OUR IGNATIAN SPIRITUAL DIRECTORS - The Individual Experience
Spiritual Directors for the Ignatian Exercises are seasoned spiritual directors who have been trained to accompany others through the 19th and 18th Annotations.
The seasoned Spiritual Directors listed below have all completed a 2-year spiritual director training, and an additional year of training to accompany individuals in the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius. Please note that each of these directors are able to meet via Skype, Zoom, or FaceTime.
Application Process/Choices
- Individual or Group Experience
- 19th or 18th Annotation
- Contact preferred Director
- Submit an Application
Specialty: Ignatian formation, supervision of directors
Sara is grateful to reside in Amsterdam and to guide our growing work in Europe, alongside her own private spiritual direction practice to pastors, leaders, and spiritual directors. She dreams of creating a monastic retreat space in Europe–offering hospitality, sanctuary, and healing. She loves companioning people in every season of the soul, helping them clarify their vocation and respond to God’s love from a deep place.
Sara has a very full life! She enjoys: traveling, hiking, cooking/baking, writing, yoga, painting, wine with friends, live music, cycling, singing, reading (especially nerdy theology and Ignatian spirituality), her 12 nieces and nephews, and lingering in slow mornings while staring at the birds—especially her red canary, Karel (Carl).
Specialties: Ignatian spirituality / Exercises accompaniment, discernment, supervision
Stacey has extensive training in spiritual direction as well as specialties such as supervision and Spiritual Exercises accompaniment. Stacey has many years of marriage mentoring and pastoral care. She loves journeying with people who long for the “more” in their faith walk.
Specialties: Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, personal/ministry burnout
Lainie was drawn to the ministry of spiritual direction through her own desire for more of God in the midst of the highs and lows of pastoring the church she and her husband planted in 1986. Passing this gift on to pastors, lay leaders and any Christ-follower hungry for more is a singular joy. She also loves accompanying others as they seek deeper union with God through the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, and providing compassionate soul care for those in personal or ministry crisis. Lainie trained at Sustainable Faith’s School of Spiritual Direction and has been an instructor there since 2015.
Specialties: Ignatian Spirituality / Exercises accompaniment, young parents and leaders, cancer patients and caregivers
Mike has been a pastor, vocationally and bi-vocationally for 40 years. Receiving spiritual direction has personally unlocked a deep awareness of God’s activity and care in his life. Going through the Ignatian Exercises developed new rhythms and pathways to God in his life, and deepened his knowing Christ and being known by him. He felt sent into his world with a new, fresh love and mission. He is privileged to come along side others as they make the Exercises. He enjoys listening and giving them his full attention as they discover God’s endless attention and love for them.
Mike has planted three churches, served in Derby England and now pastors Vineyard Church in Des Moines, IA. He was trained in Spiritual Direction with Sustainable Faith’s two year program. He has regularly served with Flourish teams for Vineyard USA’s Pastors’ Sabbath Retreats. His joy in life is to help others live the life they never thought they could.
He is married to Sherri and together they love 5 sons, a daughter and 6 grandchildren. He loves to be out in nature, riding his bike, hiking, camping, and playing with his grandchildren. He has walked through cancer treatment and life after treatment with Sherri. His favorite saying is “The best is yet to come.”
Specialties: Cancer patients and families, Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, pastors and leaders, Enneagram, discernment, but most of all HOPE
Sherri has over 40 years of being loved by Jesus in marriage, family life, pastoring, and is a leukemia survivor. She is a teacher for Sustainable Faith’s School of Spiritual Direction and supervises directors.
Specialties: Ignatian Spirituality / Exercises accompaniment
Carolyn. While navigating one of life’s major transitions, my first love for Jesus Christ was reignited. The Ignatian Spiritual Exercises not only presented the “way of proceeding” but also enabled deepening and expanding my relationship with the Trinity. My friendship and encounters with God took on a whole new dimension and I was forever changed. Now it is my passion to companion with others as they seek the Lord and experience His love, direction and outpourings of grace.
I received training in Spiritual direction and in the Spiritual Exercises Accompaniment through Sustainable Faith. My previous life experience includes twenty years on staff in the pro-life movement and raising five children as a single parent. I currently serve the Lord with joy at Christ the King Vineyard Church in Ohio.
My passion is to create safe environments and opportunities for people to experience God. My desire is for them to know who God created them to be and live into their truest self in Christ. As an empathetic listener and companion on the journey, my part is to help them to become aware and respond to God’s invitations.
Early in my ministry career, I worked in full time ministry at a mega-church for eleven years. This experience heightened the value and necessity of spiritual direction for pastors and Christian leaders. Spiritual Direction is an important spiritual practice, as they deal with the challenges of ministry, the difficulty of finding a safe place to share and the struggle to stay connected to their own souls.
My Master’s Specialization in Spiritual Transformation was accomplished through Northern Seminary in Lombard, IL in partnership with the Transforming Center. My training in Spiritual Direction is through Sustainable Faith Indy and The Springs.
As a Spiritual Director, I also bring my experience in training with the Enneagram – a tool for self-knowledge and spiritual transformation, life experience with Twelve Step programs and as a trained companion with the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises.
[email protected]
www.transformingexperiences.org
573-808-4848 (Mountain Time)
Specialties: Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, supervision of directors
Renae and her husband Steve are long time members of the Sugar Land Vineyard church where she has served on the Senior Pastor’s Council and as a small group leader. A teacher for Sustainable Faith’s School of Spiritual Direction since 2014, she is also program director of the Affiliate program.
Laughter, tears, and joy flow through her life as she enjoys reading, quiet, and finding and creating beauty around her. Nothing compares to the joy of watching God beckon people close and seeing them trust that call. Finding God in the continuing challenges of life, she believes deeply in “the long, slow, work of God!”
About 20 years ago I happened upon a group of friends through my Christian community that pointed me to the depth of God’s grace for me and the intentional pursuit of living in the love of the Trinity. Prior to that my relationship with Jesus was genuine yet duty bound. Among the opportunities that group opened up to me was both spiritual direction and the Exercises of Saint Ignatius. During the year I made the exercises accompanied with spiritual direction, God’s word and love broke open to me in new and personal ways. The voice of Jesus became intimate and joy-filled. That shift brought me new vision and desire, so I pursued being trained as a spiritual director through the Mercy Center in Burlingame. Along the way I also completed the Sustainable Faith training for guiding people through the Exercises. Now I have the joy of offering spiritual direction and also accompanying both groups and individuals as they make the Ignatian Exercises retreat in their everyday lives!
I have been married to Ken for almost 30 years, and we have three wonderful adult children. During my down time you will find me reading, walking with friends or enjoying a good conversation over a glass of wine! I also find great delight exploring God’s creation in the coastal mountains of California.
Specialties: Ignatian Spirituality/Exercises accompaniment, spiritual director Supervisor, and an Ignatian Supervisor
Deborah held a church staff position for 14 years coordinating the prison ministry where she found many conflicting theologies and doctrines getting in the way of understanding the depth and truth of God’s love. Deborah offers space for those desiring spiritual growth with the opportunity to see God in all things and experience His grace.
