About Jeffrey -

About Jeffrey

Jeffrey Phillips, United Church of Christ pastor and graduate of Harvard Divinity School, believes that every human being is on a unique spiritual journey. Every person embodies the divine, the sacred, and the holy – and is divine, sacred, and holy! There’s a vast interior spaciousness in every person where God-Wisdom-Love-Infinity-Mystery-Divine Reality dwell, and which can be explored and experienced as one moves along the spiritual journey.

Jeffrey’s goal is that each session is beneficial to the client’s spiritual life as it continues to unfold.

Jeffrey brings a lifetime of experience in global religion, spirituality, and ministry to his service as an interfaith and interspiritual spiritual companion.

Interfaith means that Jeffrey honors all spiritual, wisdom, and religious traditions. He is trained to provide spiritual companionship to people of any faith, no faith, and those who are questioning their relationship to “organized religion.”

Interspiritual means that everything is holy! The sacred is found in every person and in every spiritual, wisdom, and religious tradition. Divine Mystery, Wonder, Awe, and Beauty are present in nature, art, science, social justice movements, and everyday living (both the good parts and the challenging parts!). God/Allah/Brahman/Spirit (or whatever term the client prefers) is present in every place, every moment, and every thing. Life and the universe itself are sacred!

Jeffrey’s goal is that each session is beneficial to the client’s spiritual life as it continues to unfold.

Jeffrey brings a lifetime of experience in global religion, spirituality, and ministry to his service as an interfaith and interspiritual spiritual companion.

Interspiritual means that everything is holy! The sacred is found in every person and in every spiritual, wisdom, and religious tradition. Divine Mystery, Wonder, Awe, and Beauty are present in nature, art, science, social justice movements, and everyday living (both the good parts and the challenging parts!). God / Allah / Brahman / Spirit (or whatever term the client prefers) is present in every place, every moment, and every thing. Life and the universe itself are sacred!

Freely Explore

During a spiritual companionship session, Jeffrey creates space for the client to freely explore and experience their inner life. There’s no right or wrong belief, question, or way to encounter the holy. The client is the expert on their spiritual life. Jeffrey’s job is to honor and respect the client’s unique inner life, bearing witness to the distinctive way in which each client is a spiritual human being.

Jeffrey offers his full heart, full mind, full presence, and full self to the client, noticing and listening with compassion and love to help the client name, explore, experience, and express their unique spiritual life. That is spiritual companionship!

A Typical Session

A typical session begins with the lighting of a candle and the ringing of a Tibetan prayer bowl. We then take as much time in sacred silence as the client would like. The client then brings us out of the silence for a time of conversation. We can return to sacred silence anytime we feel it is helpful to draw on that deep well of wisdom.

What might we talk about? It’s all up to you!

Your spiritual journey
A spiritual experience you have had (in the past or recently)
A theological or spiritual question
A spiritual practice
Your relationship with a spiritual or religious tradition
An important life decision that could benefit from spiritual discernment

What might we talk about? It’s all up to you!

Your spiritual journey
A spiritual experience you have had (in the past or recently)
A theological or spiritual question
A spiritual practice
Your relationship with a spiritual or religious tradition
An important life decision that could benefit from spiritual discernment

No Judgments Or Agendas

Jeffrey brings no judgment or agenda to the session other than to assist the client to survey and discover their interior spaciousness.

A typical spiritual companionship session is 45 minutes to an hour. It is completely confidential. Most clients see their spiritual companion once a month, but sessions can be more or less frequent than that. Sessions can be in person, on Zoom, or in whatever way is convenient for the client.

Jeffrey brings no judgment or agenda to the session other than to assist the client to survey and discover their interior spaciousness.

Jeffrey’s clients identify as:

Christian
Members of another religion
Not affiliated with any religion
Questioning religious and spiritual things
Spiritual But Not Religious
Seekers of sacred reality and truth

Jeffrey’s clients identify as:

Christian
Members of another religion
Not affiliated with any religion
Questioning religious and spiritual things
Spiritual But Not Religious
Seekers of sacred reality and truth

Jeffrey is trained by the Spiritual Guidance Training Institute (certificate granted February 2019) and is a member of Spiritual Directors International. He is also insured, and is accountable to a peer supervision group that meets monthly. Jeffrey has his own spiritual companion with whom he meets monthly.

Daily Videos On YouTube

Jeffrey enjoys sharing a daily one-minute video about various aspects of the spiritual life. Topics include what spirituality is, what spiritual companionship is, spiritual practices you can try, and how spirituality relates to everyday life, religion, art, nature, politics, wisdom, and the search for meaning. Take a look and get a sense of Jeffrey and how he approaches the spiritual life.

Testimonials

"Jeffrey’s guidance is calm and inviting. It reminded me that
attentiveness is more significant than rigor, especially in seeking peaceful connections.
Jeffrey’s direction allowed me to link life experiences, literature, art, prayer practices, and
restlessness as I reclaimed intentionality. His wide-ranging understanding of spirituality and
spiritual practices gave me freedom to explore what is most fitting for myself."

Interim Pastor

Minneapolis, MN

"Jeffrey’s guidance is calm
and inviting. It reminded me that attentiveness is more
significant than rigor, especially in seeking peaceful connections.
Jeffrey’s direction allowed me to link life experiences, literature, art,
prayer practices, and restlessness as I reclaimed intentionality.
His wide-ranging understanding of spirituality and spiritual practices
gave me freedom to explore what is most fitting for myself."

Interim Pastor

Minneapolis, MN

“Jeffrey didn’t tell me where I’m going, but helped me find comfort in where I am.
He listened, reflected, and helped clarify. It was up to me to find direction.”

Financial Planner

St. Louis, MO

“Jeffrey didn’t tell me where I’m
going, but helped me find comfort in where I am. He listened, reflected,
and helped clarify. It was up to me to find direction.”

Financial Planner

St. Louis, MO

“Jeffrey is an excellent spiritual companion.
I had some questions about my faith as a Christian, my spirituality,
and belief in my tradition. He is a good listener and wonderful companion.
He reassured me and made me feel at peace. I highly recommend him.”

Healthcare Provider

Bracknell, Berkshire, England

“Jeffrey is an excellent
spiritual companion. I had some
questions about my faith as a Christian, my spirituality, and
belief in my tradition. He is a
good listener and wonderful
companion. He reassured me and made me feel at peace. I highly recommend him.”

Healthcare Provider

Bracknell, Berkshire, England