Becoming a Listening Presence in Everyday Life

Anyone who seeks to grow in their capacity to listen discerningly to God, themselves, others, and the world around them.

Due to our commitment to fostering a relatively intimate community experience, we will limit the class to 50 students. Students who cannot be accommodated this year will be placed on a waitlist for the next offering of the course.

Applications will close on October 30^th, OR when we reach 75 applicants (potentially well before October 30). There is a non-refundable application fee of $25. Admission decisions will be communicated by November 13. Tuition for accepted students will be due November 20.

Becoming a Listening Presence in Everyday Life will build upon foundational ideas in Christian Spiritual Formation; applicants who have not had a chance to formally study spiritual formation will benefit greatly from the overview provided in the From the Inside Out course. (Those who need to take the prerequisite version of the From the Inside Out course will be asked to engage with the teaching videos and provide short summaries of the key takeaways. Total commitment is approximately 4 – 6 hours; asynchronous; support fee of $50.)

Once admission decisions have been made on November 13^th, we’ll walk all admitted students who need the prerequisite through the process.

There are no in-person residencies. All interactions will take place online. However, students will independently take one 2 – 5 day retreat during the course.

This is NOT a training program for spiritual directors, although it shares some DNA with spiritual direction training. This course may be a helpful first step for discerning a call to spiritual direction and/or a refreshing enrichment series for current spiritual directors. However, we’re even more excited about the ways this course will help students listen and discern deeply in any vocation, and in their family, work, church, and community relationships.

Small group time is ​“baked in” to the bi-monthly Zoom meetings.

The rhythm of the course involves reading one book and one or two articles per month at a slow and meditative pace, intentionally entering into spiritual practices, and attending the bi-monthly Zoom sessions. Reflection, journaling, and deep listening take time and are key to the learning process. We also ask you to plan to take one 2 – 5 day independent retreat during the course. (Guidance will be provided.)

Yes, the online classes are a mandatory part of this course. They last two hours, and will consist of teaching time, discussion, and small group interaction. There are usually two classes per month.

Admitted students need to be able to attend all (or, at the very least, nearly all) of the classes in real-time. We know this isn’t ideal for folks who work regular ​“day job” hours, and we do apologize — we are limited in the times of day that will work, given that Trevor Hudson is on South African time.

As with all things Renovaré, you can expect a high Christology and a broad ecumenicalism as we explore the biblical and theological foundations for practices of presence and listening — including and especially some of the Ignatian and Quaker perspectives that have helped to shape the lives of our two instructors.

Tuition is $1000 (due by November 20, 2026). A payment plan option will be available. You will also need to purchase or source several other readily available books on your own, and make arrangements to take one personal retreat. Also, if you are not currently meeting with a spiritual director, we strongly recommend you do so on a monthly basis throughout the program.

Limited scholarship funds have been made available as a part of a concerted effort by donors to make the course accessible to well-suited candidates for whom finances would otherwise be a barrier. If you know you will need scholarship support in order to attend, there will be an opportunity to apply for funding on the application form.

Email: wendy@renovare.org