Cathryn Wiles-Pickard has loved mandalas for a long time. Today she shares her love of creating these beautiful expressions of spiritual life with us. We will be making mandalas today. If you love your own pens and pencils then BYO but resources will be provided, as will morning tea.

Venue: Te Hou Mana Wai/Mercy Wellsprings, 104 The Drive, Epsom

Time: 9.00am to midday.

Cost: $20.00 paid to 389011-0418032-00

Register here Mandalas and Spiritual Direction

As part of our New Voice, New Approaches programme, we are pleased to bring Alice Wood to Auckland to share her SIP (Special Interest Project) which is the final aspect of the Spiritual Growth Ministries Formation Programme for Spiritual Directors. If you enjoyed Jim McInnes in May and Holly and Philippa last year, you’ll love Alice. If you attended the ACSD TE last September and went into the reflective prayer room, you will have entered Alice’s contemplative “wonderland” of earthy root vegetables and a wool tree with roots curling along the floor evoking the theme of “Grounded” - who knew a beetroot, kumara, turnip and other humble, underground root veg could be so … inspiring? Alice did!

Alice is a chaplain at Vic Uni in Wellington, she is a practicing SD, is involved with the Wellington SD group, engages in retreat work and still does graphic design in the spaces between parenting and everything else.

Join Alice and the rest of us at Eden Community Church, View Rd, Mt Eden on Saturday August 12 at 8:45am for coffee and catching up; programme starts with contemplative devotions at 9:15. We will conclude at 12:30pm followed by BYO lunch at the venue. Enjoy deepening friendships and connection with each other; be sure to take a slow walk around the Eden labyrinth before heading home.

Email Jeannie to register your attendance for our morning tea catering! Jeannie Martin-Blaker Your koha of $20.00 is welcome and can be paid online to 38-9011-0418032-00 or bring cash on the day.

Zoom Gathering: Exploring Childhood Memories in Spiritual Direction with Jim McInnes

Jim is a recent graduate of the SGM Spiritual Directors Formation Programme but has clocked up 27 years in vocational ministry He currently lectures at Carey Baptist College and is in pastoral ministry at St Augustine’s Anglican here in Auckland. He will share from his spiritual direction research project - which you can read on the SGM website by clicking here Jim McInnes project

Receive your Zoom link by emailing Jeannie at jmartin.blaker@gmail.com and please remember your koha. Give online 38 9011 041832 00 ref ASDNKoha

Aug 13 Saturday morning at The Friary: New Voices, New Approaches 9.00am-12.30pm

Every year research papers (SIP - special interest project) are written by participants in the SGM Spiritual Directors Formation Programme. Tonight we have invited three of these people to share their work and insights with us and introduce us to resources they have created for our use with our directees. Holly Walton, Philippa Brocklehurst and Alice Wood have done interesting and innovative work. Venue: St Francis Retreat Centre, 50 Hillsborough Rd. 9.00am to 12.30pm. Cost TBC

Register your interest with Jeannie jmartin.blaker@gmail.com and online payment is welcome 38 9011 041832 00 ref ASDN

May 16 by Zoom Spiritual Direction with Clergy

Jane Wilkinson and Vic Francis will offer their insights and experience from the inside. Both are experienced in ministry-life and are spiritual directors with a special interest in supporting the spiritual lives of ministers. Bring your questions and your experience to this online gathering where there will be time in break-out rooms for connection and discussion. Register your interest by emailing Jeannie at jmartin.blaker@gmail.com so we can send you the Zoom link

We are so sorry not to be seeing you but hope that our next gathering will be on with a capital O. Dates and events for 2022 are here on the website. Check them out! Kia noho haumaru! Stay safe!

Refresh your creative self today with input and creative activities that enrich the soul and the practice of spiritual direction. BYO coloured pencils/pens and journal and BYO lunch!

God’s creativity - Susannah Connolly; Poetry and Music in SD - Marion Baker & Fran Francis; Mandala - Sr Cathryn Wiles-Pickard, Visio Divina- Jo Garton

Cost $40.00 pay online 389011-041832-00

Email jmartin.blaker@gmail.com to register

Upcoming events for 2022

We know that when we gather there is a lot of wisdom in the room. We like nothing more than tapping into that so we can all share in it. Who are “we”? Let me name for you the people behind the scenes who make the Auckland Spiritual Directors Network events and gatherings happen:

Jeannie Martin-Blaker, Joanne Garton, Marion Baker, Eamon Butler, Jenny Caston and Fran Francis. If you’d like to be involved you can email Jeannie at jmartin.blaker@gmail.com