Practicing Direction at the Contemplative Center

Who can use this space?

​Is there a fee?

As you know, it's not easy to find a space to give spiritual direction that ensures quiet and privacy, not to mention, affordability!  We have rooms specifically designed for giving spiritual direction, both individual and group.  These are available any time to the members of our center.
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We suggest an annual $85 donation from our members of the community to help off set the costs of running the center. 

How do I apply?

Once you have surfed our website and read all the requirements for our directors, we want to meet you! The first thing to do is attend a Spiritual Directors Gathering and introduce yourself. Once we've met, reach out to Brooke or Erik for a conversation about our process of joining. 

What is expected of me?

Spiritual Directors who have met the qualifications and been approved by the Discernment Board are asked to sign the Spiritual Direction Covenant, which asks all of our directors to 

• Follow SDI's Code of Ethics
• Be in regular supervision and personal spiritual direction
• Attend the Center's annual meeting and participate in our community
• Employ a sliding scale so that everyone has the opportunity to experience this ministry
• Renew this covenant annually

What are you looking for in applicants?

In a culture that has many definitions of spiritual direction and just as many varieties of training institutions here is what we look for in our people in hopes of presenting to the world spiritual directors who embody contemplative attentiveness to God and gentleness toward the other. 

Our ideal criteria for applicants to The Contemplative Center of Silicon Valley are individuals who:

• Have a sense of your own groundedness in God and the preciousness of all God’s people of every color, gender identity, sexual orientation or status. 
• Have a sense of personal health, maturity and wholeness
• Have attuned sensibilities to the Spirit of God including intellect, intuition, emotion, imagination, bodily awareness.
• Are committed to their continued growth in their own practice of prayer & meditation, spiritual learning & practice
• Observe ongoing practice of involvement in a faith community 
• Are committed to the confidentiality and well-being of the other
• Have experienced validation of this call by the fact that others have come to them to attend God in their lives
• Have life experience and history which reflect a deepening relationship with God
• Currently in spiritual direction and supervision for themselves
• Have completed an experiential and academic training program with an ecumenical mix of peers in a Christian context, open to learning from other faith traditions and have a sense of solidarity with the marginalized. Have completed a 2+ year program, given a minimum of 36 hours of spiritual direction, received a minimum of 15 hours of supervision. We realize there are other paradigms for training and are open to considering them on a case by case basis.
• Have evidence of their faith community’s support for their ministry of spiritual direction