Being a spiritual leader should be rich and rewarding work—for clergy, religious professionals, and lay leaders. But the continual shifts in the landscape of religion in America is making it difficult. That’s why nurturing your own spirituality is essential. To help you do just that, the Center for Congregational Spirituality is offering a spiritual leadership retreat, August 3 – August 8, 2019, at the Transfiguration Spirituality Center near Cincinnati, Ohio. This one-week contemplative retreat—designed for both lay and ordained spiritual leaders—will explore how the practice and ministry of spiritual direction can help you faithfully attend to the spiritual lives of others in your community of faith while staying grounded in your own relationship to the source of our being.

Co-sponsored by the Central East, MidAmerica, and Southern Regions of the UUA, Spiritual Leadership in Communities of Faith: A Contemplative Retreat is open to clergy and other religious professionals (including religious educators, membership professionals, and directors of congregational life), as well as congregational lay leaders and individuals engaged in innovative ministries beyond congregational walls. Built on the foundation of spiritual direction/guidance/companioning, the retreat will emphasize bringing the benefits of this practice into your personal spiritual life, the life of your faith community, and the wider world. Following an intentional pattern of theory, practice, and reflection, each day will explore a different aspect of spiritual direction, including individual spiritual direction, group spiritual direction, and supervision.

The program is limited to 18 persons. In order to achieve a balance of roles, registration will be capped at 6 clergy, 6 religious professionals, and 6 lay leaders. The tuition is $1750, which includes a single room at the retreat center and all meals. Discounts are available for members of UU professional organizations. Additional scholarships are also available, especially for people with disabilities, people of color, indigenous people, Hispanic/Latinx, and LGBTQ participants.

For more information, visit https://spiritualleadershipretreat.org/, or contact Sue Sinnamon at ssinnamon@gmail.com.