Search results for: spiritual direction
Season 24: Episode 3 | Attending to the Spirit: The Gift of Spiritual Direction
If a greater understanding and awareness of our own desires is part of the future of Christian spirituality, then today’s topic, spiritual direction, is a necessary companion in that journey…
Read MoreThe Future of Christian Spirituality: Part 2 | The Charism and Practice of Spiritual Direction
“A spiritual director is one who helps another recognize and follow the inspirations of grace in his life, in order to arrive at the end to which God is leading…
Read MoreEarn credit towards a Master of Arts in Spiritual Formation and Spiritual Direction
The Transforming Center has established an exciting partnership with the Richmont Graduate University, located on campuses in Atlanta and Chattanooga, Tennessee. The partnership is aligned with the Transforming Center’s mission…
Read MoreSpiritual Direction (Part 2): A Space for Rigorous Honesty
Click here to read “Spiritual Direction (Part 1): A Vital Practice for Discerning Leaders.” “The whole purpose of spiritual direction is to penetrate beneath the surface of a [person’s] life,…
Read MoreSpiritual Direction (Part 1): A Vital Practice for Discerning Leaders
“A spiritual director is one who helps another to recognize and to follow the inspirations of grace in his life, in order to arrive at the end to which God…
Read MoreSpiritual Direction
A spiritual director is one who helps another to recognize and to follow the inspirations of grace in his life, in order to arrive at the end to which God…
Read MoreSpiritual Direction (Part 2): A Key Practice for Transforming Leaders
Part One of this eReflections series can be found here. “There is a temptation to think that spiritual direction is the guidance of one’s spiritual activities, considered a small part…
Read MoreSpiritual Direction (Part 1): A Key Practice for Healthy Leaders
Part Two of this eReflections series can be found here. “The whole purpose of spiritual direction is to penetrate beneath the surface of a man’s life, to get behind the…
Read MoreSpiritual Direction with Pastoral and Corporate Leaders
“A spiritual director is one who helps another to recognize and to follow the inspirations of grace in his life, in order to arrive at the end to which God…
Read MoreSeason 24: Episode 5 | Knocking on Heaven’s Door: A Spirituality that is Practice-Based
Is the Holy Spirit moving us towards a spirituality that is practice-based and practice-oriented rather than faith-based and belief-oriented? This week, Ruth and Fr. Michael Sparough sit down to discuss…
Read MoreSeason 24: Episode 2 | Understanding Our Complexity: The Role of Desire in the Spiritual Life
The future of Christian spirituality will be propelled by a greater understanding and respect for the role of desire and desperation in the spiritual life. That is Ruth’s belief and…
Read MoreSeason 24: Episode 1 | The Future of Christian Spirituality: Towards a More Unified Faith
Welcome to season 24! This season we are exploring the future of Christian spirituality. Based on her own experience and the lives of people she accompanies on the journey, Ruth…
Read MoreThe Future of Christian Spirituality: Part 5 | Profoundly Justice Oriented
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is not a huge leap to move from welcoming the stranger to caring for the stranger—being…
Read MoreThe Future of Christian Spirituality: Part 4 | A More Welcoming Stance from a Rooted Depth
“I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” —Jesus As I journeyed with my desire and with a good spiritual director, something else was happening, too. Wrestling with my tradition…
Read MoreThe Future of Christian Spirituality: Part 3 | A Spirituality that is Practice-Oriented and Practice-Based
“We do not know God by thinking, but by encountering.” –John of the Cross As my director and I transitioned into a new kind of relationship I was still thinking…
Read MoreThe Future of Christian Spirituality: Part 1 | The Role of Desire in the Spiritual Life
“The reason we do not see God is the faintness of our desire.” –Meister Eckhart Truth be told, it was desperation that first drew me deeper into the spiritual journey.…
Read MoreThe Future of Christian Spirituality: A Protestant’s Journey Toward a More Unified Faith
New leadership is needed for new times, but it will not come from finding more wiley ways to manipulate the external world. It will come as we … find the…
Read MoreSpiritual Leadership and the Practice of Paying Attention
Beyond Words Reflections on the Soul of Leadership Spiritual Leadership and the Practice of Paying Attention by Ruth Haley Barton “Spiritual leadership springs forth in grace from our very desire…
Read MoreSpiritual Directors
Spiritual Directors Be Listed as a Spiritual Director The Transforming Center is pleased to offer a listing of spiritual directors* who have completed one or more of our two-year Transforming…
Read MoreEpisode 7 | The Art and Practice of Spiritual Discernment
Discernment is not a subjective woo-woo experience! Ruth begins episode 7 by explaining why discernment is an art AND a practice. This discussion highlights the unlikely place discernment begins, and…
Read MoreSpiritual Transformation, Community, and the Church
David Johnson is senior pastor of Church of the Open Door in Maple Grove, Minnesota. The website describes the mission of the church as follows: God invites us to take…
Read MorePart 1: Beyond Teamwork: Spiritual Community at the Leadership Level
“Christian community is founded solely on Jesus Christ and in fact, it already exists in Christ. It is not an ideal which we must realize, it is rather a reality…
Read MoreTransforming Center Announces Academic Partnership with Northern Seminary and Dr. Ruth Haley Barton joins Northern as Professor of Spiritual Transformation
Former Northern student and founder of the Transforming Center, Ruth Haley Barton, was awarded with an honorary doctorate for her years of fruitful ministry in the areas of spiritual formation and…
Read MorePentecost: Celebrating the “Spirit” in Spiritual Transformation
Lectionary readings: Acts 2:1-21; Psalm 104:24-34; I Corinthians 12:3b-13; John 20:19-23 This week we celebrate Pentecost—the incarnate and risen Christ present to us in a new way through the gift…
Read MoreWhat We Believe About Spiritual Transformation
A Biblical and Theological Perspective Following is a brief summary of the core beliefs that form the foundation of our approach to spiritual transformation (spiritual formation). Christ Formed in Us…
Read MoreA Powerful Model for Leadership Transformation: A Two-Year Experience of Spiritual Formation for Leaders
Wheaton, IL–First there were 12. Then 25, then 38—and now 70. Those numbers testify to the quiet-but-steady growth of a spiritual transformation movement specifically designed for those who serve in…
Read MoreBeyond Teamwork: Spiritual Community at the Leadership Level
“Christian community is founded solely on Jesus Christ and in fact, it already exists in Christ. It is not an ideal which we must realize, it is rather a reality…
Read MoreSpiritual Leadership And the Practice of Paying Attention
“Spiritual leadership springs forth in grace from our very desire for God’s presence. This does not take effort or striving. It takes courage, a kind of showing up, attentiveness.” –Gerald…
Read MoreSeason 24: Episode 4 | Reading in Color: Engaging Scripture Across Cultural Contexts
How is the Holy Spirit leading us to engage with scripture in new and fresh ways? That’s what Ruth and guest Esau McCaulley discuss this week. Esau shares about his…
Read MoreSeason Twenty-Four
Season 24 The Future of Christian Spirituality Don’t miss new episodes of Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership podcast with Ruth Haley Barton — subscribe on iTunes, Google Play or…
Read MoreSeason 23: Episode 3 | The Body Center: Managing Our Relationship with Anger
We are exploring the body triad this week! Containing the enneagram 8s, 9s, and 1s, these folks have to work to manage their relationship with anger. Ruth and Erin discuss…
Read MoreSeason 23: Episode 2 | Beyond the Basics, Beyond the Behaviors
In this episode, Ruth is joined by our guest this season, Erin Baute! Erin and Ruth discuss the three subtypes or instincts, how they show up in all of us…
Read MoreTC 20
Transforming Community® | 20 Ministry Community Ruth Barton, Phaedra Blocker, Karen Boyd, Stephen Clausen, Bernardine Daniels, Delwin Eiland, Tina Farist, Karen Gygax Rodriguez, Jonathan Haley, Tina Harris, Matt Howe, Mark…
Read MoreAlumni Retreat – 2023
Join Ruth and the Transforming Center team A Sabbath Retreat for Transforming Community Alumni In returning and rest you shall be savedReturn to a space where you experience rest, rhythms,…
Read MoreWhen Leaders Lose Their Souls
Beyond Words Reflections on the Soul of Leadership When Leaders Lose Their Souls by Ruth Haley Barton “For what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose…
Read MorePeer 2 Peer Fundraising
Transforming Community® CROWDFUNDING OPPORTUNITY Support a leader’s transformational journey with financial assistance. Make a Donation What is a Transforming Community? Learn more about the Transforming Center. The Transforming Center exists…
Read MoreSeason 17: Episode 7 | Sabbath Rhythms During Seasons of Singleness and Care-giving
In this episode we continue discussing how each season or stage of life presents its own challenges and opportunities with regard to sabbath keeping. Today we’re joined by two guests,…
Read MoreTC 19
Transforming Community® | 19 Ministry Community Margo Balsis, Glen Balsis, Kirk Bolen, Alex Falder, Tina Harris, Phil Jackson, Jack Kooreman, Deidre LaNoue, Rick McCall, Albert McIntosh, Haley Page, Dalene Strieff,…
Read MoreJoe’s story: The impact of a Transforming Community in the life of a pastor
Pastor Joseph Nieves (TC16) shares how he found the Transforming Center and the impact Transforming Community 16 had on his personal life and his ministry. After 20 years of ministry,…
Read MoreTC 18
Transforming Community® | 18 Retreat Dates Retreat 1: February 20-22, 2022 Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Invitation to Transforming Community Retreat 2: May 15-17, 2022 A Leader’s Journey into…
Read MoreThank you
Thank you for your interest in spiritual direction. The spiritual director you selected has been notified and will be in contact with you about next steps. You will also receive…
Read MoreEastertide: Discerning the Presence of Christ
You can also read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 of this series. They urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is…
Read MoreSpeaker bios
The Becoming a Transforming Church® Retreat Speakers and Retreat Leaders David M. Bailey David M. Bailey is a public theologian and culture-maker focused on building reconciling communities. David is the…
Read MoreFree Book for Pastors
Say thank you and support a pastor you care about! FREE: Fill out the form below and we will send Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership by Ruth Haley Barton…
Read MoreTC15 Zoom Call
TC15 Zoom Call 10:00 AM-1:00 PM CT Morning Prayer, Reflection, Group Spiritual Direction
Read MoreTC16 Zoom Call
TC16 Zoom Call 10-noon CDT Morning Prayer, Reflection, Group Spiritual Direction
Read MoreTC15 Zoom Call
TC15 Zoom Call 10-noon CDT Morning Prayer, Reflection, Group Spiritual Direction
Read MoreTC 17
Transforming Community® | 17 Upcoming Events and Opportunities Alumni Retreat | July 9-11, 2023 Take a Sabbath Retreat for yourself this summer! Don’t miss the chance to connect with other…
Read MoreAlumni Connection
Transforming Community Alumni Connection The Alumni Connection is for alumni—or current members—of any Transforming Community. Join us on retreat Join the next Transforming Community and stay in the quarterly retreat rhythm —…
Read MorePodcast
Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership A Podcast with Ruth Haley Barton Welcome to the Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership podcast with Ruth Haley Barton. In each 30-minute episode,…
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