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“Gateways to God is one of the handful of things that actually changed my ministry, and, I think, changed my discipleship. I think everybody—and I'm not exaggerating—I think everybody should do Gateways to God.”
"Gateways to God" is a two-year certificate program that trains individuals in spiritual direction. Spiritual Direction involves walking alongside others and attentively listening to the profound spiritual stirrings within their hearts and souls. The program is led by Heidi A. Miller, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Spirituality and Christian Ministry at Mercer University in Atlanta, alongside a team of experienced spiritual directors and supervisors.
If you’re interested in training as a compassionate listener and guide for the spiritual journeys of others, Gateways to God is for you. Over the course of six retreats, you will…
Gateways is a certificate program for clergy, lay leaders, and anyone called to listening work. Our next cohort is built around six immersive weekend retreats from January 2025 to October 2026. The program qualifies as CEU credits for clergy, and some grants are available. Read more below!
Discern whether our 20-month training program is right for you. Read more about Gateways, or get in touch to ask questions and have a personal conversation with Gateways program leaders.
To apply for Gateways to God, complete our online application form and make an application payment of $100. Get started by clicking the button below!
Once you're accepted, you'll join a cohort of peers for a life-changing course in spiritual direction, spread across six in-person retreats, with learning and practicum experiences along the way.
Below you'll find additional information about Gateways to God, including course offerings, what to expect, dates, payment information, and more.
Interested in learning more about Gateways to God? Here's additional information about the program.
Although there are no specific educational requirements for this training, those applying should have an active spiritual life, a deep love for all God’s people, strength in purposeful listening, embrace diversity, be in spiritual direction, and have personal time needed for the six retreats and course expectations.
Note: Rolling Ridge’s 8-week course, “Way of the Heart” provides an excellent foundation for the “Gateways to God” experience.
Gateways to God participants attend all six of the following retreats:
Course Fee = $850 per retreat/$5,100 total - includes course tuition and all accommodations (note: books, travel, personal spiritual direction fees, and other incidentals are not included)
Payments:
Once your application has been accepted, you may make a partial or full payment using our secure link: click here.
New: as well as paying as a single lump sum, Gateways payments can now be paid in installments over the duration of the program.
Within ten days of acceptance into the program, a 30% deposit ($1530.00) is due.
The credit card on file will be charged:
Due to the nature of this course, there are no refunds after the start of the course.
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We hope you'll share about Gateways to God with your church or broader community. In our online toolkit, you'll find printable flyers, brochures, videos, and text for your church bulletin and weekly announcements.
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Rev. Deadra Bachorik Ashton, M.Div., RBCis the director of the Gateways to God program. She received her spiritual direction training in the Gateways program and joined the Gateways staff in 2016 as a small group supervisor. Over the last 30 years she has served as a Presbyterian pastor, board certified healthcare chaplain, seminary administrator, and retreat leader. She currently offers spiritual direction and supervision.
Cris received her training in spiritual direction through Tending the Soul and Advanced Gateways to God. Her current work as a spiritual director takes place primarily in nontraditional settings including grocery stores and parking lots, hospital rooms, spiritual formation gatherings, and the online classroom. After a first career as a high school chemistry teacher, Cris earned an MDiv from Northeastern Seminary and completed three units of CPE. She currently enjoys serving as an adjunct professor in spiritual direction at NES, a peer group supervisor for Gateways to God, and a per diem hospital chaplain.
With more than 20 years in academic and non-profit settings, Heidi A Miller, Ph.D., serves as Associate Professor of Spirituality and Christian Ministry at Mercer University in Atlanta. Her areas of teaching, research, and writing focus on transformative leadership, spirituality, transition and trauma, justice, and worship. Heidi designs and facilitates curriculum in spiritual direction and soul tending in one-on-one, small group, community, congregational, and organizational contexts.
Karen Skalla is a bi-vocational ordained Deacon in the Methodist Church. She came to ministry via a career as a Nurse Practitioner and she continues to listen deeply to patients, as well as groups, after completing the Gateways to God program in Missional Spiritual Direction. From her home in Vermont, Karen has a particular love for the created world and enjoys expressing it through the written word and art. She has a passion for pastoral care in Street Ministry and partnering with her Therapy Dog. She completed a Masters Degree in Nursing, four units of Clinical Pastoral Education, and a Masters Degree in Theology from Boston University. Her primary Diaconal appointment is Kendal at Hanover as a Geriatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner and she serves as a faith leader for an online ecumenical church, “Faithwaze.”
Rolling Ridge Retreat and Conference Center
660 Great Pond Road
North Andover, MA, 01845
thestaff@rollingridge.org
Phone: (978) 682-8815
Fax: (978) 681-1162
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