What is the purpose of this group?
This group is intended for providing spiritual companionship and community support with an experienced spiritual director that facilitates the group. The group provides sacred hospitality for exploring issues, concerns, opportunities, and events that emerge in our lives and a special way to reflect on personal meaning and direction in light of the Presence within and among us. This is not a therapy group. However, as a spiritual companionship group it shares some similarities with a therapy group in that it honors personal integration, self-awareness, and movements toward greater health and wholeness. The group provides an opportunity to assist members in discovering their own inner wisdom and explore their own deep truths that can be discovered in the reflecting on particular events in living. Spirituality is seen as the sacred core of life which actively engages and informs the whole of who we are—body, mind, emotions, relationships, social concerns, creativity, and beliefs. This group helps us to be in touch with that core reality and discover and learn from our inner holy wisdom.
Who would benefit from this group?
Any adult interested in being part of a group that honors inner wisdom, spiritual discernment, and life as a sacred journey may benefit from this group. A willingness to be present and respectful to people from various spiritual and religious traditions as well as those who are not associated with a religious tradition is necessary. You need to be comfortable working on the internet and in a virtual community.
What is the spiritual direction method used in this group?
This is a “Spiritual Friends” group facilitated by the Rev. Dr. Dan Prechtel who has many years of experience in small groups and spiritual direction. Members of the group will “meet” through a forum-type discussion board group service moderated and facilitated by Dan. In his role as facilitator he will participate in everything except being the focus person. A session extends over about six days so it runs for about a week with one day off. The initial series alternates between a week session and a week off. Each session one member (the focus person) of the group will present something(s) from her or his life and have the group’s members provide assistance in reflecting more deeply on the situation and its implications for spiritual wholeness and direction. The group members serve as holy listeners by asking evocative questions, exploring images and feelings associated with the situation, and companioning the focus person into their own deepest lived truth. Members are not to rescue, fix, attempt to heal, give advice, or problem-solve. Rather, members assist the focus person in exploring her or his own understanding and path toward greater wholeness, creativity, life meaning, and spiritual growth. Near the end of the session Dan (or a team facilitator) will conclude the virtual session and ask for another group member to prepare to present something from their life for the next session that begins on an appointed day. The group will rotate presenters until every one has been the focus person. There will be an opportunity for all members to be the focus person at least once in the course of the group’s series of sessions.
Here is a step-by-step description of the group’s process in an extended session:
(The facilitator will usually send out an opening message to the group’s web site on Sunday night or Monday morning. The group members will begin reading and responding at least once a day beginning on Monday and ending on Saturday.)
1.
Open the session. Facilitator will begin by using some simple reading, prayer, poem or other offering.
Open the session. Facilitator will begin by using some simple reading, prayer, poem or other offering. 2.Check in. Everyone is invited to briefly share what they wish the group to know about them at this time. The group simply receives these statements with respect as if they are a graced holding container for each other. We will refrain from the urge to fix, rescue, or give advice. Just hold people lovingly in their reality.
Check in. Everyone is invited to briefly share what they wish the group to know about them at this time. The group simply receives these statements with respect as if they are a graced holding container for each other. We will refrain from the urge to fix, rescue, or give advice. Just hold people lovingly in their reality. 3.Focus Person presents. A selected member (“focus person”) of the group speaks about whatever s/he wishes the group to help explore.
Focus Person presents. A selected member (“focus person”) of the group speaks about whatever s/he wishes the group to help explore. 4.Clarifications. The group asks the focus person questions that help them understand the situation that has presented.
Clarifications. The group asks the focus person questions that help them understand the situation that has presented.5.Explore meaning and direction. Now the group engages the focus person in exploring the presented situation. Usually this will take the form of asking evocative questions that help the focus person go deeper and explore their inner truth. Sometimes images, feelings, desires, words or phrases, dreams, songs, or other “ways of knowing” emerge as part of the exploration. Guided imagery meditations, inner child dialogues, or other forms of imaginative inner work may be appropriate. What the focus person’s prayer is like, or an image of God that is emerging—or no longer holds true—might be explored. In everything the focus person has the right to decide what is helpful and what isn’t, what direction the inquiry can take and where not to go.
Explore meaning and direction. Now the group engages the focus person in exploring the presented situation. Usually this will take the form of asking evocative questions that help the focus person go deeper and explore their inner truth. Sometimes images, feelings, desires, words or phrases, dreams, songs, or other “ways of knowing” emerge as part of the exploration. Guided imagery meditations, inner child dialogues, or other forms of imaginative inner work may be appropriate. What the focus person’s prayer is like, or an image of God that is emerging—or no longer holds true—might be explored. In everything the focus person has the right to decide what is helpful and what isn’t, what direction the inquiry can take and where not to go. 6.Facilitator asks for any summary statements. The facilitator will be monitoring the energy and flow of the group’s work and will test to see if the focus person feels their question or situation has been sufficiently explored and that he or she has been well attended. Then the focus person and all members of the group are invited to make any summary statements on what they are taking with them from the exploration. Members may offer a prayer for the focus person.
Facilitator asks for any summary statements. The facilitator will be monitoring the energy and flow of the group’s work and will test to see if the focus person feels their question or situation has been sufficiently explored and that he or she has been well attended. Then the focus person and all members of the group are invited to make any summary statements on what they are taking with them from the exploration. Members may offer a prayer for the focus person.7.Process review. Facilitator invites discussion of the group’s life. Does anyone have any questions or comments about the way the group is running? Are any modifications needed or desired for future sessions? Who will be the next session’s focus person?
Process review. Facilitator invites discussion of the group’s life. Does anyone have any questions or comments about the way the group is running? Are any modifications needed or desired for future sessions? Who will be the next session’s focus person?8.Close the session. The facilitator will share a prayer or other simple way of ending the session.
Close the session. The facilitator will share a prayer or other simple way of ending the session.9. Parking lot conversation. Between sessions members can send messages to each other about situations they wish to share, or further reflection or follow up to the previous session.
How does this virtual spiritual direction group compare with a group that meets face to face?
There are advantages and limitations to a virtual spiritual direction group.
Advantages to an online spiritual direction group include:
•We can draw from interested people across the world!
We can draw from interested people across the world! •The group does not have time/space restrictions.
The group does not have time/space restrictions.•Members can share after thoughtful reflection and not have to make immediate responses.
Members can share after thoughtful reflection and not have to make immediate responses.•Members can share at times most convenient to them.
Members can share at times most convenient to them.•We are attentive to members daily over a longer period of time than in just a concentrated 90-minute session.
We are attentive to members daily over a longer period of time than in just a concentrated 90-minute session. •People who are physically or circumstantially restricted are free to be full participants.
People who are physically or circumstantially restricted are free to be full participants.•We build a different kind of community together—a virtual network community.
We build a different kind of community together—a virtual network community.•Cost for a professionally facilitated group is likely to be comparable or less than “real time” sessions.
Cost for a professionally facilitated group is likely to be comparable or less than “real time” sessions.•You may not be able to find an experienced group spiritual director in your area.
You may not be able to find an experienced group spiritual director in your area.Limitations in comparison to a group that meets face to face include:
•The conversation isn’t as spontaneous.
The conversation isn’t as spontaneous.•We can’t see the visual cues from others about how they receive or send a communication.
We can’t see the visual cues from others about how they receive or send a communication.•We can’t set aside just one concentrated period of time in the week and get the meeting completed.
We can’t set aside just one concentrated period of time in the week and get the meeting completed.•We will not have a real-time, real-place embodied community.
We will not have a real-time, real-place embodied community.What is the group size, length of commitment, and cost?
A minimum of 4 and a maximum of 8 group members are required in order to run an online Spiritual Friends spiritual direction group. Potential members are free to invite friends to join them in forming a group but once the group is formed it is closed to new members for the beginning series of sessions. Members will commit to an initial series of enough biweekly group sessions that everyone can be a presenter plus one preliminary group conference phone call to introduce ourselves and go over other information to get us ready to begin regular online sessions. Members are free to leave after the series ends or renew for another series of sessions. If some members want to continue they will negotiate the meeting schedule with the facilitator. A continuing group may also decide to accept additional members. This is a ministry that is funded wholly through participant’s payments—but we don’t want limited financial ability to be the barrier to your participation. The value of this group participation could reasonably be set at $30/person/session ($25/full time student). However, instead of setting a fee for this ministry service we ask that participants provide payment at a rate they feel they can afford in personal consultation with the facilitator. Who is the facilitator?
The Rev. Daniel Prechtel, DMin., is a spiritual director with over twenty years experience in individual and group spiritual guidance, an ordained priest in the Episcopal Church, and has an earned doctor of ministry degree. Dan is the founder and senior spiritual director for Lamb & Lion Spiritual Guidance Ministries (on the web at http://llministries.com). Dan has taught at Seabury-Western Theological Seminary and the Institute of Spiritual Companionship in group forms of spiritual companionship, including dreamwork groups. He is married and has two grown children and two grandchildren. Dan now lives in the San Francisco East Bay area in California where he practices his spiritual direction ministry and serves as a priest associate at All Souls Episcopal Church in Berkeley.
In some groups Dan may team up with an apprentice or co-facilitator.
How can I contact Dan Prechtel for more information and to register for a group?
You can contact Dan through the following media-
Office: 510-323.2539 Cell: 224.636.2874
Skype: daniel.prechtel
Facebook: Dan Prechtel
