Fil Anderson

Fil Anderson is the executive director of Journey Resources, based in Greensboro, NC. He’s a frequent conference speaker, spiritual director, and author, and he directs retreats and workshops nationally and internationally. In addition, he’s the Spiritual Formation Pastor at St. Mark’s Community Church in Burlington, NC.   

Fil is the author of Running on Empty: Contemplative Spirituality for Overachievers (Waterbrook) and Breaking the Rules: Trading Performance for Intimacy with God (InterVarsity). He also contributed to Transformation of a Man’s Heart: Reflections on the Masculine Journey (InterVarsity) and co-authored Blind Spots: What You Don’t See Can Hurt You (New Growth). 

A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and Fuller Theological Seminary, he also completed the Graduate Program in Christian Spiritual Guidance at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation and the Enneagram Spectrum of Personality Styles Training and Certification Program. Fil worked with Young Life for twenty-five years, serving as an area and regional director before becoming national training director. 

He and his wife, Lucie, live in Greensboro and have three adult children and four grandchildren. Avid beach lovers, they frequent the NC coast as often as possible. 

Doug & Adele Calhoun

Doug & Adele are graduates of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Both of their ministry experience began with InterVarsity staff (local and international) before moving into church pastoral staff; and then they added training as spiritual directors. Their passion is for people to move beyond religion to a connection with Jesus that unites both their head and their heart in incarnated service and love of others. They are certified as Enneagram trainers through Jerome Wagner, PhD, at Loyola University (author of the WEPSS inventory), and with Motions of the Soul through Clare Loughrige. Adele authored The Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us, Invitations From God; and co-authored True You. Adele and Doug collaborated with Clare and Scott Loughrige to write the Spiritual Rhythms for the Enneagram: A Handbook for Harmony & Transformation (all from IVPress).

Tara Owens

Tara was born in Montreal to British parents who moved to Canada for a better life for their growing family. Canadian by birth and British by blood, she has also lived in Raleigh, North Carolina; Washington, DC; Arlington, Virginia and, now, Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Tara discerned the call to spiritual direction while completing her Masters of Theological Studies in Spiritual Formation at Tyndale Seminary in Toronto. Like many spiritual directors, she was captured by the incredible privilege it is to companion someone as they discern the voice of the Loving Creator in their lives.

Before pursuing her Spiritual Formation degree, Tara was a professional print journalist. Her love of story drew her to news reporting and then to political journalism. It was that very ear for narrative that God used to bring her to spiritual direction, where she helps others make sense of the story in which they are living, and connect it up with the Larger Story of redemption and life that the Trinity is weaving into human history.

In addition to her journey as a spiritual director, Tara is blessed to marry her love for spiritual formation with her love for the written word as Senior Editor of Conversations Journal. Founded by Larry Crabb, David Benner and Gary Moon, Conversations is a forum for authentic spiritual transformation where authors such as Dallas Willard and Eugene Peterson discuss the patterns and practice of spiritual growth.  Tara is also the founder and Director of Anam Cara Ministries.

CHuck DeGroat

Chuck is Professor of Pastoral Care and Christian Spirituality at Western Theological Seminary Holland MI, as well as co-founder of Newbigin House of Studies, an urban and missional training center in San Francisco. 

Chuck has 25 years of experience in pastoral ministry, seminary training and clinical counseling. He is an ordained minister in the Reformed Church in America and a member of City Classis.  He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, an M.Div. M.A from Reformed Theological Seminary and a BA from Dordt College. Chuck also serves as a counselor, spiritual director and coach.

Chuck has authored, When Narcissism Comes to Church, Leaving Egypt: Finding God in the Wilderness Places, The Toughest People to Love, and Wholeheartedness writing about the intersections of psychology, theology and Christian spirituality. Chuck is passionate about spiritual and emotional formation for the sake of mission in our changing culture and world.

Chuck has been married to Sara for 29 years and has two daughters – Emma and Maggie.  He loves spending time with students and his family, traveling to new places, or finding a new extraordinary place to eat.

SHanthini Baskaran

The daughter of national missionaries in Southern India, Shanthini Baskaran, grew up with a deep love for God and world missions. With a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, she is a mentor, international speaker, and Bible study writer. She loves to encourage others to ground their lives in Jesus Christ. Shanthini is a storyteller, and her stories bring a fresh perspective to what discipleship looks like.

Shanthini and her husband, Vinod, are marriage mentors and love having people from all over the world at their home. They have three adult children, two married sons and a daughter.

Shantini will lead the retreat on integrating the care of your soul in daily life. This retreat highlights developing a rule, or rhythm of life.