Our Apprentice Program

The Guild for Spiritual Guidance

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Our Apprentice Program

Announcing the 2011 Apprenticeship Program - A new class (Guild XVIII) begins in January, 2011. Applications are now being accepted for the program.

Click here to download an Apprentice Program Application (MS Word format)

Click here to download a printable Apprentice Program Application (PDF Format - non-editable)

If you would like to contact our staff regarding the application process, please click here.

The Apprentice Program and Community - In its 30+ year history, the Apprenticeship Program, has remained true to its roots as a two-year spiritual formation certificate program designed to prepare participants within an ecumenical community for a ministry of assisting others, both formally and informally, to discern the presence of Spirit in their lives within the diverse contexts of contemporary society.

The Guild for Spiritual Guidance provides a two-year ecumenical, interfaith certificate program designed to prepare its members for a ministry of spiritual guidance within the diverse contexts of contemporary life. The Guild asks of its apprentices a readiness to deepen and reflect on their own spiritual journey in a community limited to 24 others. The focus is on transformation, rather than information, with attention to the workings of Spirit in our lives as we seek to develop a deeper awareness of our calling and of God’s presence in all dimensions of life.

The Curriculum - The Guild’s Apprentice Program is rooted in the Judeo-Christian contemplative tradition of spirituality with the core curriculum centered on the Western mystical tradition, Jungian depth psychology, and the evolutionary cosmology of Teilhard de Chardin. There are sessions in meditation, the arts, body awareness, contemplative listening, ecology, feminism and global perspectives in spirituality. Insights and practices drawn from all of these experiences emphasize skills development in spiritual guidance. The Guild welcomes persons of all spiritual practices who are open to learning and deepening in community with one another.

Click here to learn more about our Apprentice Curriculum

The Commitment - During the two-year program, apprentices are required to participate in monthly sessions, write short reflective essays on the three core curriculum strands at the end of the first year and a final integrative paper at the end of the program. Each member must enter a personal program of spiritual guidance with a qualified guide.
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Apprentices receive a Certificate upon completion of the program and may be able to make arrangements with other institutions to utilize the Guild program for credit toward a degree.

The Apprentice Program begins with a three-day orientation retreat in September every other year and meets monthly (except for July and August) for a twenty-four hour session from Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon. Each monthly session includes presentations of two of the three core areas of the curriculum and an experiential session usually provided by a variety of guest cultivators. Sessions also include communal silence, meditation and prayer as well as formal and informal sharing, processing, all of which deepen our sense of community.