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Group Spiritual Direction this Fall

Do you wonder to what God is calling you at this point in your life?  Would you like to deepen your prayer life?  Would you like to dwell more often and more consciously  in the presence of God?   If your answer to these questions is yes, we invite you to consider participating in Group Spiritual Direction at our church this fall.

Spiritual Direction, or, more accurately, Spiritual Companioning, is an ancient practice of meeting with a trained spiritual guide to explore your relationship to God, and God’s call to you.  The guide is your companion in the exploration.  The director is God.  Spiritual direction can be undertaken on an individual or group basis.  Usually, such sessions occur monthly, or more frequently, if desired.

Here at First Congregational Church, we will offer this exploration in two groups, each consisting of six people. We will begin with a retreat on Saturday, September 25, from 1 – 5 p.m.    Then, each group of six will meet monthly for 2.5 hours to discuss how their prayer life is going, what they are hearing in God’s call and what issues they might be struggling with in ascertaining that call.

Participants need to be able and willing to:

• share deeply about their relationship to God;
• practice contemplative prayer on a regular basis, hopefully daily;
• attend the retreat and a monthly meeting October – June;
• hold confidential things that are shared in the groups.

Meetings will be at the church, unless rising COVID cases force us to hold meetings on Zoom. We will strive to find a time that works best for the participants of the group.

The groups will be led by Rev. Linda Hoddy, an ordained minister who has been a member of our congregation since 2013.  She earned a certificate at the Spiritual Guidance Program in the Christian Contemplative Tradition from the Shalem Institute in Washington D.C. in 2012.  She holds a Master of Divinity degree from Harvard Divinity School (1992), and served as a parish minister in the Unitarian Universalist tradition for 25 years.

Interested persons should fill out a registration form, available in paper format in the church office or via email, or by clicking here.

Participation will be limited to 12 people – two groups of six.  It is open to all members and friends of FCC. There is no charge for participation.

Questions?  Please address them to LindaJHoddy@gmail.com, or phone 518 527 1238.