About Dovehouse

Spiritual Direction

Dovehouse Ministries is a Christian retreat and spiritual direction ministry which offers many different opportunities in which a person can learn to grow in relationship with Jesus, take time apart with God to listen to and for Him.

Individual Spiritual Direction

When a person comes to Dovehouse, they can meet with a spiritual director for individual spiritual direction once every 4-6 weeks. This gives the Holy Spirit lots of time and space to work in between meetings. In the time with the director, both the director and directee are listening for God, this is a mutual experience. And, there is space to talk about what is happening in relationship with God throughout the month in prayer and throughout the day.

Spiritual Direction Groups

Spiritual direction groups meet once a month. There are four people to a group. And everything in the group is bookended by silence. In this time, we are listening for God for ourselves and for each other as each person shares. Many people comment on how they look forward monthly to a time of quiet and silence, and having others listen for God with them.

Quiet Days

Quiet Days give people a day away with God and it is a time for rest and being given to by God. There are scriptures given for prayer along with directions for the time, but there is also time for walking, napping and reflection. Breakfast, coffee/tea, and lunch and materials are provided. These quiet days take place at the beautiful home of Dovehouse Director, Lisa Smith, in Leiper’s Fork, TN and offer both indoor and outdoor space to retreat with God.

Silent Directed Retreats

Silent Directed Retreats offer a longer time away with God. The retreatant meets with the spiritual director each day to talk about what is coming up in relationship with God. These retreats take place at St. Joseph’s Monastery in Whitesville, KY and Bethany Retreat House in Dickson, TN. They are both beautiful places with many spaces to rest and walk and pray. Prayer is relationship and silence is simply making a space to listen for God and to talk with Him. Silent Directed Retreats can be two nights, three nights, five nights or 7 nights. But, it’s best to begin with a shorter retreat.

The Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life- 19th Annotation

The Spiritual Exercises, written in the 1500’s by Ignatius of Loyola, are given in daily life over 9 months. The retreatant will meet weekly with his or her spiritual director and will be given scriptures to pray with for 1 hour each day. There is also a time commitment of 15 minutes of journaling and 15 minutes of the Examen. It is a life changing and graced experience to enter into the spiritual exercises, journeying with Jesus in His life though the scriptures. And, one of the greatest ways to grow in intimacy with Him.

Our Core Values

Relational

We believe growth happens in relationship with Jesus Christ.

Invitational

Everyone is welcome and invited to go deeper.

Compassionate

God loves the whole person exactly as they are.

Experiential

Finding God in all things.

Our Mission

Dovehouse exists to awaken and remind people that Jesus loves them and longs to have relationship with them. We do this by offering silent retreats, spiritual direction, the 19th Annotation, and training for future spiritual directors.

Our Vision

To assist all those who seek to deepen their relationship with Jesus through the ministry of spiritual direction in the Ignatian way.

Dovehouse Ministries Leadership