SPIRITUAL FORMATION LEARNING COHORTS
Over the course of two years, with a well-balanced vision for Christlikeness, cohort participants become friends through retreats, the program combines key spiritual formation concepts seen in scripture and Christian history with life-shaping spiritual practices shared in community.
In this program, hungry learners are guided through readings of classic and contemporary works on spiritual formation. They share in rolling spiritual disciplines (life-practices), and assimilate their experience through writing and dialogue.
Ashrei’s program is, to borrow Dallas Willard’s words on a curriculum for Christlikeness, “designed to put its participants in position to live fully in the Kingdom of God, whatever their real-life circumstances may be, increasingly manifesting the character and power of that Kingdom throughout the contemporary world.”
SPIRITUAL ACCOMPANIMENT TRAINING
This training program offers an in-depth look at the spiritual discipline of guidance and art of spiritual accompaniment.
This training is an intensive and practical preparation to equip participants in the ministry of spiritual accompaniment. It is a very personal and community shaped program that parallels academic rigor with praxis (practice with reflection).
The training course and retreats include:
- Listening and accompaniment
- Historical roots of spiritual direction — tracing the experience of hearing God through the history of Christianity
- Overview of spirituality and accompaniment through the lens of Ignatian spirituality
- An overview of Spanish mystics Theresa of Ávila and John of the Cross: Walking with others through the “dark night of the soul”
- Spiritual direction with children and teens
- The practice of group spiritual direction
THE SPIRITUAL EXERCISES OF IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA AND SPIRITUAL EXERCISES TRAINING
The Spiritual Exercises are a prayer-retreat experience that were written by a remarkable spiritual ground-breaker and true trail-blazer in Christian history, Ignatius of Loyola. He wrote the book the Spiritual Exercises for spiritual companions who accompany people on this retreat. Written 500 years ago, this retreat book contains exercises, reflections, prayers, scenarios, Scripture readings, and other material for a concentrated personal encounter with Jesus.
The goal of the Exercises is to allow God to free us to love and serve in the concrete circumstances of our lives.
Ashrei Center for Spiritual Accompaniment serves as a connection point (hub) to bridge prospective retreatants with a spiritual companion trained to guide them through the Spiritual Exercises.
This yearlong certification program offers theoretical and practical tools and elements that train companions to give the Spiritual Exercises so that they can offer a qualified service of accompaniment through the Spiritual Exercises.
THE CRUCIBLE PROJECT
The Crucible Project ignites Christ-like change in men and women through experiences of radical honesty and grace. Christian retreats, groups, coaching. This global ministry offers challenging experiences and offers a credible opportunity for sustained transformation for men and women.
These retreats and ongoing circles of soul work are done on separate retreats and group soul work for men and women. Trainings and special retreats and groups are also done in co-ed settings as well.
For more information see: https://thecrucibleproject.org/
Upon completion of the initial weekend, the Crucible Project offers four second level weekends to challenge participants to continue their growth and development.
THE MISSION WEEKEND
This entire weekend is devoted to exploring the core of your life — your mission.
LEADERSHIP 1: Knowing and Taming the Dark Side
LEADERSHIP 2: Moving through Barriers towards Joy.
THE SEXUALITY WEEKEND This entire weekend is focuses on tackling the multifaceted subject of sex.
For more information about second level weekends, see: https://thecrucibleproject.org/second-level-weekends/
