The Being Formed Podcast

What if Jesus is always moving toward us, offering us friendship and love, but we've lost the ability to notice?

In this episode of The Being Formed Podcast, Adam Ormord sits down with Dale Gish, founder of The Ignatian Center, spiritual director, retreat leader, and guide of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.

Drawing from a recent pilgrimage through Spain, Dale shares stories from visiting significant locations in the life of Ignatius of Loyola, including Montserrat and Manresa. Along the way, he reflects on the transformative power and enduring wisdom of the Spiritual Exercises, and why Ignatian spirituality continues to resonate with so many people today.

Together, Adam and Dale explore the life of Ignatius and the invitation to discover God's presence in the ordinary moments of daily life. They also discuss the growing interest in the 19th Annotation of the Exercises and how this accessible pathway allows people to journey deeply with Jesus while remaining fully engaged in everyday responsibilities.

Whether you're new to Ignatian spirituality or have been walking this path for years, this conversation offers a thoughtful introduction to a tradition that has helped countless people cultivate a more attentive, discerning, and relational life with God.

 

In this episode, you'll hear:

Dale's reflections from leading an Ignatian pilgrimage through Spain

A brief introduction to the life and conversion of Ignatius of Loyola

An introduction to the 19th Annotation of the Spiritual Exercises

Examples of how imaginative prayer draws us closer to our friend, Jesus

Opportunities to engage with The Ignatian Center and upcoming training cohorts

 

About Dale Gish

Dale Gish is the founder of The Ignatian Center, a ministry devoted to helping people encounter God through the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. He is a spiritual director, retreat leader, and experienced guide of the Exercises. Through teaching, training, retreats, and pilgrimage experiences, Dale helps individuals and groups cultivate deeper attentiveness to God, greater discernment, and a more intimate relationship with Jesus.

 

Resources & Links

The Ignatian Center: https://www.theignatiancenter.org

Connect with Dale and learn more about upcoming cohorts, webinars, and training opportunities through The Ignatian Center.

 

Reflection Question

Where do you sense yourself on the journey with Jesus right now, and what invitation might be waiting for you in this particular stretch of the road?

 

The Being Formed Podcast is a soul care ministry of LifePoint Resources.

What does it look like to walk with Jesus in a way that is relational, intentional, and deeply transformative?

In this episode of The Being Formed Podcast, Adam is joined by spiritual director and retreat guide Kim Van Natta for a conversation about a new initiative from LifePoint Resources called the Sacred Way Community.

Together, they explore the growing hunger many people are experiencing for a more relational and experiential life with God, especially in a cultural moment marked by exhaustion, disillusionment, disconnection, and spiritual uncertainty. They discuss the difference between merely learning about God and learning how to be with God, and why intentionally small, immersive, and formational communities can become sacred spaces of healing, growth, and transformation.

Adam and Kim also unpack the vision and rhythm behind The Sacred Way Community, an 18-month cohort journey centered around relational spiritual formation, shared retreats, contemplative practices, and authentic community.

This conversation is an invitation to slow down, listen deeply, and consider where God may be inviting you into deeper formation and a more sustainable way of following Jesus.

In This Episode

Kim’s personal journey into spiritual formation and relational discipleship

Why transformational growth happens best in authentic community

The growing spiritual hunger beneath disillusionment and deconstruction

What we mean by “The Sacred Way”

Relational spirituality and secure attachment with God

Why retreats and immersive experiences matter

The difference between information-based learning and transformational knowing

What spiritual transformation actually looks like in everyday life

Why slower, smaller, and more intentional communities matter right now

Personal reflections on being with Jesus and becoming people of love

About Kim Van Natta
Kim Van Natta is a spiritual director, Ignatian retreat guide, and the founder of Transforming Experiences. Her work centers on helping people cultivate deeper awareness of God’s presence through spiritual direction, contemplative practices, creation-based experiences, and relational spiritual formation.

Kim is helping lead the development of The Sacred Way Community and will serve as the first Director of this new initiative through LifePoint Resources.

The Sacred Way Community
The Sacred Way Community is an 18-month journey of relational spiritual formation designed for those longing for a deeper, slower, and more authentic life with God.

The journey includes:

Seven retreats over 18 months

Ongoing relational connection and spiritual companionship

Contemplative practices and guided formation

Space for honesty, discernment, healing, and transformation

A community-centered approach to becoming more deeply rooted in the love of God

Our first cohort is scheduled to begin in September 2027.

To receive updates and learn more as plans continue to unfold, visit: LifePoint Resources or email: swcLifePoint Resources

Reflection
As you listen to this conversation, where do you sense an invitation toward deeper formation in your own life? What has been stirring in you?

Connect with LifePoint Resources
The Being Formed Podcast is a soul care ministry of LifePoint Resources, a nonprofit ministry devoted to making soul care accessible to all. Through spiritual direction, retreats, webinars, and formational community, we help you cultivate a deeper, more sustainable life with God. www.lifepointresources.org

Share the Episode
If this episode resonated with you, consider sharing it with a friend, colleague, or leader who may be interested in joining the Sacred Way Community.

What sustains a leader over time?

In this episode of The Being Formed Podcast, Adam Ormord (Founder and President of LifePoint Resources) sits down with retired Navy chaplain and author Gregory Woodard to explore the inner life of leadership. Drawing from years of experience in ministry and the military, Greg shares how leadership that lasts is not built on competence alone, but on a life that is rooted, attentive, and formed from within.

Together, they explore the drift many leaders experience - remaining effective on the outside while becoming disconnected, isolated, and unhealthy on the inside - and why so many leaders struggle to finish well.

Greg introduces a framework of four essential rhythms - relational, spiritual, emotional, and physical—that help leaders cultivate a more sustainable and integrated life.

This conversation moves from Greg’s personal story, to practical insights for leaders today, and ultimately to the deeper invitation of becoming the kind of person who leads from the soul.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear

Greg’s journey from Navy chaplaincy into a new season of spiritual formation

Why leadership often becomes disconnected from the inner life

The hidden cost of burnout, isolation, and unprocessed emotion

The four rhythms that sustain healthy leadership: relational, spiritual, emotional, and physical

Why emotional awareness is essential - not optional - for leaders

How identity and calling unfold over time, rather than being quickly discovered

What it means to “finish well” in leadership

Simple, meaningful steps toward cultivating a life of leadership from within

About Greg Woodard
Greg Woodard is a retired Navy chaplain who served for over two decades, walking alongside individuals and leaders in some of life’s most challenging and formative moments.

He is the author of Leadership from Within: Navigating the Path Toward Soul-Driven Success, a book that invites leaders to cultivate a sustainable and integrated life through intentional rhythms of soul care.

Learn more: www.gregwoodard.com

Key Themes

Leadership begins beneath the surface

Formation over performance

Integration of the inner and outer life

Paying attention to the soul as a leadership practice

Sustainability and finishing well

Reflection
As you listen, you might take a moment to notice:

Where in your life are you leading from the outside in… rather than from within?

And gently consider:

What might it look like to pay attention to your soul - not to fix anything, but to be present to God there?

Resources & Links

Leadership from Within: Navigating the Path Toward Soul-Driven Success – Greg Woodard

Stop Chasing Work-Life Balance: Four Rhythms for Sustainable Leadership Integration - Greg Woodard

Connect with LifePoint Resources
The Being Formed Podcast is a soul care ministry of LifePoint Resources, a nonprofit ministry devoted to making soul care accessible to all. Through spiritual direction, retreats, webinars, and formational community, we help individuals and leaders cultivate a deeper, more sustainable life with God. www.lifepointresources.org

Share the Episode
If this episode resonated with you, consider sharing it with a friend, colleague, or leader who might be carrying more than they realize.

What if your life with God isn’t meant to stay in your head?

In this conversation, Adam sits down with spiritual director and author Deborah Gregory to explore what it means to experience God not just in our thoughts, but in our bodies, our movement, and the ordinary rhythms of daily life.

Drawing from her new book Spiritual Wayfinding, Deborah invites us into an embodied spirituality that integrates attentiveness to God with the wisdom of the body and the realities of how we are actually formed.

Together, they explore how walking can become a form of prayer, how our nervous systems shape our awareness of God, and how practices of movement and attention can open us to deeper discernment.

This conversation offers a timely invitation to become more present, to lift our eyes and our gaze, and to begin noticing God in places you may have overlooked.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear

Deborah’s personal journey into embodied spirituality

How relearning to walk reshaped her understanding of life with God

The connection between Ignatian spirituality and embodied awareness

How the body and nervous system influence our experience of God

Why walking can be a powerful form of prayer and discernment

The role of neurodivergence in expanding our understanding of spiritual formation

Simple ways to begin practicing awareness of God in your everyday life

A Simple Invitation
As you finish this episode, consider taking a walk.

Notice your body.
Notice your surroundings.
Notice what’s happening within you.

And ask:
“God, where are You in this moment?”

About Deborah Gregory
Deborah Gregory is a spiritual director specializing in Ignatian spirituality, an award-winning documentary filmmaker, and the host of The Betwixt Podcast. Her holistic approach to Christian formation bridges ancient wisdom and modern neuroscience, helping people experience God through both body and soul.

Drawing from her experience in a neurodiverse family, Deborah is passionate about cultivating an inclusive spirituality that honors the wisdom of the body and supports those navigating a neurotypical world.

She leads retreats, trains spiritual directors, and lives in Central Florida with her husband and two daughters.

Resources & Links

Spiritual Wayfinding by Deborah Gregory: Purchase on Amazon

Deborah Gregory's website: https://www.flourishspiritualdirection.com/

The Betwixt Podcast

About The Being Formed Podcast
The Being Formed Podcast is a soul care ministry of LifePoint Resources. It is a space for honest, thoughtful conversations about spiritual formation, leadership, and the interior life. Hosted by Adam Ormord, Co-founder and President of LifePoint, each episode invites listeners to slow down, pay attention, and participate more fully in the life of God.

In this episode, Adam sits down with Anne Richardson, author of Not Alone and a trauma-informed spiritual director, for a thoughtful and honest conversation about trauma, shame, and the slow work of healing.

Anne shares from her own story, including a pivotal season that led her into deeper healing through therapy, spiritual direction, and contemplative practices with God. Together, Adam and Anne explore the impact of sexual trauma, the difference between truth and toxic shame, and what it means to rediscover God’s presence in places that once felt unsafe.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear

How shame takes root and distorts identity

The difference between truth and toxic shame

Anne’s personal journey of healing through the “desert”

The role of silence, solitude, and contemplative prayer

How anger, grief, and the body are part of the healing process

What it looks like to rebuild trust with God, yourself, and others

The importance of safe people and compassionate presence

What healing and freedom can look like over time

A Word for Listeners
This episode touches on themes of trauma. While no graphic details are shared, you may notice something stirring as you listen. You are invited to go at your own pace. You can pause, step away, or return later. You are in control of how you engage with this conversation.

Resources & Next Steps

Not Alone by Anne Richardson: Purchase on Amazon

Anne Richardson’s website: https://www.annemarierichardson.com

Learn more about LifePoint's Webinar on April 28, 2026: Accompanying Survivors of Sexual Trauma

Connect with LifePoint Resources

Website: https://www.lifepointresources.org

Spiritual Direction, Formational Mentoring, Retreats, and other Soul Care offerings

The Being Formed Podcast is a soul care ministry of LifePoint Resources.