Inner Soul Work Groups provide leaders contemplative space to tend their own inner soul in community with others. Meeting once a month for a full day retreat, participants follow the gentle rhythm of gathering, contemplative prayer, two hours of silence and solitude, lunch and afternoon group sharing of the spiritual journey with attentiveness to God’s transforming presence.
The purpose of Inner Soul is to cultivate spiritual maturity through:
The purpose of Inner Soul is to cultivate spiritual maturity through:
- growing self awareness as we process our experiences as spiritual leaders
- feeling loved and accepted by God and others
- listening deeply for God’s presence and action in silence.
"These Inner Soul gatherings helped me greatly over the past months. I had never been part of a spiritual renewal group before and didn’t know what to expect from these meetings. I am deeply grateful for the purposeful quiet, conversation, and support."
~ 2024-25 Inner Soul participant
~ 2024-25 Inner Soul participant
Who: This group experience is for 4-6 men
When: Saturdays, January 24, February 28, March 28, May 2, May 30, and June 27
9am - 3pm
At our first gathering, we will consent to the year’s chosen dates, considering alternatives as needed.
Cost: $70 per session ($420 total)
Participants bring their own lunch.
This is the same price as an individual spiritual direction session and is for six hours rather than one. This is an opportunity to try group spiritual direction in a retreat setting.
Facilitator: Brian Roots
When: Saturdays, January 24, February 28, March 28, May 2, May 30, and June 27
9am - 3pm
At our first gathering, we will consent to the year’s chosen dates, considering alternatives as needed.
Cost: $70 per session ($420 total)
Participants bring their own lunch.
This is the same price as an individual spiritual direction session and is for six hours rather than one. This is an opportunity to try group spiritual direction in a retreat setting.
Facilitator: Brian Roots
"Wonderful facilitation! Respectful, insightful, good balance of informal/formal."
~ 2024-25 Inner Soul participant
~ 2024-25 Inner Soul participant
Brian grew up in the Lutheran Church. After college he joined Mennonite Voluntary Service and worked as a teacher in Chicago for three years. He then attended Northern Baptist Theological Seminary and took classes at six different seminaries each representing a different denomination. He became a United Methodist pastor and served churches for 32 years. In that time he served in the following settings: large cities (Chicago IL and Kansas City MO) blue collar suburb (Cicero IL) rural small town (Harvard IL) and an affluent suburb (Deerfield IL). The churches ran from small to large and old to new. Brian was the founding pastor of a new church in Kansas City MO. Over his 32 years of pastoring Brian discovered it was often a lonely position. This awareness led him to attend Creighton University to earn a Certificate in Spiritual Direction. For the past 15 years Brian has walked with numerous clergy to help navigate the challenges of being a pastor and seek a deeper experience of God. Brian looks forward to growing and learning together with other men through this group experience of spiritual direction.
Please complete the form below to register for Men's Inner Soul. Adjustments to the meeting scheduled may be made at the first group gathering as needed. Participants will receive an invoice after the first gathering.
Inner Soul missed session policy: Pathways will waive payment for one session missed by a participant if informed by the participant when the meeting schedule is set at the first gathering in January. Pathways can only waive payment for one missed session. If Pathways needs to cancel a session for inclement weather or any other reason, the session will be rescheduled.