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Spiritual Direction at First Olympia

The Ministry of Spiritual Direction

  • Are the stresses of these days taking a toll on your spirit?
  • Do you ever sense a tugging at your soul, that “still small voice” calling you?
  • Do you long to deepen your relationship with the living God?
  • First Olympia is pleased to facilitate a new ministry that looks to the heart of these questions by offering individual Spiritual Direction.

What is Spiritual Direction? It is a place for you to...

  • Pause a few moments in your life journey for silence, discernment, and discovery.
  • Take time to seek the holy, in the company of a listening, caring other.
  • Examine what brings meaning and what causes stress and struggle in your days.
  • Listen for the Spirit speaking in and through you.
  • Learn new ways of living prayer and experiencing wonder.

A typical Spiritual Direction session looks like...

  • The directee (that’s you!) and the director meet confidentially for about an hour, once a month, via Zoom or phone during COVID-19.
  • The directee reflects on daily experiences, big questions, struggles, times of light and dark, and moments of clarity and awe. Journal entries, dreams, and artistic creations may be used to help explore the inner spiritual life.
  • The director’s main work is in listening—reflecting back to the directee patterns, relationships, key thoughts, questions, and expressed emotions for consideration and insight.
  • The director may offer up tools and resources for deepening daily living and the spiritual life.
  • Together both the director and the directee seek signs of the holy at work illuminating and offering hope and meaning for the directee.
  • People of all faith backgrounds or who are searching are welcome.
  • The cost is on a sliding scale fee ($25-$40), with the first exploratory visit free.

About our Spiritual Director

Rev. Ann Berney is an ordained elder in the Pacific Northwest Conference of The United Methodist Church. She has pastored churches for over 30 years, with a passion for social justice and pastoral care. In seminary she experienced the richness of being under spiritual direction. It helped her to grow in her faith life—both in spiritual depth and enthusiasm. After some years in the parish, Rev. Berney completed a two-year Spiritual Direction course offered through the St. Placid Priory (Lacey, WA), and participated in spiritual direction for herself once again. During and after training, she worked with several directees and found it a wondrous way to discover God’s Spirit in action. She did further training through the Center for Courage and Renewal in facilitating Clearness Committees and Circles of Trust (both peer to peer forms of spiritual direction). Having retired from full-time pastoring in 2019, she is excited about committing more time to this important work in the journey of faith.

If you are interested in an appointment or would like more information, please contact the church office at 360 943-2661 or email fumco@fumcoly.org.
Rev. Ann Berney