Why Spiritual Direction?
Our relationship with God is the most important relationship in our lives, and yet it is commonly our most private relationship. We may feel timid in what or how much we share with another person because of its intimate nature. Spiritual Direction creates a safe and sacred space for you and God in order to mature in your relationship. This includes…
A person who is solely a witness to you and God – an encourager, guide, and support along your path.
A space for you to explore and interpret your experiences with God.
A byway for you to integrate your faith through learning to practice and dwell in God’s presence all day, everyday.
“Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery it is. In the boredom and pain of it, no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it, because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace.”
– Frederick Buechner
Meet Kelli
God has cultivated my love for walking alongside others through decades of ministry, vocational work, and schooling. This includes pastoring college students for the INN at University Presbyterian Church in Seattle and Lighthouse Ministry in Tacoma Washington; directing a youth mentoring program, The Children Project, in South Seattle; working with and for Native American tribes in Alaska as an environmental biologist and liaison; graduating from Seattle Pacific University and attending Regent College in Vancouver, BC; and now training through Soul Formation’s Academy of Spiritual Formation in Portland, Oregon.
I am also a mom to two awesome boys, and a wife to a truly kind and fun husband. We live in Bow-Edison, Washington. My interests are in the usual PNW categories – hiking, coffee, books, being on or near the water, and adventuring, but I am also becoming a fan of hockey, football, hunting and Minecraft – as these are the things my three boys are fond of.
I look forward to meeting you. Blessings.
Services
- Spiritual Direction
- Space for God Rooms
- Prayer Retreats
- Spiritual Opportunities
Spiritual Direction nurtures and grows your relationship with God by creating a sacred space to reflect on your life and faith. It invites you to listen to the Holy Spirit, to rest in God’s presence, and to deepen spiritual disciplines in the company of another: a soul friend. As this friend, I seek to listen well, to speak well, to understand the soul, and to see the Divine amid the ordinary. My posture as a Spiritual Director is as a prayerful co listener to the Holy Spirit, the true director of our souls. My desire is to mimic the love of God to you so that you may know you are seen, heard, and not alone on your journey of faith.
I offer sessions from my office in Bow-Edison, WA and virtually for anyone needing flexibility for distance of health reasons.
To start the process, please email a brief introduction with any questions to kelli@kellimariejensen.com.
Free introductory session
Appointment length: 60 minutes
Appointment cost: $75 or sliding scale based on individual needs.
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Kelli worked with me while I was a college student, and had a unique role in my life, that left a lasting impact. She was all parts mentor, spiritual leader, companion, and most importantly an attuned listener. Through our regular time together, Kelli’s discerning ear and sage reflections led me to a deeper understanding of myself both as an individual and God’s beloved in ways that permanently altered my life trajectory.
— Kathy Johns, MA, LMHC, Psychotherapist
Kelli has a light! A light that shines with compassion and joy. My time with Kelli has helped my relationship with Jesus become immensely deeper, and simpler at the same time. Kelli has a way of making difficult things simple, the way I believe Jesus does. She is the perfect ear to be heard by, voice to listen to, and laugh to add. Her practice has become a place where I can count on meeting God and widening my thoughts and ideas of Him in a place full of grace and a good cup of tea!
— Emily, Directee
Space For God Rooms provide a welcoming place for people to visit during a retreat or event that enhance and support communing with God silently and individually. Each room includes a designated number of stations with a visual aid, a written reflection, and a physical exercise to guide persons into a space with God that engages all the senses – their whole selves. These sacred places allow people time and space to meet with the Triune God and help to guide them beyond any barriers and into His presence.
Fee: Starting at $150
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Kelli has created the “space for God room” at our Rhythms of Grace retreat for 2 years. The room is quiet, sacred space providing creative, luminous opportunities to connect with the Trinity. Interactive opportunities for quiet reflection … opportunities to meet God through art, written word, and creation.
— Rita Nussli, Spiritual Director, Associate Staff for Soul Formation
We’ve worked with Kelli over multiple years to create a multi-sensory Stations of the Cross prayer experience to be available to our community during Holy Week. We love the creativity, pastoral sensitivity, awareness of God’s presence, and practical follow-through that Kelli brings. She does a great job creating spaces for people to playfully and prayerfully engage with God.
— Tim Knipp, Teaching Pastor, and Christian Lindbeck, Lead Pastor, Hillcrest Church
It’s easy to fall into the trap on retreats of spending all our time talking *about* God, but Kelli has a passion for creating opportunities for people to commune *with* God. Kelli’s Space for God rooms provide gentle, guided prompts to open up conversation and connection with God. If you are someone who gets stuck in your head, her tactile stations will help you root yourself in your body and connect with your heart. Her ideas are simple yet fresh and illuminating. I benefited from going through all her stations over the course of a few days and took back a few of her ideas to use with my kids. Libby Chapman, Spiritual Director
One-day and two-day prayer retreats create a space to pause and reconnect, to be still and to reflect on yourself and God: to settle into his presence and to receive new life and focus. In general, I design our time to strengthen and develop practices of prayer that will enrich your relationship with God as well as sustain it throughout the days and years to come. These practices range from Lectio Divina, Centering Prayer, and Imaginative Prayer, to creative exercises, nature walks and a variety of others. Each retreat is tailored to your needs.
Fee: Starting at $95
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I am deeply thankful for Kelli and the space created at Taste and See, our bi-weekly prayer gathering for Hillcrest Church. I have encountered Jesus in powerful ways through silence, prayer, and times of reflection. Through explanation, example and guidance Kelli leads us to wide places to encounter God. I look forward to the time together with expectation because God has been so faithful to meet with me.
— Kristi
I have truly found such benefit from the time and space provided at Taste and See. Through Kelli’s leading, the time together always feels incredibly rich and spirit lead. It has been a time of deep and much-needed refreshment for my soul. Through her teachings, Kelli has helped me learn how to create the space to be met by God, to hear from God in that most sacred place, and to delight in our time together. It has shown me what a joy it is to spend time with God. Now instead of viewing it as another obligation, I find myself longing for the time. Kelli is an incredibly gifted teacher and I always look forward to her groups.
— Miqua