Programs
Engaging Spirituality: Frequently Asked Questions
May you be strengthened in your inner being with the power of the Spirit … that Christ may dwell in your hearts … as you are being rooted and grounded in love." —Ephesians 3:16
- What is Engaging Spirituality (ES)?
- What is the aim of this spiritual deepening process?
- What can people hope to receive from this spiritual intensive?
- How is ES related to the JustFaith (JF) Program?
- Do I need to have gone through JustFaith before ES?
- How does this process unfold?
- What makes ES unique?
- How long is Engaging Spirituality?
- How do I register my group with JustFaith Ministries?
- What are the program costs?
- What are the costs for the videos used in ES?
- Who leads Engaging Spirituality?
- Who is qualified to be a co-facilitator?
- Is there any help available for facilitators during start-up and throughout the year?
- How large should the goup be?
- How often should the group meet?
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When do facilitators receive the Engaging Spirituality materials?
Listen to an audio version of these FAQs which features Joe Grant from the JustFaith Ministries Staff. Download a text file of these FAQs.
What is Engaging Spirituality (ES)?
ES is a spiritual deepening process for adult Christians who are seeking to bring the power of the Holy Spirit to bear upon the needs of our world. We all hunger for intimacy, with our Maker and our neighbor, and ES invites small groups of concerned Christians to look at the world together and enter deeply into the critical realties of our day as they break open their lives. ES encourages us to BE STILL and STILL BE in the storms of life that surround us.
What is the aim of this spiritual deepening process?
ES invites us to live our lives deeply and fully by making room for wonder, woundedness and mystery; by listening for wisdom; by experiencing intimacy as we share our hearts. ES helps us pattern our lives around prayer, outreach, community and spiritual reading, and aims to set us loose as agents of love and healing in this broken world.
What can people receive from this spiritual intensive?
We hope participants will:
Experience the Holy Spirit as a real force for the good, drawing us together …
Recognize the holiness that happens when we come together and open our hearts …
Learn to receive, hold and respond to the world with compassion …
Find a sustaining community where intimacy leads to action …
Pattern their lives around prayer and outreach …
Make space for mystery and wisdom …
Find rest for their souls …
Hold the world in a contemplative gaze …
Experience a more communitarian, compassionate and connected life …
Be “re-sourced” (return to God, Source of life) and restored for the work of the Gospel.
How is ES related to the JustFaith (JF) Program?
Like breathing out and breathing in, JustFaith and Engaging Spirituality bring balance to one another. The JustFaith program challenges people of faith to love broadly, by leading us out and into a world filled with problems and possibilities. The Engaging Spirituality process invites us to draw this world down into ourselves, to hold it together in prayer and practice living deeply. Combined, these complimentary approaches shepherd people of faith toward integrity, or holy AND compassionate living.
Do I need to have gone through JustFaith before ES?
No
How does the process unfold?
ES follows a classical threefold Christian spiritual journey, with seven sessions dedicated to each of the three stages:
- Out to the Light—to reclaim wonder and practice astonishment and gratitude [Gospel metaphor: light]
- Into the Dark—to plumb the depths of suffering and loss, practicing lament [Gospel metaphor: salt]
- Down to Earth—to walk the path of the beatitudes and practice joy [Gospel metaphor: leaven]
What makes ES unique?
While participants practice centering prayer and silence, ES is NOT a prayer or meditation group. Although there’s an expectation of daily spiritual reading, and participants read five books, ES is not a book discussion group. Heartfelt sharing and holy listening are built-in to every session, yet people do NOT talk about spiritual techniques. Though prayers, exercises and questions focus on disturbing social realities and participants engage in outreach, it’s NOT a social action group. Nor is this a class or study on spiritual traditions. ES is a shared spiritual intensive, a practicum in living the Gospel in these times.
How long is Engaging Spirituality?
There are 21 sessions (2 ½hours each), an opening retreat held before the first session, and three day-long immersion/retreat experiences.
How do I register my group with JustFaith Ministries?
Registering for Engaging Spirituality is a simple process. You can either register online or register by mail (see links in the Engaging Spirituality box at the upper right of this page). Registration forms can be printed from this website or can be obtained from the JustFaith Ministries Office (502-429-0865). Forms are to be filled out completely and returned to the address specified on the form. The fee for registration is $325 per group per year. In cases where a single church or parish is sponsoring more than one group for its own members, the fee for extra groups is waived. Also, the fee is waived or reduced for low-income communities that are encumbered by the fee.
What are the program costs?
Program costs include a $325 registration fee per group, made payable to JustFaith Ministries. This fee is typically paid by the church or parish. There are also book and video costs.
What are the costs for the videos used in Engaging Spirituality?
The program uses three or four videos, costing about $80.
What is the cost of the books used in Engaging Spirituality?
The approximate cost of the journal and the five books is $80 per person. These books (and the videos) may all be ordered from JustFaith Ministries.
Who leads Engaging Spirituality?
The facilitation of Engaging Spirituality is done by two co-facilitators. The team approach allows for sharing of tasks.
Who is qualified to be a co-facilitator?
1) Persons who have previously participated in Engaging Spirituality; 2) Persons who have attended a training webinar and follow-up phone call with an ES Animator (Regional Trainer).
Is there help available for facilitators during start-up and throughout the year?
The JustFaith Ministries Office is designed to be an ongoing resource for all facilitators. JustFaith Ministries staff members are available to help with both start-up questions and ongoing issues throughout the year. In addition, the materials provide detailed step-by step guidance to weekly sessions and all other aspects of the JustFaith program.
How large should the group be?
The optimum size for an Engaging Spirituality group is 8–12 people. Some groups are smaller and some are a bit larger.
How often should the group meet?
Most Engaging Spirituality groups meet weekly. Some have met every other week or three weeks on and one week off.
When do facilitators receive the Engaging Spirituality materials?
As soon as a group is registered, the co-facilitator receives access to program materials.
What is Engaging
Spirituality (ES)?
- Holding the World Together (16-min video at YouTube)
- Overview of ES (PDF)
- FAQs: Text
- Flyer (PDF)
- Sample Session (PDF)
- Testimonies
Getting Started
- Facilitator Training for Engaging Spirituality (ES)
- Introductory Presentation (PDF)
- ES Planner (PDF)
- Bulletin Announcement (Word doc)
- Contact ES: Email | Regional Animators List
- Registration: Online | PDF
For ES Co-Facilitators
For Reflection:
- Still In the Storm, The Engaging Spirituality Blog
Belonging is a 2012 ES pilot program crafted for protestant or ecumenical groups. There will be seven two-hour sessions plus one day-long immersion, in a multi-faceted, small-group process.
More Informatation (PDF)
