Training Courses in Spiritual Direction
Applicants are required to have some experience of directing others, even if in some instances this may be very informal or occasional. Applicants will be invited for an interview to discuss the appropriateness of the course before they are accepted onto it.

The courses do not offer any form of formal accreditation. They are ecumenical and open to women and men, laity and clergy. The daytime courses start each year and meet one day a month over two years. The evening courses meet fortnightly (these may start every other year). The daytime courses include a 24 hour residential each year and the evening courses include one Saturday a term.

Topics included might be: religious language, children's spirituality, forgiveness, guilt, gender issues, and also some input on various spiritual traditions. Similar courses, based on a mixture of input and experiential learning, have been adopted in many other dioceses.

Learning is both experiential and more formal, and course members will be asked to share their own concerns as an important part of the learning process. Numbers will be limited to no more than 16 and a genuine commitment to attending all the sessions is important. Help can sometimes be given towards the cost of the course and travelling.

Details of new training courses will be posted on this page as soon as they are available (see box above).

A typical current course meets from 10.30 am to 3.30 p.m. on one day a month, over two years. The course includes a 24 hour residential in each of the two years. Fees for the course are currently £50 per term.

Conferences
SPIDIR lays on an Annual Address , Refresher day and occasional workshops to support those actively engaged in the work of spiritual direction. The Annual Address is open to all and follows the AGM. Workshops are normally open to those involved in a ministry of spiritual direction. Details of the next AGM are given in the box above.

Membership
Membership of SPIDIR is nationwide, even international. For an annual subscription (currently £8) to cover costs, members receive the newsletter and any other relevant material. The subscription year runs from January to December and reminders are sent with the autumn newsletter. For further details contact the Membership Secretary.

Newsletter
The newsletter appears two or three times a year and is sent to all subscribing members. It contains articles, reviews and details of forthcoming SPIDIR events, as well as events organised by others with similar interests.       
A selection of Newsletter articles can be found here.

Finances
The fees for the courses are currently £50 per term. As a matter of policy, SPIDIR does not charge for individual spiritual direction. There is a Special Fund, to which contributions can be made, which provides financial assistance for training.

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