SOUL CARE INSTITUTE
Impact
A transformed life is possible
"There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they're falling in."
– Bishop Desmond Tutu
We've gone upriver and we've seen that people are falling in because of exhaustion, disillusionment, depression and a growing numbness to life. Good people are sick and tired of just hearing about the possibility of abundant life, they want to experience it for themselves. We believe it's possible for anyone to live a transformed life.
Our Pillars
Core elements that make space for transformation
Generous Time
The Institute is intentionally structured to provide participants with generous time and space to engage in a thoughtful curriculum, experienced in six 4-day retreats over two years.
Vulnerable Sharing
A seasoned faculty of vulnerable leaders and authors in the fields of soul care and spiritual formation have been assembled to provide deep engagement around soul care themes.
Covenant Community
Each cohort is carefully selected, creates a covenant, and journeys together through the two-year experience. Our cohorts are kept to about 25 students allowing for intimacy and community.
Formational Approach
The Institute is committed to helping students learn through engagement in transformational teaching that is balanced with plenty of time and space for experiential learning.
At Our Center
Jesus is our Model
Jesus often withdrew to pray alone, which was at the heart of His deep connection with God. He also modeled living in authentic community. Jesus lived in a sustainable rhythm of engagement and disengagement. As Christ followers, we experience spiritual formation occurring most profoundly when we live in this sustainable rhythm. In a world that perpetuates unsafety and polarization, our souls need both solitude and a caring community to help us address three core soul questions:
Am I Safe?
Am I Loved?
Do I Belong?
Developing a Covenant Community
A phrase we hear often from SCI students is “I feel like I’ve found my people.” At the Soul Care Institute, we develop a covenant together to establish a safe space - a place where everyone can feel loved and belong.
The warmth of community provides a space for openness to God’s invitation in the work below the surface of our lives. In the context of authentic community, we find companions, fellow travelers, who we join on the road to discovering who God created us to be.
Stories of transformation
“The Soul Care Institute has been an essential part of my formation in life and ministry. Upon arrival at my first retreat at St. Francis Springs in 2019, I wrote two important words in my journal: ‘Pay attention.’ I could not have known how fruitful that practice would become, as I have become more present to God, my family, and myself. For the first time in my life, I was invited to slow down, explore ‘below the waterline’ of my soul, and recognize the God-given longings and giftings that I had not previously taken the time to notice within me. Through a community of fellow pilgrims, wise and generous teachers, readings, reflections, and practices like silence and solitude, the Soul Care Institute has helped reorient me to the path God has laid out for my life.”
Rob Wooten
Communications Director at St. Mark's Community Church
What we do
We specialize in retreats that engage the whole person.
Whether you join a cohort on the two-year journey, engage with a group of friends in a weekend away, or go on a one-day personal adventure for your soul, you can trust knowing you'll have good guides to help you along the way. Let us create space for you to care for the one and only you.
2-Year Soul Care Institute
Our signature immersive two-year retreat with a cohort of individuals
Weekend Retreats
Tailored for any group up to 25 -hosted by Soul Care Institute staff
1-Day Retreats
Customized retreats, ideal for personal and team development
Support the ministry
Your contribution is transformative in the journey of soul care, guiding individuals towards authentic encounters with God and themselves.
