Testimonials
Beth has been an incredible support for me in my spiritual journey, and has really taught me what it means to hold both joy and sorrow in the presence of Jesus. Her unwavering patience has provided me with an oasis to confront the deepest wrestlings of my faith and trust in God with honesty and curiosity to lean into how my experiences are intertwined with who I understand God to be.
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I have met with Beth for over three years now for soul care/spiritual direction. Her kindness and understanding have made it a safe place for me to process where God is in the highs, lows and sometimes stagnant places of life. Using Scripture and Spiritual Disciplines, Beth helps pull out and reveal the deep love God has for my soul. My life has been tremendously blessed meeting with Beth for soul care/ spiritual direction.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is spiritual direction?
Spiritual Direction is not new. It is a form of Christian ministry that has been practiced from ancient times. It can also appropriately be called soul care.
Spiritual Direction is a rest stop for your soul. Here you will find someone who is eager to be with you and a warm welcome.
Spiritual Direction gives you someone to talk to who has traveled some hard miles in their own spiritual journey. Your Spiritual Director is your advocate. Someone who knows how to listen. Someone who will sit with you.
Your spiritual director can help you explore where God is and what God is doing in the midst of real life on the ground. You might be feeling God’s nearness or absence. You may show up joyful or in pain, in turmoil or bored, wanting to think about your relationships or feeling lonely. You might even be feeling contradictory things at the same time. No matter, this is a confidential, safe place to take a breath.
What is a spiritual director?
Spiritual directors are part adventure guide, part teacher, and part midwife.
They assist as God takes you to new places, or creates something new in you.
A spiritual director is a mature Christian who listens well to fellow believers and to the Holy Spirit. Spiritual directors have a passion for nurturing souls along with spiritual gifts that empower their ministry.
What will spiritual direction do for me?
God’s work on your behalf through spiritual direction will be delightfully surprising.
Each person’s experience is unique.
Soul care often facilitates: greater awareness of God’s presence, a sense of His love, confidence, peace, personal transformation, steps toward a life of freedom, hope for the future and the feeling of having a valued partner.
Anyone, from children to the elderly can benefit from soul care. Having a spiritual director crucial for people who actively serve, lead and care for others.
No spiritual direction session is exactly like any other!
An hour spent in spiritual direction will include various means of exploring what God is up to and what invitation is offered to you. It might be a path to greater freedom, joy, knowing who you are, knowing you are loved, entering into a life of significance, or surrender.
We might just talk, or we might sit in silence for a while. We might read scripture, or view a piece of art, or do something creative. At Gaze Ministries we especially like using redeemed imagination to lead us into God’s presence.
Each session is about an hour long.
What will we do when we meet?
Is soul care another name for counseling?
There is a lot of cross-over between different kinds of care.
One way to discern which you need, is to think about the starting point.
Soul Care / Spiritual Direction is starts with your soul, all the parts of you that make you uniquely you. We want to see you healthy in body, mind, and heart, but we believe all flourishing begins with your relationship with God. God is good. While all your problems will not instantly vanish, focusing on letting God transform you from the inside out has a healthy ripple effect into every dimention of your life.
Counseling often continues until a person has learned how to deal with a particular problem. Ideally, soul care is an ongoing part of seeking first the kingdom of God. Soul care relationships may be very brief, but sometimes continue for a lifetime.
Begins with: | Focuses on: | Seeks to facilitate: | |
Spiritual Direction / Soul Care | soul (your whole person) |
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Pastoral Care | physical needs |
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Teaching | mind |
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Counseling | emotions |
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