Group Spiritual Direction

“The reason two antelope walk together is so that one can blow the dust out of the eyes of the other.”

― African proverb

“Group spiritual direction is a process in which people gather together on a regular basis to assist one another in an ongoing awareness of God in all of life. They are seeking support for their responsiveness to God and agree to support others.”

-Rose Mary Dougherty

Members of a group commit themselves to an honest relationship with God, to participating wholeheartedly in the group process through prayerful listening and response, and to opening their journeys for consideration by others.

It involves:

  • Reverence for the mystery of God’s presence

  • Radical willingness to trust God

  • Respect for the unique spiritual path of the individual

 We know we want to journey together toward God, sharing prayer and discernment. As we listen to one another, and for God’s voice, we come together as fellow travellers in the same boat, noticing the landscape we’re heading toward, sharing our maps and encouraging one another on the journey. It is a way of blending an ancient practice into a contemporary community – creating a sacred space in which the Divine can move and speak.

The benefits of group spiritual direction

  • Introduces spiritual direction to seekers and makes it more accessible

  • Provides a supportive context to learn about spiritual direction and become familiar with an ongoing spiritual practice

  • An opportunity to experiment listening for God’s invitations, guidance and responses with like-minded others

  • Offers deep listening, reverent observing, reflection and a contemplative presence

  • Intercessory prayer

Where group spiritual direction can happen

A spiritual direction group isn’t your typical small group. It’s not a study or fellowship group, it’s not a mission or accountability group. However, it may develop out of an existing group or be gathered specifically for this purpose. It can be cross-generational or age-specific, male or female or both.

  • Church groups

  • Workplace

  • Prison

  • Social services e.g. Hospice, Refuge

  • Residential communities

What happens in group spiritual direction

The format is simple. The group starts with an opening activity such as silence, music, a guided mediation or contemplative reading.

There may be a time of brief check-in for everyone before the group invites one person to talk for five or ten minutes about whatever they'd like to share.

Then there is another time of prayerful silence. Out of the silence, the group begins to ask questions, responding to what they heard.

At the close of the person's presentation and the group's response, there is another time of prayerful silence during which each person in the group prays silently for the individual who presented. This time allows for journaling and reflection before the presenter shares about how the experience has felt for them.  

There is silence before the next person shares and before the closing activity at the end of the session.

The number of people able to share will depend on the agreed length of the sessions.