Season of Renewal FAQ

The Season of Renewal is an intentional pause in launching a new cohort of our Spiritual Companioning Training Program, a deliberate time to review, strengthen, and renew the program before we welcome our next group of students. It is not a stepping away, but a turning inward to tend this work with care so that what comes next is strong and grounded in all that has made it meaningful for more than forty years.

This year's open houses brought record registration and attendance, and yet we received only three applications, well below the minimum of nine we need for a rich, full cohort experience. After careful discernment, we made the decision not to launch a new cohort this fall, and instead to use this time to renew and rebuild the program thoughtfully

We will be welcoming a new cohort in September 2027. This is not an open-ended pause, but a defined and purposeful chapter with a clear destination.

Like many nonprofits, we steward our resources with care. We are also developing new initiatives, including our endorsing body program, that we expect to strengthen the Center's financial foundation. Our commitment to the long-term sustainability of SLC guides every decision we make, and we will remain transparent with our community as we move forward.

Yes, wholeheartedly. Training spiritual directors is at the very heart of who we are. While we are not enrolling a new cohort during this time, our commitment to this work is unwavering, and we will welcome new students again when the program relaunches in September 2027.

We are still working to understand this fully. We know we are not alone, as other training programs in our field are seeing similar patterns, which suggests broader factors at play, including the economy and shifting interest. Part of what this Season of Renewal makes possible is the time to look honestly at every facet of the program, from how we invite and welcome people to how it is structured, so we can understand what is happening and respond well.

In part, yes. We had already been considering a pause in response to lower enrollment and a desire to thoughtfully renew the curriculum. The recent transitions within our teaching team have made this a fitting and necessary time to step back and rebuild well, rather than rushing to reassemble a team and a cohort under pressure. We are choosing to use this time to renew the program with the care it deserves.

Yes, absolutely. SLC remains active and vibrant. We will continue to offer retreats, programs, and events throughout this time, and we are introducing new advanced training offerings for spiritual directors, with more in development. The life of the Center continues fully.

There will be meaningful opportunities to be part of shaping the program's next chapter. We will be forming a committee to guide the review and rebuilding, and at least twice along the way, we will welcome our directors to gather, see what is taking shape, and offer their own wisdom and feedback. We will share these opportunities as they open. You can also support this work through your generosity and by holding the Center and all it serves in your times of silence and prayer.

For those who have generously given to our financial aid fund, those gifts will be held in a secure account and released to support the incoming cohort in September 2027. They were graciously given to support our next cohort, and that is exactly how they will be used.