White's Chapel United Methodist Church

Spiritual Formation and Direction: Finding God and Ourselves in the Midst of Life 

As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. (Psalm  42:1-2)
 
Within each of us lies the desire to find meaning beyond the moment… to discover our true selves… and to grow closer to God and to one another.  And yet, we are often apprehensive in this search and unsure of how to go about finding these answers. 

About one year ago, a survey among our congregation indicated a strong desire for experiences and ways to grow spiritually and in our relationship with God.  
“People are approaching us with an emerging desire,” says Rev. Betsy Godbold, “a desire to grow with God, to experience the wooing of Christ and to take that into the world around them. They are looking for a means to further integrate learnings from the classes they have attended and the books they have read into their lives and to deepen the experience of Christ – transforming information into formation.”

Spiritual Formation and Direction are ancient traditions used throughout the ages as individuals and communities have grown in relationship with God. Rev. Godbold is leading the development of the Spiritual Formation and Direction Ministry at White’s Chapel to help individuals grow into who God says they are.
 
“Growing the Spiritual Formation and Direction Ministry and the Re-Source Center has been a dream for several years”, says Rev. Godbold.  “And yet, it has to be in God’s time rather than our own.  We are being blessed with situations and individuals that God has placed in our midst to help the ministry to grow in ways that only God could have foreseen.”   Several spiritual formation experiences, half-day retreats and Spiritual Direction opportunities are planned for 2008 through the Re-Source Center.
    
The Re-Source Center and Prayer Labyrinth are located at the northeast section of the WC campus. Our goal is for the Re-Source Center to be a place for the surrounding community to re-connect and re-source with God in a personal and spirit filled way. 

SPIRITUAL FORMATION:
Spiritual Formation basically refers “to the Spirit-driven process of forming the inner world of the human self in such a way that it becomes like the inner being of Christ himself”, writes Dallas Willard.  This transformation is possible through the divine grace of God and the everlasting presence of the Holy Spirit.

Jane Grazer and Sarah DeKoven led individuals in spiritual formation experiences entitled “Growing Your Soul” and “Prayer and Healing” over the past few months. Jane and Sarah led groups in four sessions on each of these topics and focused on experiential and practical ways to integrate soulful growth practices into our daily lives. 

Currently, Rev. Godbold is facilitating “Solitude and Silence” on Tuesday morning from 9:30 to 10:45 am in the Re-Source Center.  Solitude and Silence is in integrated opportunity to study the book written by Ruth Haley Barton and to experience the feeling of guided scriptural mediation and the beauty of solitude. 

Possible upcoming Spiritual Formation topics for 2008 include ‘Forgiveness’, ‘Spiritual Disciplines’, ‘True Faced’, and ‘Alpha’.

RETREATS:
“It is intense longing, a deep thirsting for God, which draws us to enter into retreat-whether for a few moments alone in the closets of our hearts (Mt 6:6) or for an extended period of time in an isolated place (Lk 9:28;Mk 6:46).
The thirsty soul retreats from pressing responsibilities and frenzied schedules for a few moments, or for several hours, in order to pray. Both in retreat moments and in the prayer offered, there is reason to love God; for it is God’s love that draws us to retreat, and love is the fruit of our prayers.” -- Shawchuck, Job & Doherty

Half day retreats are offered throughout the year the Re-Source Center. Please Click on the Retreats Tabs for a schedule of upcoming opportunities.

SPIRITUAL DIRECTION:
Spiritual Direction/companioning is a ministry that offers the opportunity to reflect on your life, its events, your relationship with The Divine and others with someone trained and qualified for this ministry. This ministry presumes that the Spirit communicates with all of us through our ordinary, human experiences.

Spiritual direction involves 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.  Through Spiritual Direction, we are encouraged to explore a closer relationship with God. 

In the midst of a busy life, many people find it difficult to find God’s actions in their daily affairs.  Yet all of us at the deepest level yearn for a more conscious experience of God’s presence and love.  As we learn to reflect on the experiences of our daily life with a person trained in Spiritual Direction, we begin to recognize God’s presence and grace all around us.  We come to realize how God’s spirit is truly with us every day and everywhere.  We discover that God has been waiting for us to seek this closer relationship and that God invites us to continue on the journey.  

We are all invited to explore the areas of Spiritual Formation and Direction at WC as we grow in discipleship with God.  For more information regarding the ministry opportunities and offerings please contact Rev. Betsy Godbold at bgodbold@whiteschapelumc.com or at 817-481-4147.

“The more you come to know yourself—spirit, mind and body—as truly loved, the freer you will be to proclaim the good news.  That is the freedom of the children of God.” Henri Nowen