Church of Christ
Church of Christ & Disciples of Christ Spiritual Direction
Your tradition taught you to strip away everything but Scripture and simplicity. Spiritual direction takes that same instinct and turns it inward — clearing away the noise so you can actually hear the God you have been reading about.
Vetted directors joining daily
Jeremy Harrison
Faith & Vocation
Melissa Wuske
Contemplative Prayer
Jeff Ott
Monastic Spirituality
Bryn Stonehouse
Life Transitions
Mignon Murrell
Spiritual Formation
Directors joining daily
Understanding the Tradition
What Is Spiritual Direction in the Restoration Movement?
The Restoration Movement has always been about getting back to what matters. Alexander Campbell and Barton W. Stone believed the church had buried the simple gospel under centuries of human tradition and institutional complexity. "No creed but Christ, no book but the Bible" was not just a slogan — it was a radical commitment to spiritual simplicity. Spiritual direction shares that same impulse. It strips away the programs, the performances, and the busyness to create space for one essential thing: listening for God.
If you grew up in a Church of Christ or Disciples of Christ congregation, you may have never heard the phrase "spiritual direction." Your tradition emphasized weekly Communion, a cappella worship, and careful Bible study. But there is a growing generation within these churches who are discovering that knowing Scripture and experiencing the God of Scripture are not always the same thing. Spiritual direction bridges that gap — not by abandoning your heritage, but by going deeper into it.
Leonard Allen, a Church of Christ scholar, has spent forty years calling his tradition to drink from the "great stream" of historic Christianity. John Mark Hicks has written extensively on how Churches of Christ can recover a richer spiritual life. Richard Foster, though a Quaker, has been widely read in Restoration Movement circles — his Celebration of Discipline opened the door for many Church of Christ members to explore contemplative practices they had never encountered.
Is This For You?
Who is Church of Christ spiritual direction for?
- You love Scripture but sense there is a deeper way to engage with God than study alone
- You grew up in a Church of Christ and feel something is missing that you cannot quite name
- You are a minister or church leader and need soul care, not just sermon preparation
- You are drawn to prayer and silence but your tradition has not given you many models for it
- You are a Disciples of Christ member seeking a deeper, more personal spiritual life
“The human soul doesn't want to be advised or fixed or saved. It simply wants to be witnessed — to be seen, heard and companioned exactly as it is.”
— Parker Palmer
Historical Voices
Who's Writing & Teaching About This
These are the people shaping how Church of Christ Christians understand and practice spiritual direction today.
Leonard Allen
Church of Christ scholar, author of In the Great Stream
Allen's life work has been urging Churches of Christ to reconnect with the broader Christian tradition. In the Great Stream argues that the Restoration Movement's isolation from historic Christianity has impoverished its spiritual life — and that recovering contemplative practices is essential for the tradition's future.
About In the Great StreamJohn Mark Hicks
Professor of theology, Lipscomb University
Hicks has written extensively on spiritual formation within the Churches of Christ tradition, helping a new generation discover that contemplative practice is not foreign to their heritage but a natural deepening of their commitment to Scripture and simplicity.
Richard Foster
Author of Celebration of Discipline (Quaker, widely read in CoC)
Though a Quaker, Foster's Celebration of Discipline has been one of the most widely read spiritual formation books in Church of Christ circles. His framework of inward, outward, and corporate disciplines gave many Restoration Movement Christians their first vocabulary for contemplative practice.
Read Celebration of DisciplineRandy Harris
Professor of theology, Abilene Christian University
Harris brings a prophetic, contemplative voice to the Churches of Christ. His teaching and writing on spiritual formation, justice, and the inner life have influenced a generation of Church of Christ ministers seeking deeper spiritual roots.
Getting Started With Church of Christ Direction
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Church of Christ Spiritual Direction FAQ
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