Pilgrimage: Embracing the Unexpected
Keynote 1: Pilgrimage with Kelvin Wright
I walked the Camino Santiago in 2009, 2012 and 2015, and took an 800 km pilgrimage through my own diocese in 2014. Pilgrimage is, for me an important spiritual practice very different from mere travelling, and has much to teach us about the spiritual journey. Many of the lessons of pilgrimage provide valuable insight into the work of spiritual direction
Kelvin Wright served as an Anglican priest in Canterbury, the Waikato and Otago and until retirement in 2017, was the Bishop of Dunedin. He is currently a spiritual Keynote director and a facilitator for the Anglican Schools Office. He has a lifelong interest in narrative theory and is a teacher of centring prayer. He is married to Clemency, has 3 children and 5 grandchildren.
Keynote 2: Pilgrimage with Youth with Rachel Kitchens & John Hebenton
In the first half of life, young adults are in the formative stages of identity discovery. Many of their concepts of the self and God are still being shaped and formed; spiritual direction at this stage is about ‘becoming.’ Mainly, young adults are asking ‘Who Am I?’ As well as “Who is the One who made me and calls me?’ In this session Rachel will be exploring ways in which spiritual direction can help young pilgrims on their journey.
Rachel Kitchens is an Auckland spiritual director and mom of three young children; her SD work focuses primarily on young adults and spiritual formation. In addition to her SD work, she also works at the Venn Foundation.
John Hebenton TSSF is a Franciscan Anglican Priest. Much of his ministry has been in some from of regional or national youth ministry. One of his interests is the place and nature of spiritual direction among young people.
Keynote 3: Pilgrimage on the Edge with Ricky Waters & Carol Grant
Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the Divine, or to learn and grow in their own personal spirituality … The director listens and asks questions to assist the directee in his or her process of reflection and spiritual growth .
Carol Grant and Ricky Waters will look at the ‘spiritual perceptions’ and ‘baggage’ we unconsciously (or perhaps consciously) bring to each spiritual direction session as directors. Drawing on their own experiences of offering SD to those who are engaged with a faith / spirituality different from their own; Carol and Ricky will offer some insights, challenges and bridges to enable us to add a few more tools to our toolkit.
Carol Grant is trained in education, as a paramedic, chaplain, parish
minister, ministerial and judicial Justice of the Peace as well as a spiritual director and supervisor. She is married to Neil, enjoys her family, calligraphy, feminist theology, and pilgrimaging in wild and wilderness places,
Ricky Waters was a primary teacher in another life and now his time is spent in Tertiary Chaplaincy, Spiritual Direction, supervision, serving as Justice of the Peace, lay preacher and elder, husband and father.
Keynote 4: Pilgrimage of the church: Past, present and future with Peter Lineham
‘Pilgrimage is a marginal theme in the history of Christendom but rediscovering it may make all the difference in the future of the church.’
Peter Lineham: recently retired as Professor of History at Massey University. He remains active in a variety of community activities and in writing and lecturing.
