Spiritual Direction
Spiritual direction is an opportunity to explore your spiritual journey with a trained listener or guide, and to discern God’s movements and presence in your life. It is a safe, confidential, and nonjudgmental place to tell your sacred stories, grow in your understanding of God, and sift through life’s experiences to find a place of healing, hope, freedom, and transformation. Spiritual direction does not try to fix or solve problems but explores where God is in the midst of your life.
Individuals come to spiritual direction for a variety of reasons.
If you find yourself:
- searching for God in your life
- questioning your faith
- seeking to go deeper in your understanding and friendship of God
- discerning important choices
- experiencing a transition
- longing for something more
- feeling stuck in your prayer life
then spiritual direction might be helpful for you.
As a listening and supportive companion, a spiritual director opens a space for you to hold a sacred conversation about your personal encounters with God. There is no set agenda, so each session is unique to you and your spiritual care. The role of the director is to help point to the work of the Holy Spirit, the true spiritual director in your life.
The sessions last one hour and people typically meet once a month, but the frequency is flexible. You can seek spiritual direction for as long as you would like. For some, spiritual direction is helpful during a time of discernment or for a season of life. For others, it becomes part of on-going soul work and self-care.
Often times, conversations with counselors and pastors revolve around specific life events, questions, or issues where someone is seeking advice or help with a problem that needs to be solved. Spiritual direction, by contrast, focuses on the movement of the Spirit in your daily life and offers help in noticing God’s guidance throughout your situation, season of life, or time of discernment. It is not a “quick fix” but rather a subtle and gentle understanding of and encounter with the presence of God.
The cost of spiritual direction varies from director to director. The rates for spiritual direction sessions at Asbury UMC with spiritual director Robyn White are as follows:
- Standard rate: $50
- Asbury UMC Member: Optional donation to the Asbury UMC Spiritual Direction fund
- Clergy rate: $40
- Student rate: $25
If this is more than you are able to afford, please contact Robyn White to work something out. Finances should not prevent you from exploring spiritual direction if you are interested.
Yes. Spiritual director and retreat leader Robyn White offers sessions in-person at Asbury UMC or online via Zoom. Robyn completed her three-year spiritual direction training program at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in 2019. She also holds a United Methodist Certification in Spiritual Formation. Robyn serves as the Director of Adult Ministry at Asbury UMC.
If you would like to find out more about spiritual direction or schedule a session, please contact Robyn White.
For an additional list of trained spiritual directors in the Birmingham area, visit Spiritual Directors International (SDI).
Prayer Resources for Going Deeper
Seeking to deepen your faith and connection with God? Consider using the following meditations during prayer time: