The New and Ancient Ministry of Spiritual Direction

The ministry of spiritual direction is making a comeback in the contemporary church. This ancient practice offers the opportunity for someone to serve as a spiritual companion. Although the spiritual director may be a bit farther along in their spiritual journey, the name of “director” is a misnomer. The true director is the Holy Spirit—the spiritual director’s role is to facilitate one’s relationship with God. Join us for this important conversation!

A part of our series Intersection: Where Theology and Practice Meet, this particular webinar took place on Tuesday, October 24, 2023.

Special Guests: JACKIE HALSTEAD & ERIC WILSON

Jackie L. Halstead, PhD, LMFT, MDiv, is the CEO of Selah Center for Spiritual Formation and is currently partnering with Siburt Institute to offer a certificate in spiritual direction. She has been speaking, teaching, and leading retreats on spiritual formation, contemplative prayer, relational and mental health issues for the past twenty-five years at the national and international levels. Dr. Halstead has been led through a 30-day silent retreat in the full Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius. She takes an eight-day silent Ignatian retreat each year.

Dr. Halstead has been on the faculty of Abilene Christian University for over 20 years, having served previously as Marriage and Family Therapy department chair and program director. She now serves as associate director for the Marriage and Family Therapy online program, and she lives in Nashville, Tennessee. She is the author of Leaning into God’s Embrace: A Guidebook for Contemplative Prayer published by Leafwood Press.

Eric Wilson serves as the lead teaching minister of University Church of Christ in Malibu. He formerly served as associate chaplain as well as Associate Dean of Student Affairs for Diversity and Inclusion at Pepperdine. Eric is a certified spiritual director, executive coach, and Christian writer. He is the author of the book, Faith: The First Seven Lessons, and an award-winning playwright and theatrical director. His work has been published and performed around the country, including the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Eric is a spoken word artist with the 9 Beats Collective, an international group of musicians and thought leaders reimagining the teachings of Jesus for a new generation. The first single from Eric's album The 9 Fold Path entitled “That Goes for Anybody” was released in the spring of 2023.

Questions?

Contact Renee Paul with any questions about this webinar.