John March
Spiritual Director and Executive Director
Jesus said, “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.” Spiritual direction is a prayerful conversation where I join you in paying attention to the secret, hidden work of God in your life. Our tendency is to look for God exclusively in the spectacular and transcendent moments of life, but in reality, God is always with us. God’s grace is always coming to us. And God’s Spirit speaks to us in a variety of ways through the experiences of our ordinary lives. Learning to listen to God in spiritual direction typically involves paying attention to the hopes and fears, desires and dreams, and the frustrations and failings of our everyday journeys. When we do this, we enter deeper into the experience of God at work in and through us. I feel privileged to be able to sit with people in this sacred space with God.
Here’s a little bit about my journey with God. I grew up in Minnesota. I studied engineering in Boston. I spent a year as a missionary in Malawi. I met my wife and got married while in seminary at Gordon-Conwell where I earned an MDiv. Then, we returned to the Minneapolis area to start a church in 2009. It was this endeavor that awakened in me an awareness of my deep need to discover God in the ordinary everyday moments of life. Spiritual direction was the place where I learned how to do this. I have been offering spiritual direction to others since 2015. I completed a training program called Selah offered by Leadership Transformations.
John is available for spiritual direction in person, by phone or video conferencing.
Diane Johnson
With each person I meet, I am reminded of God’s involvement in all of life.
I believe that throughout my life God has been preparing me for the ministry of Spiritual Direction. In my early childhood in downtown Minneapolis, through college, and in each of my work and personal experiences, I have been challenged to recognize Gods presence in my life. At times my relationship with God has felt solid, at other times I felt far removed and longed for a deeper relationship with the triune God who is my Creator, Savior, and Sustainer.
I worked for 35 years in corporate America where my positions ranged from computer programmer to project lead to middle manager. In each position my underlying concern was for the welfare and spiritual lives of my coworkers. God eventually called me out of corporate life and I entered Luther Seminary where I graduated with my MA.
After graduation, I realized my spiritual journey into a deeper relationship with God was only beginning. I sought Spiritual Direction to help me discern where the journey might lead. As a result I began and completed my training as a Spiritual Director through Christos Center for Spiritual Formation.
Now my passion is to listen to the life stories of people and discern with them how God has been and continues to be present in their lives. With each person I meet, I am reminded of God’s involvement in all of life. Each of my interests from kayaking to reading to travel also points to that involvement. I am especially touched by floating with the loons in my kayak. The loons are God’s amazing creations and gazing into the clear water of the lake reminds me of my own transparency to God.
Diane is available for spiritual direction in person and by phone.
Leanne Esch
I love creating spaces for people to meet with God.
The first spiritual experience I remember happened during a family camping trip to California when I was a kid. I was standing in a grove of majestic, peaceful Redwoods. As I closed my eyes and listened to the whooshing sound of the wind in the pines, I remember the unmistakable feeling that the presence of Love was there with me. In moments when God has been hard to see, often I reconnect with who God is through nature. I believe God is personal, loving, and available to all.
As a spiritual director, my desire is to create a peaceful, non-judgmental, compassionate space for you to explore who you are, who God is, and how you are uniquely made to be in the world. I welcome hard, unanswerable questions. I celebrate human resiliency and look for opportunities to illuminate unseen strength. I love to pray. I value diversity and seek awareness of my unseen biases. I am not afraid to hold pain and acknowledge I can’t fix it. I believe in the healing power of simple presence with another.
I completed a two-year spiritual direction training program through Shalem Institute in December of 2019. I am currently enrolled in Shalem Institute’s 18 month program, “Transforming Communities: Leading Contemplative Groups and Retreats.” Prior to pursuing spiritual direction as a vocation, I worked as a social worker and caregiver for seniors.
I love camping, writing, exploring, eating, and having fun. I enjoy cross-cultural experiences and love to travel to new places. I am entering into a new adventure of sharing songs I have written. You can find them on my website: www.leanneirene.com.
Leanne is available for spiritual direction in person or via Zoom.