Family Spiritual Direction

The Family Spiritual Direction Project is a four year Lilly funded initiative from the Center for Contemplative Justice. The project explores the impact and effectiveness of spiritual direction on the spiritual lives of children, their families, and their faith communities.  Each Partner churches recruit at least five families to receive spiritual direction as a family four times a year.

“When a family receives spiritual direction together, children witness and legitimately participate in their parents' faith practice while at the same time grow an awareness of God’s presence in their own life. We can’t wait to see how the spiritual formation of children inspires their families and faith communities.”

- Rev. R. Adam DeVries FSDP Grant Director

Adam DeVries For two decades Adam has worked in youth and family ministry. He brings his experience in family ministry as well as his passion for spiritual direction to this project. A graduate of Sewanee, Adam received his Masters of Divinity and Masters of Arts in Youth Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary. From 2004-2007, he served as the High School Youth Outreach Director at First Presbyterian Church of Nashville, TN. Seven years laster he returned to FPC as the Associate Pastor for Youth and their Families (2014-2022). Between these two calls, Adam served as the Chaplain at Alliance Academy International in Quito Ecuador. Today Adam serves as the Parish Associate of Youth Ministry at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Nashville, TN.

Adam is also the founder of Crowded Table, an organization whose mission is to “equip local churches to provide practical support to Davidson County foster families and their caseworkers, in order to increase and sustain the network of people who care for foster children in Middle Tennessee.” Lastly, Adam is a certified spiritual director and lives in Nashville with his wife Sara, their two children (Parish and Nealy) and the family’s dog Obi-Wan Kenob.

Scott Owings Scott is an Episcopal priest, spiritual director, and sound practitioner. Scott is also President of the Center for Contemplative Justice where he leads contemplative prayer groups, retreats, and sound baths for those suffering like in prison and hospice, as well as leading a yearly pilgrimage to Botswana to assist Holy Cross Hospice in their work of relieving suffering from those who have HIV-AIDS. Before moving to Nashville in 2000, Scott and his wife Lisa were Church of Christ Missionaries in the former Eastern Europe for 12 years. Scott has also served as Hospice Chaplain and Professor of Missions and Bible. Scott and his wife Lisa have three adult children and one granddaughter.