Companion Application -

The Companion: Apprenticeship in Spiritual Direction Application Form

Thank you for your interest in The Companion: Apprenticeship in Spiritual Direction. To apply for the 2025/2026 cohort beginning in Fall of 2025, please complete the application below.

Note that prerequisites for this program include a master’s degree in spiritual formation or a two-year spiritual formation program, as well as experience receiving spiritual direction.

Also, note that all of your answers must be submitted at one time, so have your essay prepared to copy and paste before entering your other information.

The Companion Application Form

Application form for The Companion Spiritual Direction Program

Name(Required)

First Last

Email(Required)

Enter Email Confirm Email

Address(Required)

Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country

Gender(Required)

Male

Female

Other

Date of Birth(Required)

MM/DD/YYYY

Denomination/ Church Affiliation:(Required)

Current Occupation(Required)

Summary of education (list any degrees and education, including non-accredited spiritual formation programs):(Required)

Summarize or list key vocational and employment experiences as you see them pertaining to this training:(Required)

Are you able to attend the residencies at Conception Abbey in Conception, Missouri October 13-17, 2025 and early September 2026(Required)

Yes

Other

Do you have any physical conditions that might require special arrangements or consideration?(Required)

References Please enter the first and last names of three people who are willing to serve as personal references for you. Note that it is your responsibility to send each of these people the link to this personal reference form. Your application will not be considered complete until these references have been received.(Required)

Answer the following essay questions. Respond to each question with approximately a paragraph. Your answers to these questions will only be viewed by the faculty of The Companion. We commit to holding your answers in both prayer and confidentiality.

Share your journey of receiving spiritual direction: How long have you been meeting with a trained spiritual director? How frequently do you meet? What does a typical session look like?(Required)

What practices or dynamics within spiritual direction have nurtured your own interaction with God?(Required)

Describe your sense of invitation or calling to the ministry of spiritual direction.(Required)

How did you hear about The Companion: Apprenticeship in Spiritual Direction? What aspects of this particular program draw you to it? What do you hope to gain and experience?(Required)

Reflect on your growing understanding of yourself, particularly in relation to the patterns of sin you struggle with and the false identity you may have adopted to navigate the world. What insights have you gained about your true identity in Christ and the person God is shaping you into?(Required)

In order to companion others well in spiritual direction, directors must first address their own experiences of pain and brokenness. Describe any personal struggles or trauma you have experienced. What work have you engaged in with the Lord around these experiences? What support have you had in this? How would you describe the healing journey?(Required)

What spiritual practices are part of your life in this season and how are they cultivating your relationship with God?(Required)

Share your experiences with retreats, especially those that involve silence and solitude. How have these experiences shaped your spiritual journey?(Required)

What has been your experience in companioning others in their spiritual journey (even in a very informal sense)? How do you help nurture their interaction with God?(Required)

What is your current experience of Christian community? What are you grateful for? In what ways do you hope for change?(Required)

Describe the context in which you hope to offer spiritual direction. Is there a demographic or particular community to which you feel drawn?(Required)

What questions would you like to ask us about The Companion: Apprenticeship in Spiritual Direction?(Required)

As a member of The Companion learning community, would you commit to this covenant?(Required)

Application Form Processing Fee(Required)

Price:

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