TCA - School of Spiritual Direction (TCA-SSD)
A Two-Year Training Intensive in Christ-Centered, Compassion-Based Spiritual Direction with an IFS Twist.
If you are a tired, burned-out pastor or church leader, and you are looking for a more Christ-centered approach to “doing ministry”…
Check out the ancient practice of Christ-centered, Compassion-based Spiritual Direction. Over a two-year period, you can learn to care for souls while also practicing better care for your own soul. Plus, in our program – which is fully accredited by CSDA – we train you in the powerful self-awareness tools of IFS (Internal Family Systems)!
Working alongside Dr. Frank Rogers, Jr. and the Center for Engaged Compassion, we introduce our new TCA-School of Spiritual Direction (TCA-SSD) cohort: A Two-Year Training Intensive in Christ-Centered, Compassion-Based Spiritual Direction with an IFS Twist.
Learning The Fine Art of Christ-Centered, Compassion-Based Soul Care. Through our two-year on-line program, we train, equip, network & encourage individuals to become God-honoring, Christ-centered, Spirit-led spiritual companions (directors) to others.
So, what exactly is a Christ-Centered, Compassion-Based Spiritual Director?
As we see it, the primary goal of a Christ-Centered, Compassion-Based Spiritual Director is to come alongside a person, serving them as a compassionate, curious, and safe companion as they venture back home to their truest self. This journey will be Christ-centered and Spirit-led, and will include the use of IFS parts work, where the person is encouraged to bring all of their many parts into a fully integrated and ordered place of freedom where the Eight C’s of Christ (see diagram on the left) are operating from within.
Above is our tentative curriculum themes for our Year One cohort. Assigned reading, and other cohort details will be sent to those who are in the process of applying for our ‘alpha’ Year One cohort.
It’s our belief – here at TCA – that while Christ-centered spiritual directors should never pretend to be therapists, it is important for us to pay closer attention to how God desires to interact, not only with our thoughts, but also with our emotions and our bodies as well. In truth, it’s these often ignored parts of us that are so often excluded when we pursue a greater inner freedom in Christ.
Interestingly, cutting-edge brain science (see diagram on left) shows us that there is healing potential in all three parts of our brain, but sadly, most therapies (and, might we add – in most Christian counseling and spiritual direction training) we tend to only interact with the Top Zone of our brain. But notice how therapies that utilize IFS, Somatics and Breath Work reach the deeper parts of the brain and, as a result, allow a deeper healing into our broken lives. This is one of the many reasons, here at TCA, we bring tools such as IFS, etc. into our Christ-centered approach to spiritual direction training.
