The Value of Spiritual Direction in Christian Spiritual Growth

by Paul Harrow

In the Christian tradition, church plays a central role. It serves as a community where believers gather to worship, learn, and grow together in their faith. And while attending Sunday church services is rightfully an important discipline in the lives of Christians, it is by nature limited in it’s ability to facilitate deeper spiritual growth.

So as we mature in our faith, we must incorporate additional practices (beyond simply attending Sunday services) to strengthen and develop our relationship with God. In most cases, churches have attempted to address this need by offering Bible studies, discipleship courses, leadership training and classroom sessions about Christianity. But Christianity is not simply information to be learned. It is a relationship and an experience to be lived.

Spiritual direction offers a unique and valuable tool for churches and Christians seeking to facilitate growth and cultivate a more prayerful, intimate, and transformative relationship with God. This article will explore the distinct benefits of spiritual direction, highlighting how it complements and even surpasses certain limitations of church attendance in fostering mature Christian growth.

A History of Spiritual Direction

Christian spiritual direction traces it’s roots to the early centuries of the Church, particularly in the monastic traditions of the Desert Fathers and Mothers in the 3rd and 4th centuries. These early Christian ascetics sought to live lives of deep prayer and contemplation in the wilderness, and many became recognized for their wisdom and holiness. Pilgrims and other seekers would come to them for guidance in the spiritual life, asking for help with prayer, discernment, and how to live according to Christ’s teachings. The role of the spiritual guide, or “abba” (father) and “amma” (mother), became a central feature of this ascetic spirituality. Their advice was rooted in both personal experience of God and a deep understanding of Scripture.

Over the centuries, spiritual direction became more formalized, especially in the context of the medieval Church. It was practiced by many great saints, such as St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Ávila, and St. Ignatius of Loyola, who offered structured approaches to the interior life. St. Ignatius, for example, developed the Spiritual Exercises, a detailed guide for spiritual growth and discernment often led by a director. In the modern era, spiritual direction remains a practice in many Christian traditions, including Catholicism, Anglicanism and some Protestant communities.

What is Spiritual Direction?  Coming alongside another to discern what/how God is speaking.

Christian spiritual direction is a practice in which a trained guide, known as a spiritual director, helps an individual deepen their relationship with God and grow in their spiritual life. The focus is on discerning God’s presence, movement, and voice in the directee’s life, rather than providing counseling or problem-solving advice.

Spiritual direction is often sought by those who desire a deeper relationship with God, need help discerning decisions, or wish to better understand how God is at work in their lives.

Richard Rohr, founder of The Center for Action & Contemplation explains spiritual direction this way: “Through deep listening, a spiritual companion can help others explore a deeper relationship with God. Like other forms of contemplation, a spiritual companion or spiritual director helps people connect more deeply with the True Self…”

The late Dr. Larry Crabb partnered with his son Kep to found Larger Story, a ministry devoted to furthering Dr. Crabb’s legacy which includes Spiritual Direction and training. The following is their definition: “Spiritual Direction is the process of exploring and understanding the interior world of another, following the Spirit’s work in transforming the person’s interior world to become more like Christ. A one-on-one session offers an objective, non-judgmental space where you can talk freely and openly about the things on your heart and mind and receive valuable insight from a trained fellow sojourner.”

Rhythm of Grace, a center for spiritual formation founded by EPC pastor Craig Babb states: “Spiritual direction is the ancient practice of inviting a soul friend to accompany you on your pilgrimage—to listen, reflect, and discern what God is saying to you. In accompanying you, they are invited to speak into your life as you explore the terrain of spiritual passages and faith development.”

From these leaders in modern spiritual direction, we learn that spiritual direction is about listening, discering, and friendship based around hearing God’s voice. It engages growing Christians in ways that bible studies, small groups or sermons never can. It is exactly the reason why spiritual direction is so valuable. As belivers mature, they need deeper, more personal and nuanced discipleship. Spiritual Direction addresses this.

The Benefits of Spiritual Direction

1. Personalized Guidance and Discernment:

Unlike the general teachings and sermons in church, spiritual direction provides a personalized and unique approach to spiritual development. A spiritual director acts as a companion, actively listening to an individual’s experiences, struggles, and aspirations. Through this process, they can offer guidance and support specific to their unique journey, helping discern God's will and direction in their life.

2. Deepening Prayer and Spiritual Practices:

Spiritual direction encourages and supports the development of personal spiritual disciplines, such as silence and solitude, fasting, bible reading and study, retreats, prayers for others, noticing, pilgrimage, and rule of life, to name a few. By providing personalized feedback and suggestions, a spiritual director can help refine and deepen these practices, leading to a more consistent, deeper and more meaningful connection with God.

3. Addressing Personal Challenges and Obstacles:

The Christian life is not without it’s challenges and obstacles. Disorientations occur in the lives of every Christian. These can often lead to “church-hopping” when a believer perceives their needs are no longer being met in church. Oftentimes this season of disorientation is simply a function of natural spiritual growth and spiritual direction can offer a safe and confidential space to explore these difficulties and receive support in navigating them. A skilled director can help identify patterns in thoughts and behaviors, offering insights and tools to overcome personal struggles and grow in faith.

4. Accountability and Growth:

Spiritual direction provides a framework for accountability and growth. Regularly meeting with a director encourages reflection on the spiritual journey, identifying areas for improvement, and setting goals for personal development. This ongoing support can significantly enhance faith commitments and motivate them to continue growing in their relationship with God. It is often important for maturing Christians to get personal assistance in helping them see areas for faith development and where personal growth might be required.

5. A Complementary Approach:

It is important to emphasize that spiritual direction does not replace church attendance. Instead, it serves as a complementary practice, enriching and deepening the spiritual growth fostered by the community and teachings offered within the church.

How Can Churches Respond

People leave churches for various reasons. Common concerns that lead to this include: lack of spiritual growth, lack of engagement and lack of personal connection. A Lifeway Research article from June 2019 states that churches lose members and attendees for a variety of reasons which include: “the church doesn’t meet their needs”, “the church didn’t meet their needs”, “they didn’t feel conntected”. Spiritual direction relationships offer the ultimate “engagement” for defining, addressing and connecting with the needs of congregants who are considering leaving. Additionally, it directly addresses the needs of Christians seeking to grow deeper in their faith. It would help meet these needs beyond the more traditional classroom or academic approaches. Carey Niewhoff states in his December 2023 article “New Exodus? 4 Reasons Why People Are Leaving the Church” that people are leaving churches because churches are “Overfocusing on content at the expense of connection”. Spiritual Direction remedies this with a focus on connection, and content on a more personal level. A renewed emphasis on spiritual direction can foster spiritual growth and personal connection by practicing prayer and spiritual disciplines along with exploring how to better discern God’s voice in our lives. This could help reduce instances of congregants leaving to search for more personalized growth opportunities which they often will never find.

Spiritual growth paths in church that include spiritual direction should be standard, not unique; Training as lay-ministry spiritual directors could address multiple needs; a full time director of spiritual formation who both directs and trains new directors would be a remarkable addition to church staffs of any size. It would provide a path for congregants seeking more and deeper growth to journey farther in their relationships with Jesus by developing robust prayer practices in their lives from which deeper connections with God can flourish. This would be of dual benefit to both the church body and the individual Christian seeking God without them having to find a new church home.

Spiritual direction offers a unique and invaluable tool for Christians and churches seeking a more personalized and transformative journey of faith. By providing individual guidance, fostering deeper spiritual practices, and offering support in navigating challenges, spiritual direction can significantly enhance connection with God and empower growth in the lives of Christians.

Spiritual Direction Resources

For more on exploring modern Christian spiritual formation and spiritual direction, I recommend contacting:

Rhythm of Grace Center for Spiritual Formation - Dr. Craig Babb: Spiritual Direction — Rhythm of Grace

Center for Action and Contemplation - Richard Rhor: What is Spiritual Direction?

Larger Story - Larry Crabb: Spiritual Direction - Larger Story - The Lifework & Legacy of Dr. Larry Crabb

Benet Hill Monastery: Benedictine Spiritual Direction Training & Certification | Benet Hill Monastery

Sources:

1. Alvis, R. E. (2010). Spanning the history of Christian guidance from the desert fathers and mothers to contemporary expressions in literature. Docslib. https://docslib.org/doc/3506528/spanning-the-history-of-christian-guidance-from-the-desert-fathers-and-mothers-to-contemporary-expressions-in-literature

2. Davies, James A. "Alliance Academic Review: Patterns of Spiritual Direction." Alliance Academic Review, 1996, www.kneillfoster.com/aar/1996/AAR1996-8.php.

3. Schoonhoven, T. (2023, September 22). 10 reasons people are leaving your church. Lifeway Research. https://research.lifeway.com/2019/06/19/10-reasons-people-are-leaving-your-church/

4. Nieuwhof, C. (2023, December 20). New exodus? 4 reasons why people are leaving the church (including Christians) . CareyNieuwhof.com. https://careynieuwhof.com/5-surprising-reasons-people-leave-church/