Frequently Asked Questions
HOW DO I REGISTER?
Fill out the application and pay the required deposit. Once your application is submitted, you’ll receive either a confirmation email or an email stating that you have been placed on the waitlist. Once your registration application is submitted you will be directed to the payment portal with instructions to complete your payment. You must complete one of the payment options to secure your spot. Specific details regarding the journey can be found on the SOULWELL JOURNEY Page.
WHY DO I HAVE TO SIGN UP FOR ALL 3 RETREATS AT ONE TIME?
Transformation happens incrementally, over time, in community. The SOULWELL Journey offers you an intentional path to that end. By signing up, you’re making a commitment to yourself and to your community to start and finish well. If you have more questions about this, please contact us at [email protected].
WHAT WILL I BE DOING ON THE RETREATS?
The SOULWELL Journey is experiential in nature, and each retreat grounded in scripture. Our intention is to teach you different ways to experience God and deepen your relationship with Him. None of these ways are new - Jesus modeled them for us, and many leaders within our faith practiced them regularly. However, over time many of these foundational spiritual practices have been lost by the church, or simply stopped due to the changes of culture and the "busyness" of life.
We’ll have large group teaching and sharing, as well as time in designated small groups. There will also be personal time to help you rest and process with God what you have learned.
The first two weekends will begin Friday morning and end Sunday afternoon, while the third weekend begins Thursday morning and ends Sunday afternoon.
We’ll have large group teaching and sharing, as well as time in designated small groups. There will also be personal time to help you rest and process with God what you have learned.
The first two weekends will begin Friday morning and end Sunday afternoon, while the third weekend begins Thursday morning and ends Sunday afternoon.
WHAT IF I HAVE AN EMERGENCY AND CAN’T ATTEND ONE OF THE RETREATS?
We know that life happens and will do our best to help you make up what you’ve missed, either at home or the next gathering. However, some things can’t be recreated outside of the retreat space. We can refund your money for the food portion, but not your payment for lodging. You’ll be invited to attend the same retreat during the next session at a discounted price, so you can experience it in community and continue your journey.
WHAT IS SPIRITUAL FORMATION?
We are all spiritual beings. There is an immaterial center in us that shapes the way we see the world and ourselves, directs the choices we make, and guides our actions. Yet we rarely spend time developing our inner life. Spiritual Formation is a process through which we open our hearts to a deeper connection with God. We are active participants with God, who is ever inviting us into relationship with him.
Jesus said, I came that they may have life and have it abundantly (Jn. 10:10). We believe that such abundant life is possible here and now as we take on the life of Jesus and become like him.
Jesus said, I came that they may have life and have it abundantly (Jn. 10:10). We believe that such abundant life is possible here and now as we take on the life of Jesus and become like him.
WHY IS SPIRITUAL FORMATION IMPORTANT?
Closeness with God brings us true freedom and fullness (Jn. 8:36, Col. 2:9-10). Yet many people find their lives fall short of the kind Jesus promised. If God is with us, why is there so little joy and peace in our lives? We keep trying and trying to find happiness with God, but it only seems to drain and discourage us. Along the way, we neglect our souls, and our misplaced efforts leave us feeling powerless and detached from God.
Spiritual Formation helps us reclaim our relationship with God as it was meant to be—in a way that is dynamic and whole (John 17:24, 2 Cor 4:16). A relationship that extends beyond church services into every facet of our lives. It’s not trying—it’s training in eternal living and determined discipleship to Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Formation helps us reclaim our relationship with God as it was meant to be—in a way that is dynamic and whole (John 17:24, 2 Cor 4:16). A relationship that extends beyond church services into every facet of our lives. It’s not trying—it’s training in eternal living and determined discipleship to Jesus Christ.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT SPIRITUAL FORMATION?
The Bible has a lot to say about Spiritual Formation. Below are just a few passages that encourage us in spiritual renewal.
Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens is at hand - Matt 3:2, 4:17, 10:7
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. - 2 Corinthians 4:16
But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life…Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy. - 1 Timothy 4:7-8
Each of you is now a new person. You are becoming more and more like your Creator, and you will understand him better. It doesn’t matter if you are a Greek or a Jew, or if you are circumcised or not. You may even be a barbarian or a Scythian, and you may be a slave or a free person. Yet Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. - Titus 2:11-14
Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens is at hand - Matt 3:2, 4:17, 10:7
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. - 2 Corinthians 4:16
But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life…Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy. - 1 Timothy 4:7-8
Each of you is now a new person. You are becoming more and more like your Creator, and you will understand him better. It doesn’t matter if you are a Greek or a Jew, or if you are circumcised or not. You may even be a barbarian or a Scythian, and you may be a slave or a free person. Yet Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. - Titus 2:11-14
WHAT IS SPIRITUAL DIRECTION?
Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with God. The person seeking direction shares stories of their encounters of God, or how they are cultivating a life attuned to spiritual things. The director listens and asks questions to assist them in their process of reflection and spiritual growth.
Spiritual direction can be done in a group setting or one-on-one with a certified Spiritual Director. In the SOULWELL Journey, we do group work as well as offer opportunities for one-on-one sessions.
Spiritual direction is help given by one Christian to another which enables that person to pay attention to God’s personal communication to him or her, to respond to this personally communicating God, to grow in intimacy with this God, and to live out the consequences of the relationship. -William A. Barry and William J. Connolly, “The Practice of Spiritual Direction”
Spiritual direction is, in reality, nothing more than a way of leading us to see and obey the real Director—the Holy Spirit hidden in the depths of our soul. - Father Keaton
Spiritual direction can be done in a group setting or one-on-one with a certified Spiritual Director. In the SOULWELL Journey, we do group work as well as offer opportunities for one-on-one sessions.
Spiritual direction is help given by one Christian to another which enables that person to pay attention to God’s personal communication to him or her, to respond to this personally communicating God, to grow in intimacy with this God, and to live out the consequences of the relationship. -William A. Barry and William J. Connolly, “The Practice of Spiritual Direction”
Spiritual direction is, in reality, nothing more than a way of leading us to see and obey the real Director—the Holy Spirit hidden in the depths of our soul. - Father Keaton
WHAT IS A SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR?
The real spiritual director is God. God touches the human heart directly. The human spiritual director does not direct in the sense of giving advice and solving problems. Rather, the director helps a person respond to God’s invitation to a deeper relationship.
God gives us everything we need to be at peace in the present moment, no matter what the evidence to the contrary may be. A good spiritual director helps us to sustain that trust.
Spiritual direction is essentially companioning someone in his or her spiritual life. Other ways of describing spiritual direction include holy listening, spiritual friendship, sacred journeying. - Janna Larson
God gives us everything we need to be at peace in the present moment, no matter what the evidence to the contrary may be. A good spiritual director helps us to sustain that trust.
Spiritual direction is essentially companioning someone in his or her spiritual life. Other ways of describing spiritual direction include holy listening, spiritual friendship, sacred journeying. - Janna Larson
WHAT IS CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER?
Like all prayer, contemplation is not anything we can achieve. It happens when we realize that our transformation depends on nothing but God's grace and love, and we let go of trying to achieve it on our own. We can open our hearts to it by the practice of awareness, but we cannot bring it about. And in our silent, trustful waiting, we are acknowledging that God is God, the source and the destination, the means and the end of all our prayer.
WHAT IS A SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE?
A natural component of the Christian life, spiritual disciplines are those behaviors that augment our spiritual growth and enable us to grow to spiritual maturity. The purpose of spiritual discipline is the development of our inner being, that which has been transformed by Christ at salvation (2 Corinthians 5:17). The foremost of the disciplines involves the Word of God and constitutes the reading, study, memorization, and meditation of Scripture, prayer and worship.
WHO SHOULD COME TO SOULWELL?
Anyone seeking a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.
Anyone who feels stuck in their faith journey, or might be doubting God and His goodness.
Anyone seeking to know themselves better or looking for purpose and direction in their life.
Soul - our core essence of who God created us to be.
It goes back to who we were before our inner peace was shattered. For some, it was the trauma early in our family (the stuff nobody talks about). For others, it was feeling unwanted from birth. For all of us, there was a time when we realized the world wasn't "safe" and we had to protect our hearts to survive.
Many of us are still living with those protections after all the decades, even though we don't need them anymore. And our hearts are still closed off, perhaps from others and more importantly from God.
It takes some looking back, asking questions, searching for the truth without any blame or regret, and asking Jesus to help us step into the fullness He intended for us all along. There is great freedom to be found in knowing, and acknowledging, the whole story that He gave us.
Anyone who feels stuck in their faith journey, or might be doubting God and His goodness.
Anyone seeking to know themselves better or looking for purpose and direction in their life.
Soul - our core essence of who God created us to be.
It goes back to who we were before our inner peace was shattered. For some, it was the trauma early in our family (the stuff nobody talks about). For others, it was feeling unwanted from birth. For all of us, there was a time when we realized the world wasn't "safe" and we had to protect our hearts to survive.
Many of us are still living with those protections after all the decades, even though we don't need them anymore. And our hearts are still closed off, perhaps from others and more importantly from God.
It takes some looking back, asking questions, searching for the truth without any blame or regret, and asking Jesus to help us step into the fullness He intended for us all along. There is great freedom to be found in knowing, and acknowledging, the whole story that He gave us.
