Spiritual Direction: Choosing a Spiritual Companion

One way in which we can be supported and encouraged is by choosing to have a spiritual companion/guide/director. 

Have a look at the informaiton below, and contact those listed at the bottom of the page if you need to know more or go deeper.

• What or who is a spiritual companion?

  On Tuesday 7 October, at Chelmsford Cathedral, Bishop Adrian Newman, who is the Episcopal Visitor for the Diocese of Chelmsford Spiritual Companionship Network, presented the Certificates for those who have successfully completed their Certificate in Spiritual Companionship; those who studied this course have taken an important, costly step towards being authorised as members of the Network.

  The Diocese of Chelmsford Spiritual Companionship Network will be a body of trained, authorised Anglicans (some ordained, some lay), who will meet with individuals to listen attentively, help them discern God’s guidance and encourage them in their journey of prayer and faith. It is led by Rev Ann Coleman Spirituality Adviser for the Diocese, alongside Rev Andy Griffiths, Lead Adviser for Formation and Wellbeing.

• What is a spiritual companion?

  Spiritual companions, (sometimes called spiritual guides or spiritual directors), are mature Christian men and women, who have been specially trained and have the experience and gifts to listen to you and encourage you in your journey of faith. They may be lay or ordained or belong to a religious order.

  The exemplar of spiritual companionship, or spiritual direction, from the Scriptures is the story of Jesus meeting the two disciples on the Emmaus Road. The two disciples walked along the road together. The ‘direction’ is about where they are walking to. It is Jesus himself who is their guide. He came to where they were on the road and walked with them, listening, encouraging and gently challenging.

  It was Christ himself who opened the Scriptures for them and made himself known in the breaking of the bread. In spiritual companionship one disciple acts as a ‘life servant’ to the other and holds the sacred space so that Christ can come and meet with them both.

  A spiritual companion will not tell you how to pray or what to do. He or she understands that it is God who is the prime mover. A good spiritual companion works with you to listen, to notice, to name and to celebrate  where God is in your life and then to discern God’s guidance.

  People may meet in their companion’s home or a meeting room in a church, but many also offer online meetings or telephone calls or walks if that would be more accessible and/or safer. The frequency and length of meetings can vary, and this is something that needs to be discussed and agreed at the first meeting, but 60-90 minutes every 8 weeks is quite common.

• What a spiritual companion will do

  A spiritual guide will

  • Listen attentively to you and to God
  • Pray with and for you
  • Help you to explore and to grow in prayer
  • Help you to see more clearly how God is calling you and working in your life
  • Help you to celebrate the good things God is doing in your life
  • Help you to discern where God may be leading
  • Encourage you in your faith journey
  • Accept you as you are, whoever you are, without judging
  • Treat what you say as confidential within the safeguarding regulations laid down by the Church of England

• How to find a spiritual companion

  A spiritual companion will be found through approaching Rev Ann Coleman (annvcol@gmail.com) or one of the team of area coordinators.  They will offer to talk with you about spiritual companionship in more detail. They are happy to explain anything you are uncertain about. They will help you to find the right spiritual companion for you and will give you contact details.

  The next step after that will be for you to arrange to meet with your prospective spiritual companion. The purpose of that meeting is for you both to discern if this might be a fruitful relationship. If you decide to go ahead, the two of you would decide how often you will meet. This may be monthly, or every two or three months. Each meeting is usually for about an hour.

  Spiritual Companionship is usually free of charge. Some companions do ask for a donation, but they will make this clear at the outset.

  If you are an ordinand, you may wish to contact your DDO in the first instance.

  If you are training to be an LLM you may wish to contact the Lay Training Adviser in the first instance

  If you are already in accredited or licensed ministry you may wish to contact the Wellbeing Adviser in the first instance

• Questions to reflect on before making initial contact:
  • Would you like your spiritual guide to be a man, or a woman, or perhaps you do not mind either?
  • Would you like your spiritual guide to be lay, or ordained, or a religious brother or sister, or perhaps this is not an issue for you?
  • Would you like someone the same sort of age as you? Or someone older? Or younger?
  • Would you like someone from the same denomination as yourself or who has a similar faith/church experience to yourself?
  • Would you like someone with a particular area of expertise in prayer? e.g some people feel they would like to experience more about Ignatian ways of prayer.
  • Is there anything about your own gifts and experience which you feel needs to resonate with a spiritual guide? e.g. some musicians pray through music and want a spiritual guide who understands this or perhaps does the same.
  • Would you like someone who lives close by or are you happy to travel?

• Area Coordinators:

  Chair of area coordinators group

  • Revd Ann Coleman: Tel - 01277 821366 or send an email

   

  Area Coordinators

  Barking Episcopal Area

  Revd Gill Hopkins: send an email

  Colchester Episcopal Area

  Catherine Elliott: send an email

  Revd Jackie Sams: send an email

  Bradwell Episcopal Area

  • Revd Graham Dowling: send an email

For more information or to report anything wrong with this page please contact Sarah Wilson