Let’s gather and share our reactions to the November election in small groups facilitated by experienced spiritual directors. Prepare to be heard.

These are divisive times. But do they need to be? As people of faith, we can take the lead in engaging with others when we don’t see eye to eye… and doing so with respect and civility.

While we believe in the separation of church and state, we also believe that elections are matters of faith. We can hold both of these truths.

The Interfaith Association of Central Ohio, The Spiritual Life and learning Center and The Spirituality Network are working together to help us prepare for the upcoming November election and learning how to live with the results.

REGISTER HERE

We live in a time of change and uncertainty. We sometimes hold a distrust of those different from us. Sometimes it feels like “us and them”. We CAN shift away from that way of thinking and facilitate peace.

The labyrinth can be a tool to bring people together. We bring all our differences into a shared path. We walk our individual paths in life. Others walk their paths. Yet, we walk those paths together in community. In the labyrinth, we walk together in unity.

The labyrinth is different from a maze in that it follows a specified pattern of ancient geometry to enter, and then exits in the reverse order after reaching the center. Walking a labyrinth is usually done in silence and is used as a time for prayer, reflection, or contemplation.

The intention for this labyrinth experience (walk) is for peace and unity. Peace and unity in our individual minds and hearts. Peace and unity in our families, our community, our country and our world.

No experience is necessary. A brief “how-to” will be given prior to the experience. Hand-held labyrinths will be provided for those with mobility concerns.

This is a one-time experience walking a Chartres replica on canvas in the Brant Ballroom.

Cost: $15

REGISTER HERE

Learn and experience holistic self-care techniques in this 2-hour Energy and Sound Healing experience with Wellness Coach Melinda VanKirk, and Sound Healer Samantha Petroff. In this workshop you will:

• Discuss the importance of Self-care as a Spiritual Director

• Design a simple, daily self-care ritual that works for you

• Learn and practice self-care with simple, easy movements to move your energy and soothe your nervous system

• Discuss Reiki as a means of self-care, and practice a simple, guided meditation to clear and protect your energy with Reiki Healing

• Indulge in a healing Sound Bath to help clear your energy and leave you in a state of pure relaxation

Free to SDAO members Not a member of SDAO:  $25.
For your own comfort you may wish to bring your yoga mat or blanket.

REGISTER HERE

Our leaders for this program are Melinda VanKirk and Samantha Petroff:

Melinda is passionate about helping you cultivate your total wellbeing - following the ancient wisdom of yoga and Ayurveda, combined with energy healing and manifestation practices.  She is a certified Spiritual Life Coach, Yoga Health Coach, Yoga Teacher, Reiki Master Teacher, and Artist.  As an empath and avid yogi, Melinda promotes wellbeing through spiritual connection, self-love, and self-care.  You can find Melinda locally at Balancing Owl Yoga for a yoga class or Reiki session, or online at www.litlotus.me to learn more about her coaching services.

Samantha Petroff is an Usui Reiki Master and has been using sound as a healing tool for more than 20 years.  She is set to finish her Master Level sound healing training by the end of 2025.  Sound and vibrational healing is a non-invasive way to bring your nervous system into a more relaxed state.  By taking us out of fight or flight mode our bodies are able to heal in profound ways.  The goal of every session is to hold space for a client to find their balance and facilitate healing.  Samantha is also the Business Manager at The Reiki Center in Grandview representing 30+ practitioners and helping clients find the right modalities to assist them on their healing journey.  

A facilitated, balanced, faith perspective on the issues on the Ohio ballot. We’ll also cover voting basics so that your vote counts.

These are divisive times. But do they need to be? As people of faith, we can take the lead in engaging with others when we don’t see eye to eye… and doing so with respect and civility.

While we believe in the separation of church and state, we also believe that elections are matters of faith. We can hold both of these truths.

The Interfaith Association of Central Ohio, The Spiritual Life and learning Center and The Spirituality Network are working together to help us prepare for the upcoming November election and learning how to live with the results.

REGISTER HERE

Connecting more deeply with your cards through understanding the Suits and how they speak to your inner landscape.

You are invited to join us on:

This will be similar to a typical SoulCollage® Workshop day (browsing images, opening circle, card-making, individual processing…) with an added time of guided card reading and witnessing that will offer you new methods to use on your own as you continue to build your deck and interact with your cards.

*Gathering and browsing images begins at 8:45 am, opening circle 9:00 am.

Led by Saralise Ward and Heather Monkmeyer

$55 (Saturday only), limited scholarships available, inquire with Saralise by email at sara.ward54@gmail.com

All supplies and materials will be provided along with hot coffee, cocoa, tea, and water. Bring your own water bottle/coffee mug.

12:00 - 12:45pm: Lunch break - bring your own lunch or walk to one of the nearby restaurants.

Registration Deadline - Wednesday, September 25th
Space is limited so register early.
**May bring your own lunch and/or please bring a snack to share if you are able.

Accessible free parking available in First Congregational Church parking lot.

REGISTER HERE

Connecting more deeply with your cards through understanding the Suits and how they speak to your inner landscape.

You are invited to join us on:

Friday, September 27th - 5:30* - 8:30 pm ($35 - registration)

This will be a time to learn more about the different Suits that make up your SoulCollage® Deck (Transpersonal, Committee, Community, Council, Companions) and to give voice to cards that may have been quiet up until now. You will have time to interact with your own cards in various settings as you consider what they have to offer you.

*Please bring at least 10 cards to the session, and you may bring ALL of your cards. Note: No card-making will occur on Friday night.

Saturday, September 28th - 8:45 am* - 3:00 pm ($55 - registration)

This will be similar to a typical SoulCollage® Workshop day (browsing images, opening circle, card-making, individual processing…) with an added time of guided card reading and witnessing that will offer you new methods to use on your own as you continue to build your deck and interact with your cards.

*Gathering and browsing images begins at 8:45 am, opening circle 9:00 am.

Led by Saralise Ward and Heather Monkmeyer

Total Cost - $90, please register individually for each day (limited scholarships available, inquire with Saralise by email at sara.ward54@gmail.com)

All supplies and materials will be provided along with hot coffee, cocoa, tea, and water. Bring your own water bottle/coffee mug.

12:00 - 12:45pm: Lunch break - bring your own lunch or walk to one of the nearby restaurants.

Registration Deadline - Wednesday, September 25th
Space is limited so register early.
**May bring your own lunch and/or please bring a snack to share if you are able.

Accessible free parking available in First Congregational Church parking lot.

REGISTER HERE

In his 5 gates of grief, psychotherapist Francis Weller explores how we move through the waters of grief and loss in a culture so fundamentally detached from the needs of the soul.

Profoundly moving, beautifully written, this book is a balm for the soul and a necessary salve for moving together through difficult times. Grounded in ritual and connection, The Wild Edge of Sorrow welcomes each grief with care and attention, opening us to the feelings, experiences, and sacred knowledge that connect us to each other and ultimately make us whole.

Join us for this book study/review. Purchase of the book is recommended but not required.

REGISTER HERE

In partnership with the Spiritual Life and Learning Center (SL&LC) and the Interfaith Association of Central Ohio (IACO): Join us for this interactive workshop where we learn how to listen to each other, even when we hold strongly differing opinions.

These are divisive times. But do they need to be? As people of faith, we can take the lead in engaging with others when we don’t see eye to eye… and doing so with respect and civility.

While we believe in the separation of church and state, we also believe that elections are matters of faith. We can hold both of these truths.

The Interfaith Association of Central Ohio, The Spiritual Life and learning Center and The Spirituality Network are working together to help us prepare for the upcoming November election and learning how to live with the results.

REGISTER HERE

Few people have had quite the impact on the Spirituality Network as have Father Vinny McKiernan and Sister Maxine Shonk. We lost both of these giants of spirituality within a week of one another.

Join us for an evening of reflection and remembrance as we share their writings and our stories of our time with them.

REGISTER HERE

Have you ever found yourself challenged by unfamiliar territory during a spiritual direction session? Felt caught off guard or questioned your adequacy as a companion? These moments are not uncommon for those who serve as spiritual directors. But where do we turn with our unanswered questions and emotions? Perhaps together, we can uncover insights to assist one another.

In our upcoming July gathering, Mary Anne Evans will graciously share her journey. After over thirteen years as a spiritual director and companioning numerous individuals, she embarked on a reflective pause, contemplating how to embrace authenticity and uniqueness more deeply. A graduate of Wellstreams, Mary Anne now intertwines spiritual direction with mentorship. She is an accomplished retreat and workshop facilitator and the author of several insightful books, including "her memoir" I LV ME: A Spiritual Journey of Healing. Above all, Mary Anne is a profoundly spiritual individual with a passion for exploring life's profound questions, continually seeking, reaching, and growing.

Our discussion will be presented in an interview format, allowing ample time for your questions and participation. We look forward to connecting with you during this enriching experience!

Register here.

We invite you to attend this evening featuring the gifts and talents of friends of the Spirituality Network as we enjoy contemplative music and poems in a peaceful setting.
 
Proceeds will go toward the Noreen Malone OP Compassion Fund, which enables us to offer our rich programming to those without the ability to pay.

Registration is closed.

We invite you to consider joining the Wellstreams first year experience of spiritual awakening in deep community. This one-year program is designed for anyone who is seeking:

• A more contemplative life

• Greater freedom to bring more compassion to the world

• To nurture healthier personal and professional relationships based on a holistic view of self

• Enhanced skills for empathetic listening, discernment, and community building

• Deepened expressions of spirituality

• Explore my relationship with the divine, self, others, and the world

• Seeing broadly and feeling deeply

• Discernment for the practicum in spiritual companioning

While this is a prerequisite for the second phase of Wellstreams, participants are encouraged to join this whether or not they are considering spiritual companioning.

If you would like to learn more about this program, please sign up for one of our informational sessions (all are offered via Zoom and you’ll receive a link once you’ve signed up).

For those of us who are blessed with plenty, our opportunity is to build a longer table, not a taller fence. That’s easier said than done when we’re engaging with people who are different than us and may have different values and cultures.

Join us, with special guest, Rhonda Burns, associate vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion, Nationwide, as we explore the skills needed to build a truly inclusive culture.

This will be a practical, hands-on workshop that will provide you with ways to be more open and welcoming.

Registration is closed.

We invite you to consider joining the Wellstreams first year experience of spiritual awakening in deep community. This one-year program is designed for anyone who is seeking:

• A more contemplative life

• Greater freedom to bring more compassion to the world

• To nurture healthier personal and professional relationships based on a holistic view of self

• Enhanced skills for empathetic listening, discernment, and community building

• Deepened expressions of spirituality

• Explore my relationship with the divine, self, others, and the world

• Seeing broadly and feeling deeply

• Discernment for the practicum in spiritual companioning

While this is a prerequisite for the second phase of Wellstreams, participants are encouraged to join this whether or not they are considering spiritual companioning.

If you would like to learn more about this program, please sign up for one of our informational sessions (all are offered via Zoom and you’ll receive a link once you’ve signed up).

Socio-drama is a method by which a group of individuals select and spontaneously enact a specific social situation common to their experience. Socio-drama provides an engaging forum for learning and deepening relationships in a group. It is also effective in clarifying values, developing social skills, solving problems, diagnosing an organization’s core barriers to success, developing and rehearsing action plans or improving personal effectiveness and awareness.

This workshop will be a morning of playful engagement with one another and learning more about the challenges of effective spiritual direction. We will use the role of spiritual director as a focus for consideration of this learning method. Those in training to be spiritual directors and those who wish to be more present should also attend.

Our workshop will be facilitated by Rev. John Cramton, a hospice chaplain with Ohio Health and a certified socio-drama leader. John was trained at Temple University and has experience leading socio-drama workshops in Philadelphia and Columbus.

We invite you to consider joining the Wellstreams first year experience of spiritual awakening in deep community. This one-year program is designed for anyone who is seeking:

• A more contemplative life

• Greater freedom to bring more compassion to the world

• To nurture healthier personal and professional relationships based on a holistic view of self

• Enhanced skills for empathetic listening, discernment, and community building

• Deepened expressions of spirituality

• Explore my relationship with the divine, self, others, and the world

• Seeing broadly and feeling deeply

• Discernment for the practicum in spiritual companioning

While this is a prerequisite for the second phase of Wellstreams, participants are encouraged to join this whether or not they are considering spiritual companioning.

If you would like to learn more about this program, please sign up for one of our informational sessions (all are offered via Zoom and you’ll receive a link once you’ve signed up).

There is so much to consider when you’re setting up your spiritual direction practice… even if it’s been years since you’ve done so.

At our April 27 SDAO event, we’ll have a panel discussion where we discuss what you need to know. And because we believe in the wisdom of the group, we plan to make this an interactive dialogue with all who are attending so you can share what has been working for you.
 
Based on our brief survey, the top things you want to know about:

• ways to find directees

• bookkeeping and accounting practicess

• marketing yourself and your practice

• setting appropriate expectations for yourself

• pricing your services

• managing your time and calendar

 Come! Be in community with your sibling spiritual directors. Let us support and encourage one another as we continue to serve our community.

Register here

We invite you to consider joining the Wellstreams first year experience of spiritual awakening in deep community. This one-year program is designed for anyone who is seeking:

• A more contemplative life

• Greater freedom to bring more compassion to the world

• To nurture healthier personal and professional relationships based on a holistic view of self

• Enhanced skills for empathetic listening, discernment, and community building

• Deepened expressions of spirituality

• Explore my relationship with the divine, self, others, and the world

• Seeing broadly and feeling deeply

• Discernment for the practicum in spiritual companioning

While this is a prerequisite for the second phase of Wellstreams, participants are encouraged to join this whether or not they are considering spiritual companioning.

If you would like to learn more about this program, please sign up for one of our informational sessions (all are offered via Zoom and you’ll receive a link once you’ve signed up).

We invite you to consider joining the Wellstreams first year experience of spiritual awakening in deep community. This one-year program is designed for anyone who is seeking:

• A more contemplative life

• Greater freedom to bring more compassion to the world

• To nurture healthier personal and professional relationships based on a holistic view of self

• Enhanced skills for empathetic listening, discernment, and community building

• Deepened expressions of spirituality

• Explore my relationship with the divine, self, others, and the world

• Seeing broadly and feeling deeply

• Discernment for the practicum in spiritual companioning

While this is a prerequisite for the second phase of Wellstreams, participants are encouraged to join this whether or not they are considering spiritual companioning.

If you would like to learn more about this program, please sign up for one of our informational sessions (all are offered via Zoom and you’ll receive a link once you’ve signed up).

We invite you to consider joining the Wellstreams first year experience of spiritual awakening in deep community. This one-year program is designed for anyone who is seeking:

• A more contemplative life

• Greater freedom to bring more compassion to the world

• To nurture healthier personal and professional relationships based on a holistic view of self

• Enhanced skills for empathetic listening, discernment, and community building

• Deepened expressions of spirituality

• Explore my relationship with the divine, self, others, and the world

• Seeing broadly and feeling deeply

• Discernment for the practicum in spiritual companioning

While this is a prerequisite for the second phase of Wellstreams, participants are encouraged to join this whether or not they are considering spiritual companioning.

If you would like to learn more about this program, please sign up for one of our informational sessions (all are offered via Zoom and you’ll receive a link once you’ve signed up).

Attachment Styles impact relationships throughout the lifespan. The four basic styles are secure, anxious, avoidant, and disorganized. A person’s Attachment Style is heavily impacted by their early years but can and does change over a lifetime. 

Having an awareness of your own style allows you to be more intentional in your interactions with others. Considering another’s style provides some insight both into that person and into the interactions between you and them.

This workshop will begin with a resource packet for you to review before we meet including recommendations about attachment quizzes available online. You will be encouraged to consider both your primary style and secondary tendencies. We will cover signs in others and ways to react if someone is either not compatible with you or is very unstable. Attachment styles can change – we will look at the latest research regarding how to support positive change.

After the two hour in-person workshop there will be an additional resource package available to you for further exploration.

This workshop is suitable for all audiences, but especially appropriate for spiritual directors and spiritual directors in training.

Please share with friends and family who might benefit from this experience.

PUBLIC: To register click here.

SDAO Members: To register click here.

Our presenter

Laura Gaines has twenty years’ experience as a child and adolescent mental health clinician and Crisis Text Line volunteer working with children, adults and professionals to improve communication and mental well-being. She has trained professionals and parents for over 30 years regarding mental health, human development, ethics, trauma informed care, and resilience. Her goal is to empower others to overcome challenges and to build strengths so that they can pursue their goals. Her training style is lively, evidence based and interactive. As a former child therapist, she incorporates play/art in all workshops. Participants will go home with new ideas to try in their day-to-day life and work.

We invite you to consider joining the Wellstreams first year experience of spiritual awakening in deep community. This one-year program is designed for anyone who is seeking:

• A more contemplative life

• Greater freedom to bring more compassion to the world

• To nurture healthier personal and professional relationships based on a holistic view of self

• Enhanced skills for empathetic listening, discernment, and community building

• Deepened expressions of spirituality

• Explore my relationship with the divine, self, others, and the world

• Seeing broadly and feeling deeply

• Discernment for the practicum in spiritual companioning

While this is a prerequisite for the second phase of Wellstreams, participants are encouraged to join this whether or not they are considering spiritual companioning.

If you would like to learn more about this program, please sign up for one of our informational sessions (all are offered via Zoom).

You are invited to join us to explore two congruent spiritual practices- both Pathways to the Interior: SoulCollage© and Walking the Labyrinth

*Gathering and browsing images begins at 8:45 am, opening circle 9:00 am.

Led by Saralise Ward and Heather Monkmeyer

Cost - $50, student/scholarships available $30

All supplies and materials provided along with Hot coffee, cocoa, tea, water, bring your own water bottle

Registration is closed

**May bring your own lunch and/or please bring a snack to share if you are able.

Accessible free parking available in First Congregational Church parking lot

We invite you to consider joining the Wellstreams first year experience of spiritual awakening in deep community. This one-year program is designed for anyone who is seeking:

• A more contemplative life

• Greater freedom to bring more compassion to the world

• To nurture healthier personal and professional relationships based on a holistic view of self

• Enhanced skills for empathetic listening, discernment, and community building

• Deepened expressions of spirituality

• Explore my relationship with the divine, self, others, and the world

• Seeing broadly and feeling deeply

• Discernment for the practicum in spiritual companioning

While this is a prerequisite for the second phase of Wellstreams, participants are encouraged to join this whether or not they are considering spiritual companioning.

If you would like to learn more about this program, please sign up for one of our informational sessions (all are offered via Zoom).

We invite you to consider joining the Wellstreams first year experience of spiritual awakening in deep community. This one-year program is designed for anyone who is seeking:

• A more contemplative life

• Greater freedom to bring more compassion to the world

• To nurture healthier personal and professional relationships based on a holistic view of self

• Enhanced skills for empathetic listening, discernment, and community building

• Deepened expressions of spirituality

• Explore my relationship with the divine, self, others, and the world

• Seeing broadly and feeling deeply

• Discernment for the practicum in spiritual companioning

While this is a prerequisite for the second phase of Wellstreams, participants are encouraged to join this whether or not they are considering spiritual companioning.

If you would like to learn more about this program, please sign up for one of our informational sessions (all are offered via Zoom).

In person
Free!

Join your fellow spiritual director board game buffs as we gather to play board games at First Congregational Church. We will have a variety of games ready to play, snacks to share, and maybe a little bit of competitive spirit thrown in to spice things up. RSVP is required by February 10th.

Contact Christine Hiester (christinehiester73@gmail.com) or Rachael Miller (rachaelmiller0@gmail.com) to sign up. 

In these polarized times, "diversity" is either seen as the hope for the future or a dirty word. Join us for the next in our Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (JEDI) series where Sherrice Thomas from the Columbus Chamber of Commerce shares her views on why it's important to embrace diversity, and to go beyond finding what we have in common with one another.

As part of this interactive workshop, we'll have an opportunity to explore the various dimensions of our diversity and the intersectionality that often exists.

To register click here.

Our presenter

Sherrice Thomas is vice president of diversity, equity, access and inclusion at the Columbus Chamber of Commerce. She activates systemic change strategies for equity and inclusion in the business community.

Prior to joining the Chamber, Sherrice served as the Director of Change Management at NiSource, one of the largest fully-regulated utility companies in the United States. Sherrice spent 19 years at Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company, holding leadership roles in Organization Effectiveness, Talent Management, and Leadership Development.

Sherrice holds a Master of Business Administration with a focus in Organizational Leadership and Management from Franklin University and a Bachelor of Arts degree with a focus in Women’s Studies from The Ohio State University. She cooks with her family and practices yoga in her free time.

Sherrice holds a Master of Business Administration with a focus in Organizational Leadership and Management from Franklin University and a Bachelor of Arts degree with a focus in Women’s Studies from The Ohio State University. She cooks with her family in her free time, creates herbal medicine, and practices yoga.

Join us in January at our SDAO virtual gathering, as we explore using Neurographic Art in Spiritual Direction.  Neurographic Art is an intuitive form of art that involves mindfulness and intentionality that can be used to help support our directees in relieving anxiety and finding greater clarity and peace. It can be used stand alone or with other forms of creativity like SoulCollage© or art journaling. 

Participants are welcome to draw along with the demonstration and begin creating.  All you will need is a sheet of paper, black ultra fine point Sharpie, thick chisel tip black sharpie, and colored pencils or highlighters.  Your paper weight can vary from 30lbs and up. 

Free to 2024 SDAO members, $10 for non-members

Click here to register.

Save the date for additional Spiritual Directors Association of Ohio (SDAO) 2024 meetings:

April 27   9:30 a.m. - noon   (Saturday workshop Starting your Spiritual Direction Business) 
July 22      7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m
October 26   9:30 a.m. - noon  

If you have a topic you would like to see presented in 2024 or 2025, click here to let us know!