Eleanor Campion
Upper South Island
Anglican, Baptist, Catholic, Community Church, Ecumenical, Elim, Inter Denominational, non denominational, Presbyterian, Vineyard
Church Leadership, Creativity and Spirituality, Hearing God in nature, Interfaith, Men's spirituality, Mental Health, Motherhood/parenting and faith journey, Social Justice, Spirituality of ageing, Sustainability, The Environment, Treaty Partnership, Wellness, Women's spirituality
Charismatic, Contemplative, Covid Vaccinated, Evangelical, Ignatian Spiritual Directors, Welcomes LGBTI+
Contact details
Religious background
I am Ignatian because Jesus lived a life of combined contemplation and action among those who would hear him and this is what Ignatian spirituality boils down to. Jesus used imaginative parables to communicate with people educated and not. Imagination is a core part of my work as a spiritual companion too. Scripture and the Cross are central. I am trained to offer the Spiritual Exercises both as a 30 day retreat and a retreat in daily life, flexing the format for each retreatant. Human desire and its sanctification in Creation are a central focus of my faith.
I am a cradle Christian, but in my following of Jesus, I have been part of many, many denominations including the ones indicated here. Jesus is my denomination and I worship in a Catholic Church because that is where I discerned I was being called when I moved to Tasman. It is where I have learned about mystery, not-knowing, becoming still before God experiencing His love every day regardless of any activity I might undertake in the Kingdom.
Approach to spiritual direction
You are walking on a beach and in the distance you see a small fire on the foreshore. As you approach, you see two people sitting beside it and recognise Jesus as one of them. He invites you to sit and spend time with Him. His companion is your spiritual director. He explains that you have spiritual direction available every moment of every day through His Holy Spirit. His companion on the beach has agreed to help you to hear, reflect and process the work of His Holy Spirit at whatever frequency you select.
You are walking alone on a dusty road and join a person you like the look of. You begin to share with them the reason you are walking. A moment later, a stranger joins you and the conversation turns to your experience of faith, spirituality, Christianity and the deepest desires of your heart. He is able to explain why all the scriptures point to Himself, Jesus as the Messiah, and how He offers you freedom and the life you long for; a life not without trouble, but also with hope, purpose and blessing.
Human desire and its sanctification are a central focus of my faith. I believe our desires are planted in us just as powerfully as our physical DNA and it is our life’s work (and joy) to discover and live out those desires as worship to our Creator.
As for me, after a lifetime in the corporate world internationally, I have returned to my first love and I work as an artist in both oils and clay. I live in Tasman, NZ, and for some months of the year, in Wiltshire, UK. I am married 30 years with one adult daughter.
