Are you wanting to hear and follow God’s voice? Do you desire to find the unique way each day that you are called to live and love with God?
St. Ignatius states the goal of our life clearly: to live with God forever. He invites us to find the unique and personal way we are called to live with God forever. When we know our way to live with God, we save our soul.
Those seeking deeper waters of faith desire deeply to live with God forever. They seek to know God’s voice and follow it not only in their big decisions but also in their day-to-day life.
St. Ignatius reminds us that there are three things always at work in our discernment:
· Our humanness
· The Holy Spirit
· The false spirit
In this series of Going Past the Shallows: The First Set of Rules of Discernment, we'll dive into fourteen Ignatian discernment principles, what St Ignatius called the first set of his rules of discernment. By intentionally walking through each of the fourteen rules over five monthly sessions, you will learn and practice how to better notice and discern both the Holy Spirit’s movement in our lives and the false spirit’s movement.
Ignatian discernment wisdom offers us practical tools that invite us to pay attention to how these three elements are at work in our daily lives. With the knowledge that they are present, we are able to discern the movements of consolation and desolation. Discernment of spirits gives us the power to reject what is not from God and what doesn’t lead us closer to God. It also gives us the tools to embrace what is from God and what leads us closer to God.
You’ll learn:
- How to keep your heart and mind focused on the goal to live with God forever
- That the Trinity is always with us working in us
- Tools to become aware of the movements of the Holy Spirit and false spirit
- Ways to discern whether a movement of a spirit is leading you towards God or away from God
- What to do when desolation hits
- Reasons why desolation occurs
- How to embrace the gifts of consolation
- How to stand up to the false spirit’s temptations
- How to follow the voice of God in your day-to-day life
- Ways to listen for the movements of the spirits in others’ lives
What to Expect from this Series
Going Past the Shallows: The First Set of Rules of Discernment includes a total of 7.5 hours of direct virtual learning from Ignatian author, spiritual director, and teacher, Becky Eldredge – that is 90 minutes once a month for five months. Her expert guidance will lead you past a foundational knowledge of Ignatian spirituality to advance deeper into Ignatian discernment; not just to guide your own heart, but to equip you to guide others you encounter in ministry.
In addition to the live content, each month you will receive a workbook full of resources that you can use in your own life and in walking with others.
All sessions will be delivered live via Zoom and the full recordings will be available within 24 hours for all who are unable to attend live.
Session I: August 28, 2024
12:30-2:00pm Central Daylight Time
Rules 1-4: The Spirits at Work
Session II: September 25, 2024
12:30-2:00pm Central Daylight Time
Rules 5-8: Guidelines of Desolation
Session III: October 23, 2024
12:30-2:00pm Central Daylight Time
Rule 9: Reasons Desolation Occurs
Session IV: November 20, 2024
12:30-2:00pm Central Standard Time
Rule 10-11: Spiritual Consolation
Session V: December 11, 2024
12:30-2:00pm Central Standard Time
Rule 12-14: The False Spirit at Work
What's Included:
- Five live 90-minute sessions via zoom with Becky Eldredge
- Access to video recordings of the monthly sessions
- Gathering with other deep-water seekers and ministry leaders
- Downloadable workbooks with dozens of replicable resources
- Additional resources, such as guided audio prayers, blog posts, songs, and more to equip you to utilize these tools in your life and ministries
Cost:
Don’t miss this opportunity to work with Becky Eldredge in a small group setting. Register now for this virtual class on the fourteen rules of discernment for $289, with options to pay in one payment or split payments.
Your Trusted Guide
The path of Ignatian prayer & discernment is not meant to walk alone. St. Ignatius anchored his wisdom in the need for a guide to help us into deeper waters of faith.
Building on insights from her over twenty-five years of experience as an Ignatian-trained spiritual director, teacher of the interior life, and retreat facilitator, and the work of her two award-winning books, Becky Eldredge has a profound knowledge and deep lived experience of scripture, the Catholic faith, and the Ignatian path of prayer and discernment. In all areas and every day of her life, she lives the Ignatian principles of discernment. Her work as a spiritual director, retreat facilitator, and spiritual direction instructor give her the opportunity to teach others to pray, discern, and accompany others daily.
Becky is eager to accompany you beyond the shallows and onto a path that leads to greater hope, clarity, and peace. It is a path you can walk, you can lead from, and you can also offer to those you are called to serve. Learn more about Becky at Beckyeldredge.com.
Course Curriculum
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this series for?
This series is for all who desire to hear God’s voice and follow it and who are seeking to widen their knowledge of discernment of spirits. As we all learn and live these principles it can be helpful for not only our own lives but for those we live with, love, and lead. It is for all who want to walk the Ignatian path with a trained guide and who are also called to accompany others in their faith. It for those desiring to say "yes" to God's call into deeper waters of faith.
When are the classes held?
Going Past the Shallows runs from August through December, with monthly live virtual meetings via Zoom on August 28, September 25, October 23, November 20, & December 11. The recordings of each meeting will be posted within 24 hours if you cannot attend live.
All meetings are held from 12:30pm -2:00pm Central Time. The August through October sessions will be 12:30pm -2:00pm Central Daylight Time. The November & December sessions will be 12:30 pm-2:00pm Central Standard Time.
How is this different from other offerings Becky has done in the past?
Going Past the Shallows is not a retreat, but rather a live virtual class where Becky is teaching from her expertise. It includes prayer and wisdom drawn from her twenty-five years of ministry rooted in Ignatian spirituality. The goal is for you to leave with greater knowledge and the tools to journey on the Ignatian path of prayer & discernment for yourself so that you can also accompany others on this path to God.
The First Set of the Ignatian Rules of Discernment is the third series of Becky's Going Past the Shallows. The first series, held in 2023, was a six month deep-dive into the Fundamentals of Ignatian Prayer. The second series followed in early 2024 on the Fundamentals of Ignatian Discernment. That content is not a pre-requisite for this series, but it is expected that it will be offered again in the future.
Do I have to attend all the sessions?
Going Past the Shallows is a five-class series. When you register, you are able to attend all five sessions and get access to every recording. Attendance is not necessary, but highly recommended to learn from the wisdom in the community gathered. The recording will be available if you are not able to attend live. Access to the recordings and materials will be available through the end of January 2025.
What if the cost is too much?
One of our goals is to make the wisdom of Ignatian Spirituality available to all who want to learn and incorporate it into their daily or ministry lives. We don’t want the financial aspect to prevent you from attending one of Becky’s classes or our Ignatian Ministries retreats. Due to the generosity of our donors, we can offer some financial assistance to those who wish to attend our offerings but are not able to afford the full cost. If you need assistance with the registration fee, please email us at [email protected]. We will contact you to discuss a scholarship. We will give you a scholarship code, that will allow you to pay what you can.
Can I receive certification credit from my diocese or archdiocese for participating in this course?
If you would like certification credit, we are happy to send proof of your completion for you to submit as needed. Please reach out to [email protected] for questions or support with this.
How can I access the classes and materials? Is there an app?
The classes will be delivered via Zoom and accessible via the Zoom app. The course platform, which holds all of the details and materials, is Teachable. If possible, please opt into emails from Teachable so that we can send updates and notify you that new content is available. You can access the course through logging into Teachable.com on a computer or laptop. There is also a free Teachable iOS app for Apple devices. Note that through the app, you will not have access to the community wall and will have limited access to the handouts. If you having trouble downloading the handouts, please reach out to us at [email protected].