Kayla is passionate about creating space for people to experience love, connection, and belonging in Jesus' presence. Shaped by her own seasons of loneliness and grief, she has a heart for working with hurting people. As a spiritual director, she is an attentive listener to the story unfolding in your life, and is committed to helping you identify where God is working to make his love known.
Kayla has a MA in Spiritual Formation from Portland Seminary and is a certified spiritual director. She is an experienced discipleship pastor, having served in Northern Virginia for over 15 years. While Kayla is now based in Charlottesville, she also offers direction over video and phone with appointments in Northern Virginia available upon request.

Since becoming a mother, she has transitioned her focus to nurturing her two very active children. Kayla devotes her days to seeing beauty in the mess and enjoying the simple routines of outdoor play and afternoon naps. She loves meeting new people and gathering around the table, usually for tacos.

Wade Ballou seeks God’s will in the midst of everyday life. He is Anglican and has studied the spirituality of various religious orders. As a spiritual director he seeks to be a companion on life’s journey in the presence of the Holy Spirit. He has a heart for the marginalized person. He has a Certificate in Spiritual Direction Studies from Washington Theological Union and a Certificate in Spiritual Formation from Avila Institute. Wade has been in public service as a legislative attorney on Capitol Hill since 1983.

Desiree has been actively involved in ministry for over 25 years, primarily in education and discipleship. She recently retired from her staff positions as Parish Administrator and Adult Discipleship Director at All Saints Church, Woodbridge, Virginia. She is an experienced teacher, spiritual director and retreat leader, and has completed training in spiritual direction through the Anglican Diocese of New England. As a spiritual director, Desiree’s ministry approach is warm and caring while being firmly grounded in Biblical truth and the spiritual disciplines. She delights to walk with others as they grow in the faith and in their passion to love and serve the Lord. She has experience offering spiritual direction with a variety of people, both men and women, and has been particularly led to serve women in leadership and those interested in exploring spiritual direction for the first time. Desiree appreciates God’s infinite creativity and sees His hand in her experience and enjoyment of the creative process. Her background in design includes professional experience in space planning and design, and amateur dabbling in painting, costume design and her current passion, knitwear design. This translates into her direction style as an expectancy of the variety of ways God is at work in His people and as a willingness to walk with others as they discover how God leads and guides them. Along with her husband, Steve, Desiree recently retired to Hoover, Alabama to be near their grown daughter, son-in- law and two grandsons.

Nancy’s discovery of spiritual direction came during a dark night of the soul experience in mid-life. It opened up a new way of being with God as she explored her own faith journey, finding delight in new rhythms of spiritual practices and the freedom to embrace a more contemplative spirituality. Her journey has been shaped by many years on the mission field, pastoral ministry, and nurturing her own children. After years of striving and a performance-based identity, she is learning to “live loved” and embrace the beauty and grace of God’s presence in the daily ordinary.

Over a lifetime of varied ministry, Nancy’s greatest joy has been providing a listening, welcoming space for others to share their journeys and deepen their awareness of God’s presence and activity. Her training as a spiritual director came through a two-year program with Sustainable Faith. Having faced many challenges and disappointments during a lifetime of ministry in the church and mission field, she is drawn to walk with others who serve in church leadership and ministry. She has a heart for moms in the throes of parenting as well as those who have moved into the empty nest stage and are exploring the second half of life. Nancy loves bringing others together around her table and has especially enjoyed sitting with the young adults who have frequented her home and explored their faith journeys.

Her favorite moments often take place in conversation over coffee or tea, biking, kayaking, sitting with a good book by any body of water, and laughing with her grandchildren. She and her husband make their home in the Lancaster PA area where she welcomes others for spiritual direction. She is also available for direction by video or phone.

Wanda has served in many ministry roles over the years. She was on Young Life staff for 15 years and then served full-time on a church staff for over 20 years. Recently, the Lord shifted her focus from the church to coming on the staff of YoungLives, which is the name of Young Life’s ministry serving teenage mothers and their babies.  Wanda is also now part of the Baltimore Coracle staff team.

Over the years, Wanda’s faith has been developed and deepened by some very intentional Bible studies, small groups with trusted friends, and taking part in Transforming Leadership Community, which is a 2-year spiritual formation training program of the Transforming Center. This experience propelled her deeper into the spiritual disciplines and spiritual direction, resulting in her studying for and becoming a licensed Spiritual Director through Sustainable Faith, a position in which she also serves with Coracle. Wanda cherishes the opportunity to meet with people and create a safe place for them to explore the presence of the Lord in their daily lives – in their hurts and pains and losses.

Wanda lives in Towson, Maryland with her two adorable pupppies – Frankie and Georgie.  She loves gardening, browsing at the local farmer markets, long walks, experiencing sunrise at the beach, good food, and conversation around the table with friends.

John has completed the training program with Sustainable Faith’s School of Spiritual Direction (Sustainable Faith is a collective of pastors and spiritual directors). He completed undergraduate studies at the University of North Carolina, majoring in Classics with a focus on the study of ancient Greek. After completing studies for a Master of Divinity degree and doctoral work for a Ph.D. in biblical studies, John pursued a calling to teach Greek and New Testament at his alma mater Erskine Theological Seminary, in South Carolina. After 10 years of teaching seminary students, John and his wife Sarah became involved in parish ministry, which opened a door to serve in Christian school settings.

After 20 years of leadership in Christian schools in South Carolina, Michigan, and Maryland, John and his wife Sarah, who has been a nurse for over 40 years, decided to settle near Charlotte, NC to be near family and to embark on a new season of life. They have been blessed with 5 children and 14 grandchildren and are treasuring more time with family. In addition to teaching upper school students part-time at a nearby Christian school, John enjoys reading across a broad spectrum of subjects, especially spiritual classics, and engaging in opportunities to grow in his own practice of spiritual disciplines. He also takes on house projects and can sometimes be caught listening to Bob Dylan songs as he works. As a spiritual director, John is finding great delight in offering time and space that invites others to explore the richness of their own unique spiritual journeys and to discover the value of stillness, silence, and paying attention to oneself as integral to becoming attentive to God’s presence and to the presence of others. John and Sarah recently joined Redeemer Church in Charlotte, NC, being attracted by its vision for the use of ancient worship liturgies, especially the weekly celebration of Jesus’ invitation to partake of the bread and the wine, and by Redeemer’s intentional emphasis upon the spiritual formation of God’s people in Christ.

Are you in the midst of decision-making and wish for a prayerful companion as you seek to discern your way? Do you ever wish for someone who will compassionately hear and carefully hold the stories that you hesitate to tell others, while bringing them before God? Are you longing to know and grow in God more deeply, and to recognize God’s presence in your day-to-day life, no matter what the circumstances? I am pleased to offer the ministry of contemplative spiritual direction to accompany you on your journey, contemplative in the sense that, while knowing that words are important, so is the silence that allows the space and time to hearken to the Spirit’s voice. I offer in-person spiritual direction in my home in the Dillsburg, PA area, as well as long-distance through Skype and Zoom platforms.

A bit about me…My husband and I share our rural life with 3 goats, 5 hens, a seemingly infinite number of native bees, butterflies and birds, frogs, salamanders, and wild mammals who come to our abundant gardens and small pond, evidence of desire for restoration and nurture of the land as well as people. While steeped in a contemplative, God-in-all-things Ignatian spirituality and accompanying people through the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, the prayers of the ancient Celtic Christians that recognized and experienced God in the mundane and uncertainties of everyday life, in the wildness of the natural world and in the close Presence of Jesus, have become my soul’s own language.

My faith background has been varied. God called me into faith as a high schooler and, in fits and starts, that faith has grown through the years, including a three-year gardening education assignment with Mennonite Central Committee in Botswana, raising my three, variously home-educated, children in the Brethren in Christ (an evangelical Anabaptist) denomination, and serving at the altar in a small Episcopal church in the Washington, DC area.

I am a contemplative, a naturalist, and a gardener, making space for God’s creatures to thrive and for people to find God’s Presence in the peace and quiet that surrounds our home. I  keep a blog entitled Earthy Blessings, www.earthyblessings.com exploring in poetic form the intersection of relationship with God and the love of the natural world. I also, now and then, present and lead retreats on the prayers and invitations of Celtic Christian spirituality https://vimeo.com/823329345.

I have experienced enough grief and struggle in my life to realize that none of us makes it to heaven unscathed and know the value of the safe and comforting space that spiritual direction provides. Whether you come for particular, immediate needs, or are looking for a long-term spiritual direction relationship, you are welcome. May God guide you on your journey.

**Reina is not accepting new directees at this time. If you would like assistance in connecting with a Director, please contact Margot Eyring, our Spiritual Direction Coordinator.**

Reina has spent most of her childhood and adult life in Minnesota but has also lived in Japan, Florida, Illinois and Alexandria, VA. She came to faith in Jesus Christ during her early college years and was nurtured in her faith within the evangelical church. Her journey into spiritual direction began in her early 50’s and was generated from a sense of missing something in her spiritual walk, accompanied by a longing to experience a deeper connection with God. This path has opened her perspective regarding who God is to her, and who she is to Him. It has been a journey of discovering how to be with God, and not just what to do for Him. She has walked slowly, with intention, through the Ignatian exercises, experiencing transformation through imaginative prayer. She has embraced new spiritual practices and forms of prayer that were not part of her evangelical upbringing.  The contemplative life with the Trinity has been a re-awakening and a deepening of the faith that God invited her to in her young adulthood.

Reina is willing to meet with any person exploring ways to walk deeper in their faith. She has been enriched by companioning young adults as they explore who God is and how the Divine reveals Himself/Herself to them.  Regardless of age, she is open to pondering life’s tough questions and transitions, and to listen for God’s whisper amid the competing voices of our culture and time. Her heart leans towards those in leadership roles, particularly pastors, spouses of pastors, spiritual directors in training, and individuals who minister tirelessly. Reina offers each of these companionship as they consider their identity and calling.

She completed her training in spiritual direction through Richmont Graduate University (RGU) in Atlanta, GA, and ultimately obtained a Master’s degree in Spiritual Formation and Direction at RGU. She has also completed the Renovaré Institute for Spiritual Formation.  She is employed as a coordinator of a training program for spiritual direction through Christos Center for Spiritual Formation. She also has completed training in offering the Extended Ignatian Exercises, as well as training in the Enneagram offered through the Enneagram Prison Project.

Reina resides predominantly in Minnesota, but makes frequent trips to the DC area for family and ministry. She offers direction via Zoom to those who are willing to meet remotely. When in DC she and her husband have attended National Community Church. When in Minnesota, she attends Calvary Church in White Bear Township.

Reina and her husband enjoy biking, running, and cross country skiing, especially when they can return to northwest Wisconsin and the Chequamegon National Forest.  She is the mother of two grown sons who are married. Her newest family role is being the grandmother of four precious grandchildren.

How then are we to live? The journey of this life is replete with questions, mysteries, sorrows, wonders, joys, pains, and unknowns. How do we pay attention to receive what life offers and so flourish?

The practice of spiritual direction/soul shepherding broadened the landscape of my recognition of the spaciousness of God. In my fifth decade, the contemplative life became an intent of my soul. Several faith streams have companioned me along the way: my Catholic upbringing; charismatic and evangelical influences; Celtic spirituality; and a deep dive into contemplative writings and practices.

Years of ministry via the avenues of my RN profession including serving as a parish nurse and later as a care pastor, as well as engaging in 1:1 mentoring with women, gifted me with the value of each individual and their story. Spiritual Direction training from the Christos Center for Spiritual Formation in Lino Lakes, MN and my participation in the Ignatian Spiritual exercises along with training to offer the exercises has further equipped me to join others on their paths to know and be known.

As a prayerfully focused and attentive listener, I join you in the sacred space the Spirit inhabits. Drawing upon practices of silence, prayer, walking with Jesus in the Gospels, and experiencing God as revealed through creation, we will listen together for the Spirit to tend the holy within. Through these holy moments, the Love of God often brings awareness and healing. I am available to meet in my home in St. Paul, MN or online.

Each day I am blessed to share life with my husband of many years, our adult children, and nine delightful grandchildren. I am an avid reader who also enjoys reflective writing and forming haiku poetry, cheesemaking, gardening, biking, camping, long solitary walks, and encircling trees with my arms!

**Scott is not accepting new directees at this time. If you would like assistance in connecting with a Director, please contact Margot Eyring, our Spiritual Direction Coordinator.**

Scott’s journey with spiritual direction began with the discovery of the deep impact C.S. Lewis’s relationship with his spiritual director had on his formation. After a number of years benefitting deeply from spiritual direction he was delightfully surprised to sense the invitation to pursue training in direction with Sustainable Faith and Kavanna House in York, PA. Scott delights in walking with men and women as they create space to recognize the loving presence of God in their lives. Scott has long had a passion for the wedding of social justice and mission across the globe. These interlocking passions led to degrees in Asian Studies and Missions, a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Virginia, the founding of Cambridge School which partners with Cuirim House in Mexico to connect students from Baltimore with families on the border, field work among rural communities in Indonesia, and over twenty years of walking with students at Towson University as they discover their God-given destinies in the world. Scott is the proud father of three adult daughters and a member of the Anglican Church of the Resurrection in Baltimore. He is also Coracle’s Community Minister in Baltimore.

I provide online spiritual accompaniment and depth coaching for cross-cultural pioneers leading social or systemic change or outgrowing ineffective paradigms.  I am currently based in Alsace, France and most of those I accompany live in Europe or Africa.

My own journey with this form of spiritual accompaniment began more than a decade ago in East Africa.  Ten minutes into describing my life struggles, Father Trevor stopped me with his rich Indian voice and asked, "Who is God to you?"  I stared at the Ngong Hills out the window of his tiny room near Nairobi, while my mind raced through all the biblical passages and theological doctrines I had studied over the decades, but the only words that came to mind were, "I really don't have a clue."  "Good, good", he replied, "Now we can begin."  And with this introduction to spiritual accompaniment, I began a much deeper journey into what has become my “pearl of great price.”

When I first met Fr. Trevor, I was living out my lifelong dream as a PhD candidate and researcher supporting theological education in Africa, studying and working alongside some of Africa’s most amazing leaders and well-known Bible scholars.  I had prepared my entire life for this work, beginning as a missionary kid growing up in Congo and Liberia, then through more than 10 years and three degrees in biblical and theological education, and finally working with churches and organizations in Washington DC and Paris.

The big problem was that I felt spiritually and emotionally empty, and none of the theology or leadership paradigms I had learned provided any satisfaction. Through the process of spiritual accompaniment, Fr. Trevor helped me begin to connect with God and with my own soul in new ways that led to richer experiences of God that are difficult to describe in words.  My three young adult children can attest to the positive impact on our relationships.

I received my spiritual director training through Sustainable Faith (Amsterdam) and Compagnons de Route (Lyon), so that I could offer the same type of spiritual companionship Fr. Trevor, and after his death, David and Meg have offered to me over the years.  Like them, I remain curious about the deep mysteries of the Divine, as well as hosting and encouraging spiritual reflection and practical expression.  In addition to formation in spiritual direction, I have received ICF, NLP, and Depth Coaching certifications, and have additional training in Internal Family Systems (IFS), Bowen family systems theory, and generative coaching.

Those who seem to resonate most with my style and personality of accompaniment are:

• experiencing spiritual, vocational, cultural, or life transitions, especially midlife;
• cross-cultural workers exploring new ways of leading social or systemic change;
• scholars, pastors, and teachers seeking spiritual integration with, for example, new scientific discoveries;
• others for whom previous paradigms, traditions, and beliefs no longer resonate.

For a free, exploratory conversation, I would invite you to book an appointment at www.calendly.com/benbyerly.

Debra Donnelly-Barton is the Executive Director of the Center for Spiritual Development and is a seminary trained Spiritual Director with 20 years of experience. She has studied at Stillpoint, Sewanee, University of the South and General Theological Seminary in New York. Her MA in Theology is from St. Mary’s Seminary and University. She has recently expanded her Spiritual Direction offering to include the Northern Virginia/Washington, D.C. area in addition to the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Born and raised in Alaska, Debra spent her early formative years in an Ahtna Village on the Copper River. These early impressions of the wideness of God and the beauty of God’s people has informed her own walk with God. It is the journey toward spiritual freedom in each soul, including her own, that draws her to the art of spiritual direction. Debra writes, “Within each moment is a call to conversion, but it sometimes it takes another listener to hear that call. I think of the director as a guide along a journey that director and directee are taking together. It is sacred time and sacred space dedicated to God’s perspective on our living. In direction we tune our hearts to the song that God is continually singing within us.” She has particular skill and interest in offering spiritual direction with clergy and those moving towards ordination, and those experiencing suffering or painful transitions.

Bob was introduced to spiritual direction during retreats with Cistercian monks at Holy Cross Abbey in Berryville, VA.  Their hospitality amidst quiet fields adjacent the Shenandoah River beneath the Blue Ridge Mountains, led him across country to the San

Francisco Theological Seminary where he earned his diploma in the art of spiritual direction.  His gentle presence and practice of unconditional positive regard, compliment his deep heart of centered listening and attentiveness to all who embrace his gifts through spiritual companionship.

A native of Virginia, Bob was surrounded with wonderful mentors and spiritual guides.  He served over forty years as a United Methodist pastor, hospital and college chaplain throughout the Commonwealth.  Remembering his gentle way and sense of humor, former students still seek his wisdom and counsel.  Beloved congregants describe his faithful accompaniment through sickness, grief, divorce, trauma and tragedy as an art form.

Previous experience in professional photography compliments his work as a contemplative photographer.  Always looking for “sacramental moments,” he seeks the sacred within the ordinary.  Bob and his wife, Elaine along with their beloved dog, Mr. Dozer, live along the Central Coast of California.

Learn more at: www.aperturespiritualdirection.com

Gabe believes that spiritual direction is vital for fellow disciples as it allows God to be more visible along one's journey.  The Spirit invites us to this prayerful sharing so that God is able to be known and so that discernment can take place.  As a Spiritual Director, Gabe pays attention to God in all circumstances– from the calmness of ordinary days, to the unavoidable and turbulent seasons of life.  Alongside his directees, he wonders and seeks out what God's invitation may be.

Gabe Dodd is the Pastor at Beaver Creek Church of the Brethren, in Hagerstown, MD.  He is a husband and father.  Gabe is very interested in helping people explore their curiosities about God and has a passion for spiritual formation.  Gabe is available for direction in person, over video, and by phone.  He has an MDiv, focused on pastoral ministry and a certificate in Spiritual Direction from Eastern Mennonite Seminary.  He is currently a cohort student at Fuller Theological Seminary for a doctor of ministry in Spiritual Direction.  In his spare time, Gabe likes to grill, read Batman comics, and travel.

Daniele Evans is a woman on a journey towards intentional living  —  seeking to enjoy and experience God in life’s everyday (and even ordinary) moments.

A daughter of Haitian immigrants, Daniele’s spiritual journey grew as her parents’ new-found faith was established in her childhood home.  She spent much of life in different Christian environments, offering her appreciation for the variety of ways people connect to God. Daniele pursued a Biblical Studies degree, completed her spiritual direction training through Sustainable Faith and is a certified Enneagram Educator under the training of Jerome Wagner. Her pastoral work for 15+ years included writing and teaching Bible studies, speaking, and mentoring others in their faith journey.  As a blogger, Daniele has written widely for online and print publications. Her writing offers both inspirational and practical encouragement for women in various life stages. You are invited to visit her website at www.danieleevans.org

Spiritual direction holds sacred space for conversation and connection with God. Daniele feels particularly drawn to this practice and to those who may find themselves in places of transition or struggle. Her personal experiences with loss, trauma, and grief support Daniele’s desire to be a safe space for others. In light of this vision, in 2019 she completed training in Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resiliency through Eastern Mennonite University.  The roles Daniele most cherishes are the ones centered around home. A homeschool mother of five and a passionate defender of children who need an advocate, Daniele and her children live out their days in Central Pennsylvania where she enjoys cooking, writing, reading, photography and tea.  Always tea!

While Daniele is based in Lancaster, PA, she also offers direction over video and phone.

You are invited! All of who you are is welcomed into the space we can cultivate together for spiritual direction, supervision or retreat. Believing God is with us, together we pay attention and listen in the present moment for the invitations in your story. Through silence, deep listening, story telling, laughter and sometimes tears, we open ourselves to the work of an ever moving Spirit. Out of my experience as a creative, contemplative, trauma informed yoga instructor, well-being specialist, former caterer, community member and committed follower of Jesus, I may offer wonderings, possible ways of praying, readings, silence, movements, or postures towards what is being offered—always in service of deepening what you desire in your relationship with The Holy One and for your discernment.

My journey of faith has been an ecumenical one and has rooted me in many streams of the Christian tradition. Finding God in all things continues to become a way of life. Growing up in a family who moved multiple times and invited many wanderers into our home has given me a heart for people seeking a place to belong, hospitality, and the importance of beauty—particularly in the midst of deep suffering. Rich relationships gained in community through service, experiential education, and traveling and living overseas all have been significant aspects of my formation. Learning about the creativity of Ignatian spirituality and being affirmed in the experience of God’s vast love has been transformative. But, recently married (for the only time—in my early 60s!)--I am still learning new ways of being in relationships and community and have even started following my first sports team ever, Old Glory DC—DC’s Major League Rugby team!

As a life-long learner, I am currently focusing on contemplation and justice and building on my dissertation exploring the experience of well-being, graduate and post-graduate studies in spiritual formation, fine arts degree and years of community service. If I’m not at home in the mornings, you may find me at Our Daily Bread breakfast, sharing food and friendship with neighbors experiencing food insecurity, homelessness, or just desiring community—a place where I have been involved in cooking and spiritual conversations since 2010 and a place of my ongoing formation.

We may meet together on zoom, in my home office on Capitol Hill, or even in a nearby park. We can identify a rhythm of meeting that works for us and will build in periodic times of reflection. It is important our time together be comfortable and meaningful for both of us. Feel free to reach out and ask any questions you may have about me or spiritual direction.

To experience one of my contemplative online invitations, consider visiting one of Coracle's Space for God sessions found here: https://inthecoracle.org/?s=Margot+Eyring. If you choose to meet in person, Frank (our dog) or Little One (the cat) are always present in our home and may be open to joining us, if you desire!

In a season of loss of identity, purpose, and vocation after transitioning from cross-cultural work in China, Elizabeth discovered the beautiful ministry of a spiritual direction. It provided a sacred and safe space for her to process, heal, and find hope in her spiritual journey. Elizabeth earned her direction certification through Sustainable Faith while studying Ignatian Spirituality at Loyola University. She is earning her MA in Spiritual Formation at Portland Seminary and is anticipated to graduate in May 2025.

Elizabeth loves offering prayer retreats and companioning others through holy listening. As an adoptive mother, she has a heart for adoptive families; she also works with those in seasons of grief, loss, and transition. As a minister and missionary, she companions those suffering from burnout, disillusionment by ministry, and church hurt. Elizabeth uses the arts, nature, and prayer practices as ways of connecting with the Spirit in everyday life toward Shalom in Christ. The heart of her direction practice is formed in the Ignatian way of discernment. Elizabeth serves at her local Anglican parish in liturgical and Christian formation. Her passion is to walk with others in their deep wounding to find Jesus in the paradoxes of life. She loves nature, art, writing, coffee, and traveling with her husband and two teenage children. Elizabeth also freelance writes for Global Trellis, an online platform for soul care and leadership development of cross-cultural workers. https://globaltrellis.com. You can visit her website at www.alongthewanderingway.com.

**Mary is not accepting new directees at this time. If you would like assistance in connecting with a Director, please contact Margot Eyring, our Spiritual Direction Coordinator.** 

Spiritual direction is primarily a work of the Holy Spirit in which we are invited to participate together. Mary delights in helping people grow in prayer and in their love of God, in their Christian faith and discernment. Contemplative spirituality, which incorporates listening, silence, and prayer, best describes her approach to spiritual direction. Mary incorporates in spiritual direction embodied spiritual practices including visio divina, lectio divina, contemplation of art, praying with clay, and using the imagination in the Ignatian tradition as ways to connect deeply with God. An ordained Anglican priest, Mary trained as a spiritual director with Selah. She earned her Doctor of Ministry at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. focusing on spiritual practices for artists involving the five senses. Her theological training in Ignatian Spirituality at the University of London provided the foundation for her work in spiritual formation. She earned an MA in Christian Spirituality at Heythrop College, University of London with a focus on the visual arts and spiritual transformation. She trained for ordained ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, England. Before her ordination Mary worked in radio, advertising, and government. Mary makes and appreciates the visual arts through photography, painting, and collage. In her free time, Mary enjoys introducing people to the visual arts, reading, and nature, especially the seashore, and traveling with her husband John.

Dale Gish believes that there is more of God's love and presence offered to us than we know how to access or receive. God does not stand far off with a look of disappointment. Instead, God draws near to us with tender love and compassion, closer to us than we are to ourselves. Though hurt, disappointment, the busyness of life, fear, apathy, or distraction may hold us back, God is at work to comfort, heal and restore. Spiritual direction is a space where we intentionally open ourselves to this good work God is doing.

Dale offers spiritual direction and guides people through the life-transforming journey of the Ignatian Exercises. He is an empathic listener, deep thinker, Christ-centered, and sensitive to the work of the Spirit. Dale brings 30 years of experience as a pastor and ministry leader, work as a mental health counselor, and heart for those on the margins to his work. He has an MDiv and was trained as a spiritual director through SoulFormation. Dale is also a trained supervisor of spiritual directors.

Dale and his wife Debbie live in San Francisco with their two teenage daughters, have been married for over 20 years, and lead a marriage ministry called Cana. You can find out more about Dale on his website. https://www.deeplybeloved.com/

As a spiritual Director, I offer a safe sanctuary for those seeking rest for their weary soul. Whether we meet in person or online, my goal is to create a place of hospitality and welcome to bring your true authentic self. My practice welcomes ALL who seek to tend to their inner life. Together, we will notice God‘s presence and activity within your every day lived experience as we sit within the wonder and mystery…noticing God’s movement. As we form an alliance and gain trust, my hope is that your inner life will open even more to experience God/Creator/The Divine’s great love. I look forward to speaking with you to explore your options and to consider if I am a good fit to walk along side you in your spiritual journey.

Hello! I'm a Memphis resident who grew up in Wisconsin and have been part of the Church of Christ tradition my whole life. I attended seminary in Memphis and currently teach at Mid South Christian College in Memphis. Before teaching, I served with Church of Christ congregations since 2015, primarily working with young adults, facilitating outreach ministry and preaching.

After working for several years in ministry, I completed training for spiritual direction through Lipscomb University. Spiritual direction has changed my life because it helped me move from a head knowledge about God to a heart felt encounter with God. I see the hunger and need for this in those I help minister to––be they young adults, refugees, those battling addiction––and I believe an encounter with the living God is key to our transformation.

In short, I have a passion to partner with people who are hungering in their soul for something real. I desire to meet with these people as Jesus has met me and ultimately help them see God's presence in their lives. Not with something novel or bigger or better; rather, with something real. Real community. Real conversations. Real intimacy with the Father, Son, and Spirit. I believe this can truly transform lives and satisfy our deepest longings. This can only happen by the power of the Spirit, our true Director.

**Lynnette is not accepting new directees at this time. If you would like assistance in connecting with a Director, please contact Margot Eyring, our Spiritual Direction Coordinator.** 

Lynnette first heard of spiritual direction many years ago through a series of novels but coming from an evangelical background, didn’t know how or where such a thing existed. Finding a director a few years ago was such a gift in learning how to be more aware of God’s presence in the ordinary and developing a rule of life involving more contemplative practices.  Receiving direction has been such a catalyst in deepening her walk with God and along the way, she discovered that she was being drawn to providing that for others. She received her training in offering spiritual direction through Sustainable Faith in York, PA.  She is particularly drawn to coming alongside women who are wanting to explore contemplative ways of being with God and women moving from day-to-day mothering to the empty nest.  She also has experience walking alongside people dealing with end-of-life issues or people who are dealing closely with the realities of death.  Lynnette and her husband, Steve, live in Arlington, VA.  She is a mother to 4 mostly adult children and grandmother to an adorable grandson who delights in helping his grandmother get back in touch with child-like wonder.

Stacy was raised in the Roman Catholic tradition in Southwestern Pennsylvania. After seasons in Northern Virginia and the Pacific Northwest, she has returned to her roots just outside of Pittsburgh, where she lives with her husband Scott, and the youngest of their four children. Stacy comes to the ministry of Spiritual Direction with more than 30 years of ministry leadership in the Anglican Church as a Worship Leader, Teacher, and Director of Family Ministries, as well as over 20 years in the field of Leadership Development. She is a certified Life and Ministry Coach and has received her formal Spiritual Direction training through Anam Cara.

Stacy’s greatest joy is the privilege to witness the Holy Spirit at work in the lives of His people -- walking with others as they develop their ability to recognize and respond to His constant invitation throughout the ordinary moments of their days. Cognizant of the truth that it is through experience that we begin to grasp the transforming reality of our true identity as Beloved of God, Stacy delights in creating a safe space where people can learn to deepen their awareness of God’s Presence through the Contemplative practices -- taking hold of the freedom to which we have been called.

God’s gentle and sustaining presence through her own journey of suffering and loss has given her a heart of compassion for those who suffer, and a desire to share the grace and wisdom she has received. In response to a call to “wash the feet of the servants of her Master”(1Sam 25:41), Stacy cherishes the opportunity to come alongside of others, particularly those in leadership, as God invites, restores and equips them to fulfill their purpose and find joy in their service to the King.

Stacy is comfortable providing Spiritual Direction via Zoom, phone, and in-person.

Suzy graduated from Eastern Mennonite Seminary with a Masters in Christian Leadership and a certificate in Spiritual Formation and Direction in 2019.  She has been giving and receiving spiritual direction since that time. Suzy works as a patient advocate at a medical clinic where she is able to combine social work and spiritual direction skills as she tends to women seeking care. Suzy also serves as an elder, preaches, and leads worship at her church, Mosaic of Grace, in Harrisonburg VA. Mosaic is a liturgical Anabaptist church where she has been in leadership since its beginning in December 2019. She is married to Hahns and has two adult children.

Suzy sees spiritual direction as the opening of oneself to God in ever deepening ways through the companionship of a spiritual director in a safe space. It involves a growing intimacy between the directee and the director which fosters growing intimacy with God. Suzy will offer you deep, attentive listening and reflection so that you can see your authentic self (the person God made you to be) more clearly. Yes, there will be discomfort, that always happens when we face the truth about ourselves. But you will be held in God’s loving embrace. The Spirit of God is the true director in all of this, we trust in the Spirit at work within us as we meet together.

**Claire is not accepting new directees at this time. If you would like assistance in connecting with a Director, please contact Margot Eyring, our Spiritual Direction Coordinator.** 

Hailing from Switzerland and raised in South Africa, Claire has lived for many years in the US, both in the East and on the West coast. Her spiritual journey has been an ecumenical one, beginning in the Swiss protestant church, meandering through American evangelicalism, and lingering with the Exercises of Saint Ignatius and contemplative spirituality. A personal journey through loss and grief has yielded a compassionate heart and deep resonance with the joys and pains of others as well as an abiding confidence that God’s loving intimate presence is with us, and will sustain us, through all the experiences of life. As a spiritual director she delights in offering “soul hospitality” to any who desire to become more aware and intentional in their relationship with God, listening with them to their life, and seeking God in the “all things” of everyday living. Other areas of interest and ongoing formation include the Enneagram, Centering Prayer and other contemplative prayer practices, silent retreats, and finding God in nature and ordinary life. Claire is a mother and grandmother of seven wonderful grandchildren. She received her formal training in spiritual direction from Christian Formation and Direction Ministries (CFDM) in Southern California.

**Daniela is not accepting new directees at this time. If you would like assistance in connecting with a Director, please contact Margot Eyring, our Spiritual Direction Coordinator.**

Spiritual direction has been a beautiful gift in my own life which makes it a joy to offer space and ‘holy listening’ to fellow seekers. During the spiritual direction hour, time might seem to flow a little more slowly. An awareness of ‘God’s loving presence with us’ is fostered and there is room to explore the questions that come to our doorstep. Where is God in the midst of my life? How am I invited to respond? Both beauty and sorrow can break our hearts wide open but it often seems to be the challenging times that bear the sweetest and most unexpected fruit. God’s warm-hearted kindness and compassion lead us on this journey of hope and discernment.

Daniela lived in Europe and Australia before settling in the San Francisco Bay Area. She spent her early career in medicine and biotechnology. Married for well over 30 years, she and her husband have three young adult children. Daniela is a Camaldolese Benedictine Oblate who cherishes the life-giving rhythms of spiritual practices. With the wonderful support of the local jail chaplaincy, Daniela wrote an interactive booklet about spiritual practices for inmates that is available in jails, prisons, and ICE centers across the US. She has a special heart for women who are starting over after incarceration. Daniela holds a Certificate in Spiritual Direction from Sustainable Faith and a SDI Certificate in Spiritual Direction Supervision from the Mercy Center, Burlingame. She loves spending time with her family, reading, and vegetarian food.

Niecy’s own journey of spiritual re-formation started in a season of her life that she often calls “The Great Undoing”:  a multi-year season of church burnout, ministry disappointments and the dark night unravelling of her soul. With the companionship of her spiritual director and two years of intentional inner work at The Soul Care Institute, Niecy encountered the depth of God’s love remaking her – freeing her from false-self identities to embrace greater interior freedom, reclaiming her voice, and living as God’s Beloved.

An author and founder of The Soul Care Place, Niecy now lives out her calling as a shepherd-pastor through her work as a spiritual director, as a companion in the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, and through creating and leading retreats. With over 20 years of ministry experience, Niecy's passion lies in creating spacious places for the soul to become attune to God's love amid the beauty and brokenness of everyday life. As a recovering perfectionist and overachiever, Niecy has discovered the life-giving power of play, slowing down, and contemplative practices in the spiritual life with God and endeavors to incorporate creative expression and embodied awareness as pathways toward healing, wholeness and deeper intimacy with God.

When she's not offering spiritual direction or leading retreats, you might find her Latin dancing with her husband Jeff, or paddleboarding, playing games, or creating art with her much-loved granddaughter.

Niecy offers a complimentary 45-minute Discovery Session via Zoom for those interested in exploring spiritual direction or the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises. She is also available to create and lead retreats. More information is available on her website, thesoulcareplace.com.

Spiritual Director. Me? It's my jubilee year this year. 50 years walking with Christ. He has been faithful in this messy life and has invited me in my retirement to Spiritual Direction. When asked about a decade ago, if I had thought to be one; I didn't even know what that was. I started participating in a Spiritual Formation group after being a Bible Study Fellowship Leader, women's ministry leader, coach, and mentor. I was soaking it in and wanting more of what my heart yearned for in spiritual formation and have been facilitating groups ever since. And, a resounding YES to becoming a Holy Listener.

I received my training at Sustainable Faith at Kavanna House in Pennsylvania and this 50 year walk has given life lessons I long to share. I completed the 19th Annotation of Ignatian Spiritual Exercises. I have been a member of Henry Cloud’s boundaries.me community for years. I love sitting with women to reassure them their suffering can bring about renewal, that letting go isn't all that bad and that grace is the best medicine in the world. I am thrilled to lead a directee to listen with her heart and to discover her identity and freedom in Christ. I am able to offer Spiritual Direction in a very quiet, serene home and also able to connect virtual.

I'm a naturalist at heart and being outside is where you'll find me; walking, piddling in the yard. I'm finding this part of retirement the best of life, along with grandparenthood. Psalm 46:10, Be Still and Know……

What a privilege it is to enter sacred space to seek God on behalf of another soul!  God has used the ministry of spiritual direction to tune my heart to His very real and loving Presence.  My prayer is that those whom I companion will likewise experience God’s Presence and love, discern God’s invitations, and be strengthened by the Holy Spirit to walk into their calling.  I received my training in spiritual direction through Leadership Transformations' Selah Program.

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you.” Ephesians 1:18a

**Liz is not accepting new directees at this time. If you would like assistance in connecting with a Director, please contact Margot Eyring, our Spiritual Direction Coordinator.**

Liz delights in opening and holding space for others to sift through and savor their daily encounters with God. It is a privilege to witness the ways God actively seeks and draws each person to be in communion with God, and with others. Trained in the Ignatian tradition of spiritual direction--first by the example of her Jesuit uncle who directed her in the Spiritual Exercises and then through the Ignatian Training Program for Spiritual Directors at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Washington DC-- Liz’s spiritual orientation is one of “Finding God in All Things.”

Her vocation to ministry has taken various forms over the past 35 years since graduating from divinity school, including working on Capitol Hill, earning a PhD in Theology, running a non-profit agency, writing for religious publications, volunteering, teaching, and raising three children who are now adults. Currently a high school theology teacher at Don Bosco Cristo Rey in Takoma Park, MD and a pastoral minister in the Catholic Church, Liz has a particular heart for women, particularly young adult women, discerning their places in the Church and the world in response to God’s love. She founded a ministry at Holy Trinity Church for women and men seeking a more just and inclusive Catholic Church called “The Women Who Stay,” and is an active team member of the Ignatian Spirituality Project which provides spiritual retreats and monthly prayer groups for women and men recovering from addiction and homelessness.

Liz and her husband Peter love to be with their family and to bike, hike, run (not Peter, whose knees do not cooperate in this way), downhill ski and sit on their screened porch listening to the rain. Liz spends time in Falls Church and the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, as well as in her spiritual and ancestral home of Ireland.

**Leanne is not accepting new directees at this time. If you would like assistance in connecting with a Director, please contact Margot Eyring, our Spiritual Direction Coordinator.**

The heart of Leanne’s practice is to provide a warm, supportive presence with a focus on attunement to God’s movement and activity in everyday life and prayer. Through reflective questions, attentive listening and moments of silence, a space is created for contemplation and discernment of how God may be moving, and what response God might be inviting. The practice of spiritual direction often awakens a greater awareness of God’s love and presence in day-to-day life.

After meeting with a spiritual director monthly for over twenty years and experiencing the many and varied gifts of this beautiful ministry, Leanne completed a two-year certificate program at the Fall Creek Abbey School of Spiritual Direction. She is an experienced prayer group and Bible study leader who has companioned others in both formal and informal ways for over two decades. Leanne pursues ongoing continuing education through reading and participation in workshops and conferences related to spiritual formation. She is available to meet in person or online.

Leanne lives in North Potomac, Maryland with her wise and kind husband. She enjoys long walks in the woods, gazing at the night sky and lingering over meals with family and friends. She is active in serving others in her community and church.

Dawn’s deeper introduction to Spiritual Disciplines and Spiritual Direction over a decade ago was a defining moment in her personal journey and has shaped the paths she’s followed since that time. She sees life as a journey, filled with experiences unique to each of us, but with elements common to all of humanity.

Dawn’s own journey has led from childhood in MS, to temporary homes in HI, DC, WA and now VA as well as opportunities to travel to many places in our complicated, beautiful world. Her work as a Pediatrician in various communities and populations has provided the opportunity to experience firsthand the ways that childhood shapes and forms us. Her background in medicine, with an interest in mental health/trauma/childhood stress, informs her approach to spirituality and her presence as a Spiritual Director. Her understanding of Wholeness is aligned with Ignatian principles which emphasize humans as Beings integrated in Body, Mind and Spirit. Dawn believes it is when each of these parts are recognized, attended to and embraced, through recognizing God’s presence and allowing Christ’s healing, that we are our most whole selves.

Dawn experiences being a Spiritual Director as being a co-traveler on the pilgrimage of life, where she enjoys sitting around the campfire at night, hearing others share their experience of Christ on the journey that day. Dawn considers it a holy and sacred gift to be invited to walk with another as they pay attention to where the experience of God’s presence, or seeming absence, helps lead to greater wholeness. She welcomes anyone who might cross her path, but feels especially called to presence with those who have struggled with doubts/questions of faith, exclusion from spiritual spaces, those with military or medical life experiences (personal or family) and those who have struggled with grief, depression and loss.

Following retirement from a full-time medical career in the military, Dawn received a Master’s in Spiritual Formation and Leadership from Spring Arbor University and completed Spiritual Direction training through Sustainable Faith (“The Springs”, Indiana). She now provides Health Coaching and Spiritual Direction (www.sightinglight.com) and volunteers in her community and with various underserved populations overseas. She loves hiking, running, paddle boarding, traveling, candles, reading and spending time with her husband Pete and dog Frodo.

**Andy is not accepting new directees at this time. If you would like assistance in connecting with a Director, please contact Margot Eyring, our Spiritual Direction Coordinator.** 

Rev. Andy McClain is a creation lover, father, and the pastor of the Montgomery United Methodist Church in Damascus, Maryland. He previously pastored churches in Emmitsburg, MD; Mt. Clinton, VA (outside Harrisonburg); Cornwall, NY; Durham, NC; and Staten Island, NY.

In 2020, Andy completed certification as a spiritual guide with the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation in Washington, D.C. He is also on the leadership team of Living Well, a clergy wholeness program for pastors in the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference of the UMC. Andy has co-led two retreats on the life of Howard Thurman. His home is in Rockville, Maryland, with his three children.  Andy enjoys reading, walking, listening to jazz, and rooting for the Mets to one day win the World Series!

Adriana has been walking with others, offering space to talk, cry, be heard and accepted for over 25 years.  During her faith journey, she has served several Christian denominations as elder, deacon, staff person and for many years working in an interfaith ministry with neighbors who found themselves homeless.  Her years of ministry eventually led her to seminary where she completed an MA in Spiritual Formation and Leadership at Portland Seminary, and true to her heart for listening, became certified in Spiritual Direction of individuals and groups.

Adriana enjoys leaning into contemplation and our Creator's incarnational work within and around us. She believes the Divine is always with us and speaks if we listen.  Adriana strives to create a safe, unhurried space where deeper questions of faith and life are viewed as a pathway to grow deeper and wider in our understanding of God and the vast creation entrusted to us.  Together, we will explore where the hand of God is moving in your life, where God has been in relationship with you over the years, and where spiritual growth can happen or be noticed with more frequency.  Adriana is especially drawn to working with those navigating grief in its various forms, life transitions, substance abuse recovery, and faith crisis’.

Adriana is also an avid gardener and painter.  Most recently, in addition to individual direction, she has been leading others into deeper contemplation using Creative Lectio Divina with retreat groups.  She is welcoming of all lifestyles, spirituality, faith affiliations, or other personal choices.  She believes God is first and foremost a God of love drawing us to our spiritual home.

Gwen’s faith was formed through both UCC and PC USA churches. During an experience of a “dark night of the soul” a few years ago, she felt pulled toward a greater intimacy with and broader understanding of God’s presence as she was healing from that season of life, which included receiving spiritual direction. During her healing process, Gwen developed a deep longing to sit with others as they confronted their own “dark nights,” faith shifting, and need for soul-care. She is also drawn toward offering direction to persons who experienced wounding by the church, especially in the areas of gender and sexuality. Gwen is an attentive companion – who’s longing is to help others uncover and empower the Spirit within and grow in their ability to listen to God’s movement in their lives. Gwen firmly believes that God’s love for all persons is unbreakable and enduring and that in direction the freeing Spirit of God abides and nothing is unsayable.

Gwen is a trained director through the Sustainable Faith School of Spiritual Direction, is a former ministry director for children and families, and holds a Graduate Certificate in Religious Education. She loves to explore new contemplative spiritual practices – and especially enjoys journaling, imaginative prayer, and silence.

With the goal of being fruitful in life, rather than busy, outside of this work, Gwen loves to ride bikes with her husband and spend time with her two grown children and their partners.  She also enjoys making quilts and playing the piano, which are forms of spiritual practice for her, as they put her in touch with the Creator.

**Amyis not accepting new directees at this time. If you would like assistance in connecting with a Director, please contact Margot Eyring, our Spiritual Direction Coordinator.** 

Amy Boucher Pye loves noticing God at work in the lives of others. Her passion in writing, speaking, and leading retreats is to foster a space where people can encounter God. She expresses a contemplative approach in spiritual direction, drawing on prayer, the Holy Spirit, and listening skills in her accompaniment.

Living outside of the culture she was raised in for over two decades has given her insights into the sense of dislocation many people experience. She’s keen to foster a sense of home—including as we find our true home in God.

She’s the author of six books, including 7 Ways to Pray, which seeks to make ancient practices of prayer accessible. She enjoys crafting devotional articles and leading retreats. Amy received her MA in Christian spirituality from Heythrop College, University of London, in 2017 and was recommended as a spiritual director by the Spiritual Direction Network in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire in 2021. She enjoys the camaraderie she finds with other Coracle spiritual directors and likes to contribute to the Space for God prayer times.

She grew up in Minnesota and spent ten years in the Washington, DC, area, before meeting her English husband and moving to the UK. She and her family live in a large but drafty vicarage in north London. She enjoys body-combat classes, too many baked goods, and still roots for the Minnesota Vikings.

She is available for spiritual direction in person and via video chat. Find her on her website and visit her YouTube channel for some prayer practices.

Patsy grew up in Northern Virginia and has lived in the Baltimore area for the past 26 years.  While in seminary she became strongly attracted to the writings of the Christian mystics and contemplative spirituality, which led to her interest in spiritual direction.  Through trials and losses experienced in her own life, Patsy has found great comfort and solace in contemplative disciplines and the truly sacred practice of spiritual direction. She completed her spiritual direction training with Sustainable Faith at Kavanna House (York, PA), and is a member of Spiritual Directors International.

Patsy finds great joy in being a listening and prayerful companion to others in their spiritual journey, seeking together to notice movements of the Holy Spirit.  She delights in helping others to become more deeply aware of God’s steadfast, unending love and presence.  Her study interests include Ignatian spirituality and the Enneagram, as aids in developing a more truthful and compassionate inward and outward disposition.  Her deep desire is for all to gain a greater sense of the depth of God’s love and acceptance, resulting in an authentic and deeper love for God, self, and others.  Patsy has a heart to come alongside anyone desiring a more contemplative and meaningful walk with God and engagement with the world.

She holds advanced degrees from St. Mary’s Seminary and University (MA in Theology) and the University of Pennsylvania (MBA in Finance), and a graduate certificate in Trauma and Spiritual Care from the San Francisco School of Theology (University of Redlands).  Her early career was spent in the business and consulting arena.  Patsy serves on several non-profit boards and was a founding board member of the Cambridge School.  Patsy and her husband Richard are the parents of four grown children, two of whom are adopted from Korea.  She enjoys reading (on a wide array of topics) and many outdoor activities.

**Yonce is not accepting new directees at this time. If you would like assistance in connecting with a Director, please contact Margot Eyring, our Spiritual Direction Coordinator.**

Yonce serves as the Executive Director of Catholic Volunteer Network, an organization promoting full-time domestic and international faith-based service and mission on behalf of 155 Catholic and Protestant members. Prior to this role, he offered spiritual direction and pastoral counseling with an emphasis on calling, discernment, and transition. Yonce also worked with intentional communities of young adults to explore faith and meaning, and provided leadership in two small churches.

Yonce strives to integrate the inward/outward journey in all things. That commitment was shaped by experiences in national politics, faith-based advocacy, and bridge-building with diverse political and theological stakeholders. He is proud to have worked for a range of Christian denominations and be the first non-Catholic to lead his organization.

Yonce received his training in spiritual direction from the Monastery of the Risen Christ in San Luis Obispo, CA. He holds masters degrees in Theological Studies (Christian Ethics focus) and Pastoral Counseling.  Although not offering direction at this time, he welcomes occasional opportunities to help individuals with discernment over lunch or coffee.

Heather’s journey with spiritual direction began out of her experiences with spiritual formation & prayer groups throughout college, seminary, graduate school, and in the context of working with university students. For many years, Heather desired to receive training as a spiritual director, which she completed with Sustainable Faith in 2018. Heather knows we arrive at various points on our journey with God–a crossroads, a crisis, or a conundrum–in which we need another to come alongside us, to help us pay attention to God’s presence. She finds joy in helping others pay attention to how God is working in the ordinary around them so that they can hear His invitation to live into the reality of how deeply they are loved and known. Heather’s passion is to listen and pray with those who find themselves at these various points on their journey. Because of her diverse background in education (from K-8 to university), life in ministry, and international work with students and refugees, Heather is comfortable walking with both men and women who desire to grow in their faith or who want to explore questions that are hard to ask in church. She feels particularly led to partner with those working around the globe, believing that spiritual direction is a means of grace, providing much needed encouragement, pastoral care & spiritual friendship to those who live and work in hard places. Heather, along with her husband, daughter, and son, lives in Baltimore, Maryland, and she serves as Head of School at Cambridge School. Heather loves laughing with her family, finding hidden gems in used bookstores, and drinking coffee around the world.

Envision yourself sitting on a screened-in porch, sipping sweet tea, and sharing heart-to-heart in unhurried conversation about your life while listening for the gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit. This is Sharon's vision of Spiritual Direction and Soul Care! Her desire is that each person comes away with a growing attentiveness and awareness of the Holy Spirit in their life. She considers it a sacred honor to walk alongside those who wish to discover deeper intimacy with Jesus. She loves having the opportunity to encourage and listen to the heart of another person.

Sharon's areas of passion and experience include Spiritual Direction, Coaching, Sabbatical Coaching, Ignatian Meditation, soul care, art and spirituality, blended families, divorce recovery, dark night of the soul, burnout, women in ministry, enneagram, and listening for the still, small voice of God. She would love to listen to your story and hear how the Spirit is speaking to you and how God is at work in your life! She is a graduate of the Soul Shepherding Institute with an additional two-year Spiritual Direction and Coaching certifications. She is also a certified Ignatian Meditation Guide. She has been serving churches for 50 years and currently serves a local church as an Associate Pastor.

Sharon holds a Doctorate in Worship Studies and a Master of Church Music. As a life-long learner, she continues to learn and grow. She is available to meet via zoom or in person at her retreat center, Speak-Lord, nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  (www.speak-lord.org)  A mountain walking trail is right outside her front door and she would be delighted to accompany you on a journey with Jesus!  You can contact her at speak.lord.spiritual.direction@gmail.com.

Vernée Wilkinson is a community outreach and non-profit communications consultant.  She has a creative and entrepreneurial heart that is applied to all of her endeavors in life.  Vernée received her Spiritual Direction training through the Selah program.  She resides in Boston with her loving family.  In direction sessions, she prayerfully offers a companionship that is welcoming to all people.

Katie believes that spiritual direction creates a space to slow down, listen, and notice God and His invitations to us. Katie has a heart for the marginalized and believes that spiritual formation and kingdom action go hand in hand. She attends a cross-cultural church in her neighborhood where she is on the shepherding team. As a part of this team, Katie walks alongside people and holds space for them to notice the work of God in their lives. She has a certificate in Spiritual Direction from the Selah Program and was a Coracle Fellow in 2023.  Katie lives in Washington, DC with her husband and three children.

Ashley Williams considers her introduction into contemplative spirituality through spiritual direction as something like a second conversion. Through the practice of direction, she became aware of how intimately Jesus desires to be near through his Holy Spirit and that awareness made an indelible mark on her life, faith, and practice. Ashley desires to offer the same kind of companionship as a director so that others, especially women and men of color, can learn to hear and discern the small and steady movements of God in their lives as well. Ashley received her certification in Spiritual Direction from Leadership Transformation’s Selah program and has worked in local church and parachurch settings for the last decade.

Listening is at the heart of Linda’s Spiritual Direction practice. She understands that each person at the other end of the table (or, these days, the telephone or video conference) is sharing their life in the Spirit, and she strives to meet their trust and hold them in the space where they are. She offers spiritual hospitality—the driving vow of the Benedictine sisters with whom she has studied and developed her practice—so that together in this holy space, she and her directee can simply be with God in their brokenness and in their wholeness.

She experienced the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, and trained as a Ignatian Spiritual Companion, at a time of extreme vulnerability: after the sudden and unexpected death of her husband seventeen years ago. It was out of those trying times that she came to realize the power of embracing her relationships, new and rediscovered. Now, as a friend, a mother, a grandmother, sister/daughter/niece/aunt, and as an Associate of the Sisters of Charity, she lives in the love of the relationships that encircle her and welcomes her directees in with open arms. She combines this relation-driven sensibility with pragmatism, a facility learned after 40 years as a lawyer in the area of employee rights and benefits.

**Kristen is not accepting new directees at this time. If you would like assistance in connecting with a Director, please contact Margot Eyring, our Spiritual Direction Coordinator.**

Kristen is a spiritual director, missional formation coach, Anglican priest, and church planter who takes delight in coming alongside others who are seeking to deepen their relationship with God and to be Jesus’ hands and feet in the world.  Kristen loves creating hospitable, beautiful, and contemplative spaces for people to be with the Lord and to dwell in His love; and she enjoys encouraging others to grow in knowledge of God and His redemptive plans, to grow in self-knowledge and the Fruit of the Spirit, and to live an increasingly balanced life in Christ.  Kristen also enjoys writing and creating spiritual formation resources at www.rhythmsoftheway.org.

As for her education and training, Kristen has an MDiv from Regent College, a Joint Masters in Theological Studies and International Peace and Conflict Resolution from Wesley Theological Seminary and American University, and a B.S. in Biology from the College of William and Mary.  Kristen also has training in mediation and missional formation coaching, and received her training in spiritual direction from Selah.  Prior to working in full-time ministry, Kristen worked as an environmental consultant and alternative dispute resolution professional in the D.C. area.

When Kristen is not working, she enjoys painting in watercolor and digital mediums, photography, singing, being out in nature, gardening, enjoying other cultures, traveling, and being with family.

**Bill is not accepting new directees at this time. If you would like assistance in connecting with a Director, please contact Margot Eyring, our Spiritual Direction Coordinator.** 

Because of his extensive work in America’s inner-cities and in some of the hardest places in the developing world, Bill has a particular passion for walking alongside those whose work brings them into regular contact with the brokenness of the world, and whose souls feel the weight of it. He also enjoys spiritual direction with those whose faith no longer seems to ‘work’, or who are very tired after many years of following Jesus, or whose lives are turning out very different than they had hoped or expected. Also, as a priest, he can offer helpful perspective with clergy or those considering a call to ordination. More information about Bill can be found here.