Welcome to the Spiritual Direction Forum UK
supporting and resourcing spiritual directors
promoting and protecting good practice
advocating and encouraging creative development
Forthcoming Forum events
Our events seek to engage with an aspect of the vision of the Forum. These events are free to those on the Forum mailing list.
supporting and resourcing spiritual directors
Saturday 15th April 10am – 1pm: The Bright Field – Glimpsing God in everyday moments with Alison MacTier.
More information on our Forum Events page – click here
You can support the costs of running the forum by ‘buying us a coffee’! Click this button to make a donation.
Forum life and news...
Read about and watch the Launch event on 14 May 2022
Spiritual Direction Forum UK
- the story so far
- who we are now (including you)
- the vision
- prayers of commitment and blessing
Shaping The Emerging Forum
Wednesday 30 June 6pm – 8pm
This event looked together at
Implementing the vision
Exploring priorities
Naming concerns
Offering suggestions
Over 120 people joined this evening session to hear more of the areas for development of the Forum’s life and to participate in the discerning of priorities.
You can watch the video of the first half of the evening here.
Forum Launch…
Saturday 14 May 2022 saw the Forum move from being an exploratory, consultative, discerning process, to a launched entity ‘Forum for Spiritual Direction UK‘ You can read about what happened and watch Julie and Nick reflect on the Vision of the Forum, also the prayers of commitment and blessing here.
The core group are now working towards establishing the Forum as a charitable incorporated organisation; towards developing the three sub-groups and arranging events for the coming year.
As part of the launch, everyone was invited to reflect on how they may be being called to offer their prayer, their time and energy towards enabling the forum’s development. Responses are invited to be made here.
The Forum Happens!
Saturday 30 January 2021 saw an online gathering of over 120 people drawn together and experience ‘Forum’.
Members of the initiating group, (Julie Dunstan, Alison McTear, Chris Chapman, John-Francis Friendship and Nick Helm) shared something of their journey and interest in working to this initiative. Everyone had time in small groups. The Vision Statement (see below) was shared, and then reflected on in small groups. The feedback from the groups was shared on zoom chat and some observations made by the group. There was plenty of energy and enthusiasm, along with helpful questions and ideas.
Vision Statement for the National Forum for Spiritual Direction UK
This statement came from a discerning process undertaken by the initiating group. This included a consultation with over 170 spiritual directors from all over the country who after prayerful reflection contributed their feedback. This was compiled into 72 page document. The group reflected and prayed with this, seeking to listen to all that was shared and draw together a vision statement. This vision statement comprises three sections:
- Vision – the aim and purpose of the Forum
- Values / Way – the values and ways in which it seeks to be
- Mission – the actions that are needed in the first instance in order to begin to work to the aim and purpose.
You can read it here or download a printable version here or watch a brief introduction to the vision…
Next steps…
Clearly there is work to be done in bringing together a core committee and the sub-groups.
The initiating group will be reflecting on the feedback to the vision statement and on bringing these groups into being.
Prayer for the Forum
Creator God, giver of all good things;
provide for us as we support and resource each other.
Jesus, incarnate, embodied;
enable us as we model and promote good practice.
Holy Spirit, breathing life into the world;
inspire us as we advocate and encourage creative ministry.
In all things, God, animate our vision with your desire.
Amen.
Updated 23 June 2021