PROGRAMS
Our programs are united under the common theme of spiritual discernment. All are designed to help people, both as individuals and as members of a group, recognize and respond to God's call. Some are for a relatively wide audience. Others are more narrowly tailored to meet the particular needs of a specific group or set of circumstances.

Our Approach to Working With You

We know that each organization is unique. That is why we place a great deal of emphasis on first trying to understand as much as we can about your situation and what your program needs might be. Next, we take time to consider the best approach, given the specific circumstances, time frame, and budget. Then, we arrive at a consensus regarding how we will proceed in order to achieve the learning objectives.

Program Areas
Community Discernment for Calls to Ministry

Listening Hearts Ministries has developed a program to help implement the Title III Canons on Ministry. This program is designed to enable Commissions on Ministry to help members of their dioceses to more effectively hear their calls to ministry in the body of Christ. To learn more, click here.

Spiritual Discernment

Building on the book Listening Hearts, our congregational discernment programs are for faith-based communities that are interested in helping members incorporate the practical aspects of spiritual discernment into their everyday lives. To learn more, click here.

Training Program for Trainers

Listening Hearts Ministries trains spiritually mature people with leadership qualities to establish ministries of spiritual discernment in their home faith communities. These trainings are led by Listening Hearts leaders and held during week-long retreats at Aisling Retreat House in beautiful Manchester, MD. For more information, click here, contact Monique or call our program office.

Spiritual Discernment in College Communities

Young adults are often uniquely able to pose genuine questions about what God is calling them to do or to be. Listening Hearts Ministries offers rich spiritual experiences to groups of college students, honoring this receptivity and often leading to new paths of self-discovery and growth. To learn more about the various programs we offer on college campuses, click here or contact Monique.

Listening Hearts Book Discussion Groups

A book discussion program helps participants clarify and expand their understanding of call, ministry, discernment, and community as they relate to one another; provides an opportunity to grow in relationship to God; and increases a sense of listening to God in everyday life. Contact Monique if you are interested in forming a book discussion group, or see the Manual for Discussion Leaders if you are interested in starting such a group in your faith community.

Consensus Building and Decision-Making

Decision-making bodies are, by design, faced with the need to make choices. In most settings, groups tend to follow the age-old method of stating the issue, discussing the options, and then voting to decide the outcome. We suggest that another approach is available to those groups willing to truly open their deliberations to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Our book, Grounded in God, serves as the basis for our programs in this area. To learn more, click here.

Spiritual Conflict Resolution

Inevitably, situations arise in the lives of faith communities where sharply differing views on a subject cause tensions to break out. Our "Opening the Ears of Your Heart" retreat has been designed to allow Christians who hold diverging views on a specific issue the opportunity to grow closer to God and one another. To learn more, click here.

Search Committees

How well the search committee carries out its responsibilities can clearly have long-term consequences. Our program for search committees helps set the stage for effective group deliberations. To learn more, click here.

Church Mission Statements

As with individuals, congregations as a whole are called by God to play a role in advancing His kingdom here on earth. Our mission statement program helps churches find or renew their focus on the path God has chosen for them. To learn more, click here.

Clergy Programs

We have extensive experience conducting workshops and retreats designed to meet the varying spiritual needs of the clergy. To learn more about how we can assist you in this area, please contact our Program Office.

Custom Programs

We have years of experience conducting programs that address a wide variety of concerns in the area of spiritual discernment. This base of knowledge makes it easy for us to create a program that can be specifically tailored to the needs of your organization. To learn more about how we can assist you in this area, please contact our Program Office.