An Open Place

This book responds to the movement to expand spiritual direction beyond the classic one-with-one model. Group spiritual direction has the potential to offer the rich experience of individual spiritual direction to a much wider audience, yet very little has been written to provide guidance for starting such groups. This book responds to that challenge. It outlines ways that a diverse and ecumenical group of spiritual directors worked to initiate groups in multiple contexts. It examines the many variables-among directors, directees, even meeting spaces- that affect and enliven this ministry. And it summarizes pitfalls, successes, and discoveries.

Marlene Kropf has been a spiritual director since 1986 and a seminary professor since 1985, while Daniel Schrock has been a spiritual director since 1996 and a Mennonite pastor since 1990. They have been collaborating to train spiritual directors at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana, since 2009.