Some Personal Stuff

I am Sandy, the bloke to the right of Wendy. We moved to NZ in 2011. I have three children, two still in Scotland and one in Auckland with her husband and two of our grandchildren. Our son and his wife in Scotland have added grandkid three to the team.

Before moving to New Zealand, I was a consultant with several European IT consultancies. When we arrived, I completely changed focus and joined Shore Vineyard Church in various pastoral and operational roles.

My Spiritual Direction Journey

Some five years ago, I found myself at a bit of a crossroads. Some things were not working out, and others seemed to take up all my time. My spiritual life had drifted to being mostly about service. I had a conversation one afternoon with a chap doing some maintenance in the church. He was a Spiritual Director, and he agreed to take me on. Five years later, I am still surprised at what we find and where I continue to grow.

Becoming a Spiritual Director

I have completed the two-year Spiritual Directors Formation program with Spiritual Growth Ministries of New Zealand, and I am an Associate Member of the Association of Christian Spiritual Directors in New Zealand. Click here to find my entry.

Travelling Companions

Our logo is based on an icon that spoke to me about my relationship with Jesus as a friend rather than a far-off mystery. I have a copy from a Greek Monastery on my wall, and I sketched an interpretation of this for the site icon above. It seemed to speak of the companion aspect of spiritual direction.

Click on the image below to find more information about the original work.