Let Us Listen Together.
Spiritual direction is the art of companioning someone in their spiritual life. Spiritual Direction & Companioning is a beautiful dance of listening, responding, questions, discernment, wonderings, silence, and encouragement. Sue Pickering, Anglican priest and spiritual director says, "Spiritual Direction is one way of offering hospitality to those on the road, perhaps long before they find the way…” Faith roads are varied and so are the experiences found on them, Spiritual Direction & Companioning is a rest stop for the curious and/or committed spiritual traveler.
Below you will find a list of our Spiritual Directors open and willing to companion you in your spiritual life.
DIRECTOR
Greg Russinger
Greg Russinger is partner to Michele and father to Ashtin and Liam, they currently reside in Portland Oregon. Greg is a student of the Christian contemplative and activist traditions and is a trained Spiritual Director. For the last 15 years Greg has learned that vulnerability is the path, courage is the light, and that to truly live an inspired life you must be open to interruption. Greg has a Master’s Degree in Spiritual Formation & Direction from George Fox University/Portland Seminary.
More about Greg https://linktr.ee/gregrussinger
DIRECTOR
Bill Kieselhorst
Bill retired from 35 years of service as a missionary in Africa with Foursquare Missions International. His role was in indigenous leadership development as a teacher and mentor to 300 pastors on an in-service basis and later as a missions representative to Foursquare Churches in the Pacific Northwest.
As Bill entered his convergent years about ten years ago, he entered spiritual direction under SoulFormation and the School of Spiritual Direction, realizing spiritual direction is a very natural outgrowth of his mentoring ministry.
Bill likes to think of spiritual direction as spiritual companionship, as it is an intimate shared conversation of two people on the Emmaus Road together with Jesus.
DIRECTOR
Steve Pietila
Steve began his spiritual journey while in high school, believing that the challenges of being human in society were not fully addressed by what the social or political systems had to offer.
While he wasn’t brought up in a Christian home, there was something about Jesus that from an early age spoke to him and drew him near. After exploring different spiritual paths, Steve made a commitment to following Jesus and found an intentional Christian community where he could live out a meaningful Christian life modeled after the early church and the teachings of Jesus.
While in the community Steve met his soul mate Julie and they started a family. The community moved from Southern Oregon to Ohio where Steve managed a mental health program. After about a year the community disbanded and another change in life ensued. With two small boys in tow, Steve and Julie moved back to Portland (Steve’s hometown) in 1990. They remained active serving in church communities and hosting gatherings in their home with people seeking a deeper and more authentic life of faith.
Steve has been working with a spiritual director for about three years and went through training in spiritual direction. He is currently enrolled in Soul Formation’s Academy of Spiritual Formation and once completed will enter the School of Spiritual Direction.
Steve and Julie have been married 42 years, have three grown sons, and live in Portland where the operate a small service company. Steve serves on the board of TEARS, a nonprofit organization with missionaries in the Dominican Republic, and is active with a competitive outrigger canoe club.
