What Happens in Group Spiritual Direction?

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Learn what it takes to lead, what models to follow, and what fruit to expect.

by Alice Fryling | posted 6/29/2009

Topics:	Guidance, Listening, Mentoring, Spiritual direction
Filters:	Director, Lead, Pastor
Purpose:	Discipleship
References:	Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 , John 16:13
Date Added:	June 29, 2009

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In some groups, the facilitator also takes a turn as presenter. When that happens, he or she asks someone else to facilitate that session. In other groups, the facilitator is there only as a director and does not take a turn as directee. This is usually the case when the facilitator is a trained spiritual director.

The Essentials

Several ingredients are essential for group spiritual direction. Absolute confidentiality is on the top of the list. The group will be a place where personal soul-work happens. This kind of intimacy requires the confidence that nothing shared in the group will be shared outside the group. It is a good idea to reiterate the group's commitment to confidentiality from time to time.

Regular attendance is another essential ingredient. Group members need to commit to coming to each meeting if at all possible. Sporadic attendance is not an option if the group is to establish the trust and camaraderie necessary for authentic personal sharing.

It's also a good idea to schedule brief times of evaluation for the group. Usually, groups make a commitment to meet biweekly or once a month for three to six months, but some groups meet for years. Whatever the initial commitment, be sure to set aside occasional times for people to comment on how they feel the group is doing.

Models for Group Spiritual Direction

Groups meeting for spiritual direction come in many shapes and sizes. Not all spiritual direction groups happen within a church setting. Some groups are defined by church membership or attendance, but other groups are made up of friends from several churches. Some groups are cross-generational; some are age-specific. Some are made up of men and women; some are just one or the other. There are several models that can be followed for group direction.

Church groups. Churches are finding that group spiritual direction is a good way to introduce people to spiritual direction itself, providing an opportunity for them to begin experiencing this way of relating to others and to God.
A group of friends. I have been meeting with a group of friends for seven years. We call our group a lectio group because we are reading very, very slowly through the Gospel of Luke. Though we don't call ourselves a spiritual direction group, we function in a spiritual direction manner. We have accompanied each other through many seasons of life, helping each other see God's loving work in our lives.
Groups led by a spiritual director. Groups are often facilitated and coordinated by spiritual directors. In this situation, the people in the group may not know each other beforehand. They are gathered together by the spiritual director and usually pay the director for the sessions. These groups work well because they meet together only for spiritual direction and are often very focused, much like individual spiritual direction.
A two-person group. Another creative way to experience spiritual direction is to meet with one other person and take turns being the director and the directee.
Groups of young people. Young people are particularly inclined to process things with their friends, so group spiritual direction is a good fit. They may not, however, have the maturity and life experiences to function effectively in the traditional model of spiritual direction. Those who have offered spiritual direction to younger people report that they often need to be a little more directive than they are with adults. The qualities of leadership that are important in offering group direction to young people are similar to those for leading groups of older people. But one spiritual director emphasized the special need for "openness and genuineness about my own life," and "unconditional love" for the students.