For over 12 years the Academy of Spiritual Formation has offered spiritual formation and companionship to Christian leaders.  Making this journey on the “being” side allows them to enter the world of “doing” with greater health and resilience.

The Academy is an in-person, applied spiritual formation experience designed to nurture the souls of leaders as they serve in their local context. Each cohort gathers for four on-site intensives over eighteen months at the beautiful Mount Angel Abbey an hour south of Portland, Oregon.

Each of these four-day in-person intensives has components of teaching, group spiritual direction in triads, solitude, and a variety of contemplative prayer practices. New cohorts start approximately every six months.

ACADEMY THEMES

  • An introduction to spiritual formation from a Christocentric perspective. 

  • An invitation to the Beloved Community.

  • Tools for self-reflection.

  • Practices for going deeper still.

  • Experiencing spiritual direction in a triad of peers.

  • Trinitarian theology and its implications in everyday life

  • Introduction to sustainable rhythms of life and prayer

  • Becoming a non-anxious leader and invitation to a life that is deeper still

  • Embodied spirituality

  • Healing our broken image of God

  • Barriers to the Beloved Community

  • Exploring our shadows

  • Wrestling with shame

  • The Wilderness of Suffering

  • Hope in the midst of struggle

  • The person, power, and presence of the Holy Spirit

  • Calling and vocation

  • Developing a rule of life

  • Transformational teams and communities

  • Leading in the two halves of life

  • Spiritual formation in your context

READING

There are assigned readings along the way. You will read two ramp-up books before each gathering, and two ramp-down books after. We have also included articles and videos along the way to supplement the books.

TRIADS

We create triads that practice group spiritual direction once a month for the duration of the cohort. Training and support are offered throughout.

SAMPLE SCHEDULE

Tuesday/Wednesday

7:00 AM Breakfast

8:30 20 Minute Centering Prayer

8:50 Announcements 

9:00 Large Group Session

10:30 Break

11:00 Large Group Session

12:15 PM Lunch 

1:00 Groups of 10

2:00 Solitude

6:00 Dinner

7:00 Triads

9:00 Solitude

DESIRED OUTCOMES FOR THE ACADEMY

  • In the midst of ministry demands, many leaders fail to tend to their own inner journey, overlooking the rhythms that lead to health. At the Academy, we assist leaders in recovering an understanding and experience of how to do the inner work necessary to maintain spiritual health.

  • Most leaders have never discovered the value of a spiritual director or “soul friend.” At the Academy, we experience the art of spiritual guidance as we learn to listen and shepherd in ways that are Spirit-led. Participation in “group spiritual direction” between retreats strengthens this practice in our lives.

  • Academy participants acquire a lens from which to view the overall development of spiritual formation and direction in their ministry setting back home. Together we seek to turn learning into transformational application.

ACADEMY COHORT DATES

Cohort 15

November 13-16, 2023

April 29-May 2, 2024

November 11-14, 2024

May 5-8, 2025

Cohort 16

Sept 30 - Oct 3, 2024

March 24-27, 2025

Sept 22-25, 2025

March 9-12, 2026

Cohort 17

November 3-6, 2025

May 4-7, 2026

November 2-5, 2026

May 3-6, 2027

Cohort 18

April 20-23, 2026

Sept 28-Oct 1, 2026

April 12-15, 2027

Sept 27-30, 2027