Ben Shoup MDiv
Ben has over a decade of professional experience in spiritual guidance and organizational leadership. Ben offers spiritual direction because he loves how the Mystery intersects with and invites people to live fully. He has been a pastor since 2013, a directee since 2017, and offering direction since 2020.Consultation Coaching & Training
Background
Through experiences and time spent with his spiritual director, Ben has become convinced that the most important thing a person brings to Life is their free, authentic, and conscious Self. To that end, he offers spiritual direction, training services, consultation, and executive coaching.
From 2018 to 2024, Ben was the spiritual guide and consultant for the Minnesota statewide body of a denomination. There, he advised the Executive Committee overseeing twenty-one organizations. He led them in developing and implementing a new structure. In the midst of a pivotal denominational conflict, Ben aided leadership through mediation, spiritual discernment, and consultation. He consulted for the twenty-one local boards in various circumstances, including conflict resolution, employee dissolution, employee acquisition, skill training, and re-envisioning organizational futures. Ben also served as spiritual guide and consultant to the senior leaders of each of the twenty-one organizations.
From 2013 to 2018, he was the senior leader of a congregation in central Minnesota. There, Ben led individuals and groups of all ages with spiritual guidance through celebrations, losses, and conflicts. He also presided over the board for the duration of his time there, leading in the organizational decision-making.
Spiritual Direction
Ben sees spiritual direction as the art of consistently reorienting oneself to the Mystery that holds all life together, is uniquely imprinted on the center of every person, and invites cooperative living with everyone. As a director, he views himself as a highlighter that directees bring to their dialogue with the Mystery. As Ben and directees attend to deep desires and impulses, directees grow in awareness of where their heart and the heart of the Mystery interpenetrate. Those experiences become guides given to the directees as each one chooses how to navigate life in union with the Mystery.
Ben’s training is in the Christian tradition, and he would love to get to know and travel with you through your tradition, or lack thereof, if you welcome him as a learner in the direction process. He works with individuals and groups. He has also consulted with many churches seeking ways to rediscover their most deeply held values, searching for staff, conversing through periods of conflict, grieving significant losses, or developing conversational skills to aid group facilitation and individual care.
If you find yourself curious about spiritual direction but have questions, Ben would welcome a free conversation to investigate with you. He looks forward to connecting with you.
Spiritual direction aims at spending time attending to how the Mystery is interacting with you through the circumstances and wonderings you bring. The director is there to aid you in attending to the conversation already happening between you.
Direction is available in-person in Northfield, MN, virtually, or by phone.
Direction may be scheduled anywhere from weekly to monthly, depending upon your desire, need, and ability.
Ben is not a trained psychotherapist, medical, or legal advisor and will refer care of that nature to appropriate professionals.
Ben holds these conversations in strict confidence, except in cases required by mandatory reporting.
Leadership Coaching
In leadership coaching, using exploratory and evocative conversation, Ben will aid you in unearthing how the unfolding of your Soul and the Soul of your organization cross-pollinate for mutual growth. This may include, but is not limited to, discernment of direction, creative leadership solutions, coaching, and spiritual direction.
- In-person/Video/Phone
- Non-profit rate available
- Includes travel costs
Group Coaching
In group coaching, Ben will help you and your team, using exploratory conversations, to absorb how the soil of your present moment gifts you the pressures and nutrients you need to cultivate creative leadership and unfold your organization. This may include, but is not limited to, discernment of direction, creative leadership solutions, coaching, and skill training.
- In-person/Video/Phone
- Non-profit rate available
- Includes travel costs
Sacred Listening Training
Ben will train your Listening Leaders in the mindset and tools necessary to host deep spiritual conversations in a trauma-informed, non-directive method. His training consists of six hours, which can be divided in a number of ways to suit your needs. Options for follow-up one-on-one coaching are available for an added fee, variable depending on the size of the group.
- In-person/Video
- Includes travel costs
Individual Spiritual Direction
In individual spiritual direction, using non-directive, evocative conversation, Ben will aid you in cultivating Soul-rich relationship with Life. This includes non-directive spiritual direction, dream interpretation, and contemplative practices.
-
In-person/Video/Phone
- Sliding Scale for Incomes Under 75k
Group Spiritual Direction
In group spiritual direction, Ben will aid your group in learning to tend Soul-rich relationship with Life through the communal support of your group. This includes non-directive spiritual direction, skill training, dream interpretation, and contemplative practices.
- In-person/Video
Note: Services can be grouped into packages according to your needs and negotiated by the services grouped.