Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:11

We Offer

Spiritual Direction

The practice of coming alongside another person to listen with them to what God is saying and doing in their life as they journey with Him. Sessions last up to one hour. They include the directee sharing and the director listening and asking questions to notice the Spirit’s transforming work with times of prayer and silence as the Spirit leads. (This is not a counseling, mentoring or life-coaching session.)

Individual Guided Retreats

This is a personal retreat you plan and take on your own with one added feature: you'll meet with someone before (and possibly after) your retreat. The purpose of these meetings is to help you listen to God and discern His invitation to you for the day of retreat and for moving forward after the retreat.

Spiritual Life Consultations

For those feeling stuck or wanting more in their relationship with God, this is a singular session to listen with you for God’s current calling/invitations in your life. The goal is to help you grow your awareness of the Spirit's transformational work in your life and come up with 1-2 practical ideas to adjust or supplement your current spiritual practices (or what you are expecting from them). Optional follow-up meeting 1-2 months later.

The Spiritual Life Team

For general questions about retreats, resources, etc. please use our contact page.

Jonathan

Jonathan Bourbeau

Offers:
Spiritual Direction, Individual Guided Retreats, Spiritual Life Consultations

Jonathan Bourbeau

Jonathan has been ministering in Latvia since 1993 in leadership training, prayer, counseling and marriage ministry.  His passion is to see believers and especially leaders flourish in their walk with the Lord, family and ministry.  He desires to be a Barnabas to Pauls and a Jonathan to Davids. He has coached others in spiritual growth for some years and  joined a formal two year spiritual direction training in 2019.

     "I have thoroughly enjoyed the learning process and coming alongside others in their spiritual journey with the Lord!"

Jonathan offers:

  • Spiritual Direction
  • Individual Guided Retreats
  • Spiritual Life Consultations.

Time Zones: EET and CT

Email Jonathan

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photo of Steve Caton

Steve Caton

Offers:
Spiritual Direction, Individual Guided Retreats, Spiritual Life Consultations

Steve Caton

During my years as a Worship Arts pastor and a missional church planter I have experienced God's leading in the process of transformation, spiritual identity, Biblical story-formed life and 'organic' missional living.  My life calling and passion is to be part of people's growth process (and also explains my enjoyment of gardening, landscaping and personal fitness and health.).  My early years as a classroom teacher developed my abilities to come alongside people and help see opportunities for their maturity which I've now been putting to use as I listen to and converse with God and people as a Spiritual Director since 2019.

{Steve's Website}

Steve offers:

  • Spiritual Direction
  • Individual Guided Retreats
  • Spiritual Life Consultations

Time Zone: GMT

Email Steve

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photo of Lena Larsen

Lynnae K

Offers:
Spiritual Direction, Individual Guided Retreats

Lynnae K

Lynnae has worked in several locations around Europe, and currently resides in Michigan, USA. She enjoys learning new things about and finding new ways of connecting with God and is excited to help provide others with similar opportunities.

Lynnae offers:

  • Spiritual Direction (For more info on her as a spiritual director click HERE.)
  • Individual Guided Retreats

Time Zone: EST

Email Lynnae

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Doug copy

Doug Mitts

Offers:
Spiritual Direction, Individual Guided Retreats

Doug Mitts

Doug holds a DMin in Spiritual Formation and a Certificate in Spiritual Direction. With GEM since 1990, he has facilitated church planting efforts in Poland and across Europe. Now he lives Germany with his wife, Lisa, implementing GEM’s Focus City initiative. Their children, Megan and Michael, continue pursuing their college educations. Doug enjoys movies, outdoors, and sports.

{Doug's Website}

Doug offers:

  • Spiritual Direction
  • Individual Guided Retreats

Time Zones: CET

Contact Doug

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lisa mitts

Lisa Mitts

Offers:
Spiritual Direction, Individual Guided Retreats

Lisa Mitts

I love to disciple, mentor and encourage young women in their intimacy with Jesus and to help them live a flourishing life in His Kingdom.  A part of that is helping them hear the Spirit of God through the Word of God and to obey all He says. I enjoy attending guided spiritual retreats and desire to help others see the importance of taking them.

I am also a  spiritual director which means I come along side another listening to them share their spiritual journey, helping them pay attention to God’s presence, voice, and activity in their life, deepening their awareness of the invitations He is extending to them.

Lisa offers:

  • Spiritual Direction
  • Individual Guided Retreats

Time Zone: CET

Email Lisa

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Liz T

Liz Thelen

All things admin for GEM Spiritual Life.

Liz Thelen

Liz landed in Greece in February 2021 with her husband, Sean, to help serve alongside the Greek Evangelical Church with outreach, specifically in children’s ministry. She loves organizing, details, and carrying out a plan. She’s excited that admin for the SLT allows her to do that for the most important purpose of pointing others to the presence of God in their lives.

 

Time Zone: EET

Contact Liz

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Our Partners

Others who offer Spiritual Direction and/or Individual Guided Retreats.

photo of Leslie Hall

Leslie Hall

Offers:
Individual Guided Retreats

Leslie Hall

I was born and raised in Cincinnati, OH and since becoming a Christian as a teenager, God has set it on my heart to love people and to see the Church grow in maturity. I currently serve in a local church in London, UK and love seeing Christ connected with everyday aspects of life (food, music, art, sport, culture) to see the Kingdom flourish on Earth as it is in Heaven. I moonlight as a professional specialty coffee barista from time to time.

Leslie offers:

  • Individual Guided Retreats

Time Zone: GMT

Email Leslie

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photo of Karen Ruth

Karen Kurth

Offers:
Spiritual Direction, Individual Guided Retreats

Karen Kurth

God said "If you seek me. You will find me." (Jeremiah 29:13)  I took this promise from Jeremiah with me to Romania in 2006  and he has not failed me.  As I seek Him, I have a growing passion to help others seek Him.

Karen offers:

  • Individual Guided Retreats

Time Zone: EET

Contact Karen

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Lisa Meyers

Lisa Meyers

Offers:
Spiritual Direction, Individual Guided Retreats

Lisa Meyers

I came to Austria wanting to disciple the Austrian. But God first had to reveal to me how much of my own heart was not transformed. I’ve been ministering for years now to wounded, broken Austrians through a ministry called, „Hope for the Wounded“. And it has connected me to my own „inner world" — the place where my emotions dwell. I’m still learning to let Jesus into this inner world as I practice several spiritual disciplines that help me invite Him in. When I do, I almost always discover what He wants to tell me: That I am deeply loved by Him.

Lisa offers:

  • Individual Guided Retreats

Time Zone: CET

Email Lisa

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photo of Joy McAuley

Joy McAuley

Offers:
Spiritual Direction, Individual Guided Retreats, Spiritual Life Consultations

Joy McAuley

Joy has been ministering in France since 2004 with small groups, women’s Bible study and prayer groups, one-on-one mentoring, and spiritual direction. Her passion is to equip others to go deeper in their relationship with Jesus. She lives north of Paris with her husband, Thad, and 4 children - Addi, Zac, Wes and Lucas.

Joy offers:

  • Spiritual Direction
  • Individual Guided Retreats
  • Spiritual Life Consultations.

Time Zones: CET

Email Joy

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Krishana profile pic

Krishana Kraft

Offers:
Spiritual Direction, Individual Guided Retreats

Krishana Kraft

I am a graduate of Talbot's Institute for Spiritual Formation with an M.A. in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care (2021) and currently offering spiritual direction as a part-time worker with Greater Europe Mission. Originally from southern Indiana, I've called various locations in the U.S. and abroad "home," and have even served full-time with GEM while living in Vienna, Austria. Currently, I live in Sellersburg, Indiana, but travel to Europe two to three times per year to offer in-person spiritual direction at GEM retreats. 

As a spiritual director, I desire to be a companioning sojourner with a gentle and calming presence. I find joy in how Holy Spirit guides this journey and my prayer echoes that of Paul's in Ephesians 3:16-19 (NLT), "I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life."

My personal journey with God includes a three-year battle with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. In 2023, I celebrated 10 years cancer-free; I can see now how the darkest parts of this journey shaped me as a spiritual director. I've walked through valleys of suffering and have been gifted the capacity to hold space with others as they journey through suffering. This world is not our home and the journey can be filled pain, which gives us even more reason to journey together. 

Krishana offers:

  • Spiritual Direction
  • Individual Guided Retreats

Time Zone: CT

Email Krishana

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Debbie Nichols

Debby Nichols

Offers:
Spiritual Direction, Individual Guided Retreats

Debby Nichols

As a GEM-K and a missionary the past 30 years, I find that I still have so much to learn about Jesus and my heavenly Abba. My life is all about taking a day, a minute, a moment at a time and setting it before God and waiting for His invitation. God’s invitation usually involves letting things go and coming to Him who loves me infinitely. I have a certificate in Spiritual Direction and enjoy sitting with people and helping them listen for God’s still small voice.

Debby offers:

  • Spiritual Direction
  • Individual Guided Retreats

Time Zones: CET

Contact Debby

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Glenda copy

Glenda Alvord Rudat

Offers:
Spiritual Direction, Individual Guided Retreats

Glenda Alvord Rudat

I came to spiritual direction wanting guidance, to know what I needed “to do.”  I found God inviting me to do less, to rest, and experience his unconditional love and presence in the midst of my busy day. My desire is to walk alongside women as they journey toward knowing God more intimately through the Word and prayer. I enjoy time spent with family, reading, writing and the beauty of God’s creation.

Glenda offers:

  • Spiritual Direction
  • Individual Guided Retreats

Time Zone: PST

Email Glenda

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Bob Schwerdt

Offers:
Spiritual Direction, Individual Guided Retreats

Bob Schwerdt

Since 2017 Bob has been serving with his wife Kathie in England, west of Birmingham, where their primary ministry is providing pastoral care to GEM missionaries. Together they have been with GEM since 1992. Bob earned his MDiv from Denver Seminary, and is in formal training as a spiritual director. His delight is in seeing people grow in their ability to walk with God and respond to his voice.

Bob offers:

  • Spiritual Direction
  • Individual Guided Retreats

Time Zone: GMT

Contact Bob

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