grow in experiential knowledge of God and self.

8. How much does it cost?

We suggest a contribution of RM50 per session which will be channelled towards the ministry of ICM. However, we do not want financial constraints to be something that will discourage you from being a part of a spiritual direction relationship and we are open to discuss further. Alternatively, we have a pool of spiritual companions under training and supervision that are open to offer spiritual direction at no-cost.

9. How do I get started?

The process of finding the right spiritual companion deserves the same amount of care and accompaniment as spiritual direction itself. Seeking a spiritual companion is a courageous and vulnerable process. Please fill out the application form and we will connect when a suitable spiritual companion is available.

If you’re new to spiritual direction or interested to explore spiritual direction further, apply for our no-cost sessions with our spiritual companions in training (CSPS Program) which will start in April 2022. Applications for both no-cost and paying-option (with our regular ICM team of Spiritual Companions/Directors) are open now.

Get to know our Spiritual Companions under training and the CSPS Program 

Apply for Online Spiritual Direction 

Supervision for Spiritual Directors:

Spiritual Directors are called to the sacred task of holy listening. They commit themselves to ongoing supervision to continue to grow in the practice of spiritual direction for the benefit of their directees, as well as their continual formation. We offer a contemplative, evocative, and compassionate model of supervision that provides encouragement, professional development, and ministry care for spiritual directors. To find out more about supervision for spiritual directors, please contact sweekit.tang@trac.org.my.

For more information:

https://renovare.org/articles/what-is-spiritual-direction

https://www.graftedlife.org/spiritual-direction/about-spiritual-direction