Are you called or want to test a call to lead spiritual groups and retreats?
Are you being drawn to deepen your spiritual practice?
Do you long for an authentic spiritual community to companion your journey of deepening prayer and preparation for contemplative leadership?
If your answers are yes, perhaps the Spirit is calling you to consider Transforming Community: Shalem’s Leading Contemplative Prayer Groups and Retreats Program.
Join a free conference call to discern with Director Ann Dean about the rightness of this program for you. Sign up for a call on Wednesday, January 8 at 12:30 pm.
Overview
Transforming Community: Leading Contemplative Prayer Groups & Retreats is designed to equip, encourage and support those called to lead spiritual groups and retreats. Its focus is on nurturing deeper communion with God, contemplative awareness of God’s presence, and an openness to letting God guide.
Program Components
At-Home Work & Two Residencies
Participants do much of the program work in their own communities, coming to the Baltimore/Washington area for residencies twice during each program.
At-home work includes:
- A personal spiritual discipline of prayer/retreat time/a prayer support group;
-
- Leadership of at least one contemplative prayer group in your locale;
- Reading of selected texts from an extensive bibliography;
- Time with a specially designed Shalem CD of spiritual practices;
- Regular, periodic reports to a staff mentor;
- A brief retreat reflection paper mid-way;
- A final integrative or research paper based on your experience and learnings.
Residencies include:
- Seminars (sampling of themes follows):
– Retreat design and leadership
– Scripture
– Body awareness
– Prayer and discernment
– Sound and silence
– Interior words and images
– Exterior seeing
– Creativity and contemplation
– Earth prayer
– Intercession
– Body movement meditation
– Practicing the presence in daily life; -
- Participant-led sessions;
- A daily rhythm of prayer, rest and renewal, and silent retreat time.
A Certificate of Completion is awarded upon completion of all program requirements.
For more details about the program including at-home work, residency topics, peer groups and other program components, please download the Detailed Program Brochure.