People understand spirituality in different ways. For many, it involves growing in faith with the support of a faith community.
We can experience spiritual growth through worship and sharing with others. We may then think of spirituality as being relational. As Christians, we can grow with other people and with Jesus. In doing so, deepen our relationship with God.
We can also explore our spirituality through much more personal individual experiences: private prayer, meditation, quiet reflection, mindfulness or long walks.
We encourage all Christians in the diocese to deepen their walk with Jesus through prayer, engagement with Scripture and serving the needs of others.
Our Lights for Christ resources give ideas to support you in this. These include developing a Personal Rule of Life. If you lead prayers in church (or interested in doing so), you may find this training resource from Derby Diocese helpful.
See also prayer and worship resources or join the Diocese’s prayer community.
Spiritual accompaniment
Many people find a having Spiritual Accompanier/Director helpful. They can accompany you on your spiritual journey. They help you reflect on where and how God is working in your life. The Diocese runs a Spiritual Accompanier network. To find out more, please contact:
Apps
Many people find the following apps helpful:
Recommended reading
Comer, John Mark (2024) Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus, Become like him, Do as he Did. London: SPCK.
This book may be borrowed from Church House resource centre or Whirlow Spirituality Centre library or should be available second-hand.
Whirlow Spirituality Centre
Whirlow Spirituality Centre at the Chapel of the Holy Spirit is a leading centre in Sheffield. It offers facilities for individuals and groups who visit:
- for personal and spiritual development
- to explore their relationship with God through prayer, teaching and reflection.
People describe Whirlow as a ‘thin place’ where people find God. It offers a safe space for prayer, reflection and worship. No wonder many people return frequently.
A programme of spirituality-themed events runs each year at the Spirituality Centre.
Retreat houses
Going on retreat can be an excellent experience. It can provide a welcome break or opportunity to deepen your faith. Retreats can focus around an activity like art or photography, a time in the Christian calendar. They can be silent or shared, face to face, or online. The choice is vast. To see what’s available, please visit The Retreat Association’s Retreat Directory.
Courses for spiritual growth
We run two nationally-acclaimed courses:
Details of a 6-month course exploring your relationship with God.
A 6-month course to enable growth in the ministry of discerning listening and spiritual accompaniment.
Information about the ministry of spiritual accompaniment and two courses we offer