Year of Discernment 2024-2025

The first year of our spiritual direction program begins with what we call the “Year of Discernment".” The next Year of Discernment will begin on September 22, 2024.

Contact Katrina Obata, Spiritual Direction Program Director, to set up a time to discuss your interest in training to be a spiritual director, learn more about the program, and to determine if the Year of Discernment is the next step for you at this time.

The goal of the discernment year, before entering our two-year certificate program in spiritual direction, is to help you be able to articulate your discernment process and readiness to serve as a spiritual director back in your faith community. We assume you have already been taught contemplative Christian practices that grow your interior life with God, hopefully in a community setting. The cost for this year of discernment is $300 - non-refundable.

The following requirements surrounding this discernment process will guide you in the nine months between September 2024 and May 2025.

  • You must have been in individual spiritual direction yourself for at least one year previous to the start of the Year of Discernment, and for each of the nine months during this time of discernment.

  • Meeting with faculty two ways:

    1. Attend an in person meet-and-greet on September 22, 2024, to answer questions and help you understand what is expected in this year of discernment, and to have the opportunity to meet the others who are also discerning their call to spiritual direction training. This meeting is held in a home in Renton, WA, which is the same location that we use for our Program Conferences (photo below).

    2. Meet with a faculty member one-on-one at least two more times before June of 2025. This can be done in person or on Zoom, depending on your location.

  • Read 2 books during this time: Susan Phillips’ Candlelight and Tilden Edwards’ Director Companion — Guide to Tending the Soul

  • You must be at least 35 years old before applying to the Direction Program.

Home for our Year of Discernment gathering & all Direction Program conferences

APPLYING TO CFDM NW’S SPIRITUAL DIRECTION PROGRAM

The application to the program at the end of the nine-month discernment period is a summary paper of 5-7 pages in length (double spaced) addressing the following issues as they pertain to your journey of discernment.

  • Describe what discernment is, from your perspective, and describe the process of discernment surrounding your desire and giftedness in spiritual direction ministry.

  • In your engagement with the two books that were required reading during this year, what in either or both was helpful in increasing your understanding of spiritual direction?

  • Given the reading and where you are now, describe what spiritual direction is from your point of view.

  • Two referrals: one from your spiritual director and another from your faith community who believe you are ready for this program (simply include their contact information).

  • This paper is due by June 30, 2025.

  • Questions? Contact Katrina Obata