By Jeri Ford
We plan, organize, and prepare. Then God shows up and reveals that He has something far superior in store. When I agreed to facilitate a three-month women’s cohort focused on spiritual disciplines, I had no idea who would feel a nudge to apply nor how things would go. Would there even be interest, and what faces would show up at our first online meeting? God wove together an incredible group of six women, each from a different state, to comprise our inaugural Women’s Spiritual Disciplines Cohort. Out of those seeds of uncertainty, we ended up with a group who laughed, listened, cried, and prayed together. It was a group where one person asked during our final session, “Can you arrange another meeting for us in a couple of months?”
In our first meeting, we discussed the nature and significance of Spiritual Disciplines.* Then, within a three-month period, we practiced a variety of disciplines, most of which were unfamiliar to the participants. We explored the disciplines of Spiritual Direction, Examen, Centering Prayer, Art as Prayer, and Lectio Divina. Participants also ventured through the faith-deepening process of developing a Spiritual Autobiography. As we met every two weeks, we shared what God taught us through the most recent discipline we had practiced. We shared what surprised and challenged us. Practicing independently at home and then sharing our experiences of these disciplines in community strengthened our individual faith and relationships with God. Consequently, each one’s faith enhanced and encouraged the faith of others. There were lighthearted moments and sacred ones. We became soul friends. Through these spiritual disciplines and discussions, we became more aware of the presence of God in our lives. Our final session of the cohort provided an opportunity to share the Spiritual Autobiographies we’d spent three months creating. Crafting a Spiritual Autobiography is the process of telling a life story by paying attention to God’s faithful work and presence in one’s life.
Participants shared keystone moments, introduced individuals who impacted them, and shared events that have fashioned them into the disciples of Christ they are now. Through this process, we were able to recognize God-woven themes and life lessons that had perhaps gone unnoticed or ignored for decades. This intentional practice provided time to ponder, identify, and patch together where God’s ever-present hands have stitched and mended us throughout our lives. The stories spun together were powerful for each of us to hear. Sharing this in the context of other Christian women made the experience even more compelling. We recognize that spiritual formation is a slow, life-long process. The disciplines I introduced in this cohort are meant to inspire transformation. These practices are intended to become habit-forming, life-giving, and life-changing. Richard Foster says, “The Disciplines allow us to place ourselves before God so that he can transform us.” We surrender, and the Holy Spirit does His good work within us. Though our transformation may not be visible yet, we have had a taste of God’s goodness, and we anticipate He will be faithfully present throughout our mundane moments and the disciplines we continue to practice.
I plan to facilitate another Women’s Spiritual Disciplines Cohort in the Fall of 2026. If you are interested in growing closer to God and other like-minded women while practicing some new disciplines, please consider applying. You may be surprised at the new soul friends you make. One participant mentioned that now she wants to go meet everyone else from the cohort in person. These spiritual disciplines and soul friendships will surely sustain us in our ministries and individual life contexts for years to come. *Spiritual disciplines are regular, intentional practices aimed at cultivating spiritual growth, maturity, and intimacy with God. Bio: Jeri Ford is an educator and spiritual director. Jeri brings decades of ministry experience, including service in multiple states and Papua New Guinea. She and her husband, Craig, reside in Billings, Montana, and are nearly empty nesters.
Jeri Ford holds a B.Ed. from York University and M.Ed. from Freed-Hardeman. She began her career as an elementary teacher before homeschooling her three children. For the past 25 years, she and her husband, Craig, have served in ministry in several states and in Papua New Guinea. They currently live in Billings, Montana. She trained in Spiritual Direction through Lipscomb’s Institute for Christian Spirituality and is excited to explore spiritual practices.