Welcome to the Transformational Listening Center
“He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.” Psalm 23:2 ESV
The Transformational Listening Center (TLC) exists to train its participants in the art of spiritual direction with an emphasis in Christian spiritual formation. TLC is a unique program because of its emphasis on understanding and living out of the current reality of the Kingdom of God; a truth that Jesus proclaims throughout the Gospels, teaching that God’s Kingdom rule has arrived. Our main goal is to seek that Kingdom.
The secret of the Kingdom of God has been given to you.” Jesus Christ, Mark 4:11 NIV
When we truly hear these words of Jesus and internalize this reality, our lives change! This change dramatically impacts the way we hear, how we see, and ultimately how we listen and interact with others. At the Transformational Listening Center, we believe that we move into the heart of God through listening with love to God’s people who experience first hand how it feels to be truly seen and heard. We learn to listen as Jesus listens. Our passion at TLC is to teach others to listen in a way that calls forth the Kingdom of God in another’s life.
Spiritual Direction Training
Spiritual direction is the art of listening deeply to another person in such a way that they begin to notice and respond to God’s presence and movement in their life. Spiritual direction can be life-giving and transforming for those who participate in this special relationship.
The Transformational Listening Center is a two-year program that meets together in the Chicago-land area. Beginning with our new cohort (starting in January of 2021), we are offering our program to those outside the Chicago-land area. The curriculum is a hybrid of online lectures, teaching, discussion and demonstrations, and small group interaction over a traditional school year schedule. Due to Covid19’s current safety requirements, we are planning for all participants to begin their program entirely online, with the option of hybrid meetings online and in-person should safety requirements be lifted.
Certificate in Spiritual Direction
Currently, there is no official state licensing procedure for Spiritual Direction. A few programs exist that offer a curriculum that includes spiritual direction and/or spiritual formation but for now, anyone can call themselves a Spiritual Director. However, it is customary that almost all who practice spiritual direction have gone through some type of training and have received a certificate stating their completion of training. TLC offers a certificate upon completion of the two-year training program to participants who complete all the required coursework. Affiliation with a university is a possibility in the future.
Emphasis on Christian Spiritual Formation
Christian spiritual formation is the lifelong process of conformation into the image of Christ. This process is a restoration of who God created us to be; it happens when the life of Christ is being increasingly formed in us, for His glory. Jesus’ words resonate this truth in the Gospel of John, “I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly”, (John 10:10 NRSV). Thomas Kelly, an American Quaker and college professor describes this longing for more that resides deep within each of us:
“We have hints that there is a way of life vastly richer and deeper than this hurried existence, a life of unhurried serenity and peace and power. We have seen and known some people who seem to have found this deep center of living, where the fretful calls of life are integrated…” Thomas Kelly, “A Testament of Devotion”
At TLC, we invite participants to respond to this deep longing; to experience personal spiritual growth and transformation as they begin to know and understand God better.
