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The Academy for Spiritual Leadership is a ministry of the Louisiana Annual Conference designed to respond to the vision of the conference to raise up spiritual leaders for Christ. Our goal is to offer various settings that focus on the essentials of spiritual leadership, which calls forth and empowers both laity and clergy to be effective in ministry.
Into the Stillness: A Contemplative Retreat
July 14-17, 2009
St. Joseph’s Abbey, Covington, LA
The registration fee is $200.
There is a reservation waiting list for this event.
The Path of Contemplation has become an annual retreat for persons who seek a place of quiet and want to come apart to listen for the guidance of God. Our own persons in the Louisiana Conference, who have received training in Spiritual Direction, lead this retreat. The days include time of gathering for worship, time of offering guidance for prayer, and lots of space to ‘be still’. It is a way of being in silence while living in community. This retreat grows with each year and has reached full capacity with 45 persons attending.
The Path of Spiritual Leadership
Online Registration Information Handout
is often a doorway into the various offerings of The Academy. For many, it becomes a place of discernment and a defining moment as they search for direction in their lives from God and the faith community. Persons who attend commit to a series of four retreats. Our 2007-2008 series is as follows:
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Connecting to our Calling
Dr. Don E. Saliers
Candler School of Theology
Atlanta, GA
September 24-26, 2009
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Connecting to our Souls
Rev. Jane Vennard
Iliff School of Theolog
Denver, CO
November 19-21, 2009 |
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Connecting to the Church and Community
Dr. Luther Smith
Candler School of Theology
Emory University
January 28-30, 2010 |
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Connecting to our Faith Journey
Rev. Howard Hanger
JUBILEE! Community
Ashville, NC
April 22-24, 2010 |
All retreats begin with registration at 5PM on Thursday.
We close with Holy Communion at 11AM on Saturday,
followed by lunch.
The cost for all four retreats is $400.
Online Registration
The retreats offer sojourners opportunities to hear from retreat leaders who are uniquely qualified in their respective fields. The covenant groups allow a safe place to share their stories and explore where God is leading them. The time of Sabbath Rest provides space to pray and ponder which is an essential element in listening to God’s direction and call. Since the two hurricanes, we have had even a larger participation; and already persons are requesting registrations for next year. This year, for the first time, a sojourner is receiving seminary credit from Garrett-Evangelical as an independent study for her participation in this path of The Academy.
The Path of Spiritual Direction
**Our next Spiritual Direction class will begin in 2010**
This 6-session series takes place over two years through a series of six retreats. In 2008 we began a new cycle. Those who attend have required reading, written assignments to turn in, and a paper due at the end of the two-year course. They are given the option of receiving academic credit from Garrett if they complete the requirements set by the seminary. The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry also recognizes this course for those seeking Certification in Spiritual Formation. The Louisiana Conference is unique in its partnership with a United Methodist School of Theology in giving academic credit for persons living and working within our conference while taking a course at The Academy for Spiritual Leadership.
The current Spiritual Directors’ class
will gather on the following dates:
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Retreat 6 – Nourishing the Congregation in Times of Crisis
April 3-6, 2010
Rev. Wendy J. Miller, Faculty
Eastern Mennonite Seminary – Harrisonburg, VA
Most of the retreats are held at the Wesley Center, in Woodworth, LA.
The cost is $900 per year
The Beloved Community
A Gathering of Spiritual Directors
Beloved, let us love one another for love comes from God.
1 John 4:7
The Wesley Center, Woodworth, LA
Date to be announced for our next gathering
This is a call to all persons in the Louisiana Conference who received training in Spiritual Direction to come together to share stories and drink deeply from the well of Christ. This first-time gathering of spiritual directors will give us a chance to talk about forming an intentional community for support and nurture. It will be a time of re-connecting, and living in the joy of shared passion. Contact lindagregg@la-umc.org for additional information; or call Linda Gregg at 225-346-1646 or 888-239-5286.
The Discerners Academy
March 12-14, 2010
The Wesley Center Woodworth, LA
The Discerners Academy is in its fifth year and has made a significant impact on the numbers of persons in seminary from Louisiana. By bringing discerners into this experience we have also created an informal network among the persons who are now in candidacy, as well as those attending schools of theology. This means that as they return to the Louisiana Conference, there is a built in community of colleagues in which they are already connected. The Discerners Academy has become a model for other conferences seeking ways to recruit and nurture persons into ordained ministry.
General Comments:
In the imagery of the loaves and fish, The Academy offers sustenance to a hungry and longing crowd. As we gather the pieces that are left over, we find baskets full and brimming over. Those fed by what was offered have multiplied their experiences beyond imagination. Who are these people who have shared the loaves and fish? They include:
327 in the Path of Spiritual Leadership
111 who have entered into a contemplative retreat
56 who have come to training for prayer in the congregation
93 who have been certified as Spiritual Directors
224 who have attended a Discerners Academy
156 who have served on staff for these retreats
18 who are receiving academy credit from Garrett through the Academy
The ripple effect has touched congregations, campus ministries, laity and clergy across the annual conference. We sense that momentum is building and our people will continue to fill the retreats that are offered in 2007-2008. We hope you will be one of those to join us at the Academy in the upcoming year. |
