Spiritual Grounding for Leadership Developement
Being Spiritually Grounded—one of the recommended leadership development competencies—includes:
- A clear, positive understanding and personal practice of one’s own faith in our liberal religious tradition.
- Being able to “translate” and not be reactive to the language, beliefs or practices of other faith traditions.
- Being able to access one's "core" or "center" and connect it to their understanding of the transcendent (e.g. God/Goddess, Holy Spirit, Ground of All Being, the Universe etc.).
Core Value
We are religious being who seek meaning through the direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces that create and uphold life.
Practices
- Meditation
- Retreats
- Seeking spiritual direction
- Group Spiritual Practice in Small Group Ministry
- Spiritual Practices (e.g. yoga, tai chi, etc.)
Resources
Videos
- Meditating on the Minutes by Erik Walker Wikstrom
- The Agenda as Prayer Book by Erik Walker Wikstrom
- Setting the Space by Erik Walker Wikstrom
- Take a Breath by Erik Walker Wikstrom
- Hold Your Tongue by Erik Walker Wikstrom
- Transcendence (YouTube, 49:55): The Art of the Extraordinary, Connie Goodbread
Web Articles
- The Spirituality of Service by Erik Walker Wikstrom
- Strong Leaders Ask Good Questions: Here's How by Tracey Rouse
- What We Talk About When We Talk About Spiritual Growth by Phil Lund
Podcasts
- The Value of Personal Spiritual Practice, Denny Davidoff (podcast and article)
On-Demand Webinars
- Serving with Grace (for teams/committees/boards) by Erik Walker Wikstrom
- Serving with Grace (for individuals) by Erik Walker Wikstrom
- Lay Leadership as a Spiritual Practice (requires free registration): examples of how one congregation uses Serving with Grace: Lay Leadership as a Spiritual Practice by Erik Walker Wikstrom
Curricula
- What Moves Us: Unitarian Universalist Theology by Rev. Dr. Thandeka (Tapestry of Faith Curriculum)
- Spirit of Life by Rev. Barbara Hamilton-Holway (Tapestry of Faith Curriculum)
- Spirit in Practice by Rev. Erik Walker Wikstrom (Tapestry of Faith Curriculum)
Books
- Serving with Grace: Lay Leadership as a Spiritual Practice by Erik Walker Wikstrom
- Discover Your Spiritual Type by Corinne Ware
- Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation by Parker Palmer
- Four Spiritualities: Expressions of Self, Expressions of Spirit by Peter Tufts Richardson
