Help Me Become A Spiritual Director
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"Spiritual direction is, in reality, nothing more than a way of leading us to see and obey the real Director — the Holy Spirit hidden in the depths of our soul." - Thomas Merton, Trappist monk, USA
I'm Derek, and I'm seeking the generosity of others to pursue a certificate in Spiritual Direction from Selah Center for Spiritual Formation.
Currently, I am the Youth Pastor of a mid-sized church near Pittsburgh, PA; I'm helping to launch a youth center for my community; and, I'm an active blogger/writer on all things spiritual formation & faith. I hold a Master's in Theological Studies from Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN and I have graduated from both undergrad & graduate school with an honors level GPA.
My hope is to raise $2000 to cover the costs of tuition for this program. There are additional costs of the program - including travel and books/materials - that have already been covered thanks to a generous first offering from a friend who believes in my vision and calling. I will need the funds by May 2018 in order to start the program because it operates within a cohort model. Otherwise, I will have to wait until 2019.
In short, Christian Spiritual Direction is a form of intimate hyper-discipleship. While I believe that we cannot become closer to Jesus positionally, I do believe that we can, and should, cultivate a closeness to Christ relationally. As a director, I would have the honor to walk alongside others in their growing faith. As a youth pastor, this would provide me with a greater level of training to mentor/counsel teenagers and point them to fulfillment in Christ rather than the fleeting pleasure of our broken culture. This is a calling I began to sense during my time at seminary and now I would be able to take steps on this journey with your help. I believe this journey & vision goes even further as this training will apply to any and every ministry of which I will be a part.
I pray that you will consider this as an investment, not in myself, but in everyone that will become a 'directee' in the future.
I ask most importantly for your prayers as I seek greater activity in this form of ministry.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generosity. I would be so incredibly humbled by your help, and I could probably never quite find the words to express my appreciation.
I'm Derek, and I'm seeking the generosity of others to pursue a certificate in Spiritual Direction from Selah Center for Spiritual Formation.
Currently, I am the Youth Pastor of a mid-sized church near Pittsburgh, PA; I'm helping to launch a youth center for my community; and, I'm an active blogger/writer on all things spiritual formation & faith. I hold a Master's in Theological Studies from Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN and I have graduated from both undergrad & graduate school with an honors level GPA.
My hope is to raise $2000 to cover the costs of tuition for this program. There are additional costs of the program - including travel and books/materials - that have already been covered thanks to a generous first offering from a friend who believes in my vision and calling. I will need the funds by May 2018 in order to start the program because it operates within a cohort model. Otherwise, I will have to wait until 2019.
In short, Christian Spiritual Direction is a form of intimate hyper-discipleship. While I believe that we cannot become closer to Jesus positionally, I do believe that we can, and should, cultivate a closeness to Christ relationally. As a director, I would have the honor to walk alongside others in their growing faith. As a youth pastor, this would provide me with a greater level of training to mentor/counsel teenagers and point them to fulfillment in Christ rather than the fleeting pleasure of our broken culture. This is a calling I began to sense during my time at seminary and now I would be able to take steps on this journey with your help. I believe this journey & vision goes even further as this training will apply to any and every ministry of which I will be a part.
I pray that you will consider this as an investment, not in myself, but in everyone that will become a 'directee' in the future.
I ask most importantly for your prayers as I seek greater activity in this form of ministry.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generosity. I would be so incredibly humbled by your help, and I could probably never quite find the words to express my appreciation.
Organizer
Derek Cummins
Organizer
Imperial, PA