ICS: Courses and Retreats
Journaling as a Spiritual Practice
Led by Sally Sharpe
Tuesday, September 22, 2026, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. (CT) • Via Zoom
About the Course
Journaling is one of the most powerful ways to slow down, pay attention, and make sense of your life. As you put words to your thoughts, emotions, and experiences, you create space to notice God's loving presence, listen to your heart, and discover what is stirring within. Journaling can help you connect head and heart, discern God's voice and guidance, process life's experiences, and experience greater healing, clarity, and spiritual growth. Best of all, you don't have to love writing—or consider yourself a "good writer"—to experience its benefits.
Join spiritual director Sally Sharpe for this online experiential workshop as you explore the Why, How, and What of journaling as a spiritual practice. Drawing on more than 35 years of experience as a writer, editor, and lifelong journal keeper, Sally combines practical and spiritual insights to help you develop a meaningful and sustainable journaling practice. You'll discover the research-backed benefits of journaling, learn some simple and grace-filled guidelines, and explore a variety of creative journaling approaches. You may be surprised by just how many ways there are to journal.
Bring a journal and a pen, and come ready to participate in several guided journaling experiences. You'll leave with
• practical tools you can begin using immediately
• a deeper understanding of journaling as a spiritual practice
• fresh confidence to listen for God's gentle voice in your everyday life.
Course Details
Price
$35
If you would like to attend but are experiencing financial hardship, please email us at ics [at] lipscomb.edu (ics[at]lipscomb[dot]edu) for a scholarship.
Lipscomb faculty and staff: email ics [at] lipscomb.edu (ics[at]lipscomb[dot]edu) for a $10 discount code.
About Sally Sharpe
Sally Sharpe is a spiritual director, retreat leader, and workshop facilitator with extensive experience in Christian publishing. Trained through the Selah Center for Spiritual Formation (2019) and certified in Ignatian Spirituality and Spiritual Direction Supervision, she offers spiritual direction to individuals and groups, supervises other spiritual directors, and guides others through the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius. Sally and her husband, Neil, live in Mount Juliet with two adult daughters.
Quiet Day Retreat
Led by Jodi Thomas
Friday, September 25, 2026, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. (CT)
In person: Held at a private estate in Franklin, TN
About the Course
Step away from the noise and into peace. Join us for a Quiet Day—a gentle, guided space for rest, reflection and prayer. Through optional guided invitations and unhurried time, you’ll have the opportunity to listen more deeply to God and your own soul. Come as you are; no experience necessary. Leave feeling more refreshed, grounded and rested.
Held in a private, 10-acre, beautiful outdoor setting in Franklin, Tennessee, our site features a pond, prayer labyrinth, meditative walking trails, an open-air chapel and peaceful sitting areas. This is an outdoor event, but there are plenty of shaded areas and covered spaces in case of rain.
Facilitated by spiritual director and ICS staff associate Jodi Thomas.
Course Details
Price
$60, lunch and materials included
If you would like to attend but are experiencing financial hardship, please email us at ics [at] lipscomb.edu (ics[at]lipscomb[dot]edu) for a scholarship.
Lipscomb faculty and staff: email ics [at] lipscomb.edu (ics[at]lipscomb[dot]edu) for a $20 discount code.
About Jodi Thomas
Jodi Thomas is a certified spiritual director and supervisor. She received her BS in Education from The University of Texas at Austin and an MA in Spiritual Formation and Direction from Richmont Graduate University in Atlanta, Georgia. Jodi has served with ICS since 2024 and loves all things spiritual formation and spiritual direction. She loves to study and teach the Bible, read, hike, play with her dogs, and spend time with her husband of 28 years, JT. She and her husband have one adult son and reside in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, For more on Jodi, see jodikthomas.com.
Autumn Contemplative Art Retreat
Led by Michelle Bodwell
Friday, October 2, 2026, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
In-person at Longview Mansion
About the Course
Step away from the hurried pace of daily life and rediscover the gifts of rest, creativity, and play in God’s presence.
Led by spiritual director and art therapist Michelle Bodwell, this Autumn Contemplative Art Retreat offers sacred space to slow down and encounter God through the creative language of art. Through guided contemplative reflection and hands-on art-making, we will explore how creativity can draw us closer to our Creator, give expression to our hearts in worship, and deepen our faith.
This retreat is for anyone longing for spiritual refreshment and intentional time with God. No artistic experience is needed—only a willingness to create, explore, and play in the presence of our Heavenly Father. Come as you are and delight in the freedom of being childlike with the God who delights in you. You will come away refreshed and encouraged.
Course Details
Price
$100, includes lunch and art supplies
If you would like to attend but are experiencing financial hardship, please email us at ics [at] lipscomb.edu (ics[at]lipscomb[dot]edu) for a scholarship.
Lipscomb faculty and staff: email ics [at] lipscomb.edu (ics[at]lipscomb[dot]edu) for a $40 discount code.
Location
Longview Mansion, 811 Caldwell Ln, Nashville, TN 37204
About Michelle Bodwell
Michelle Bodwell is a Board Certified Registered Art Therapist, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and Spiritual Director dedicated to helping others find healing, hope, and renewal. Recently, she has brought her clinical expertise and creative perspective to the Lipscomb University community as an Adjunct Faculty member. Michelle holds a deep passion for the intersection of faith, creativity, and wholeness. In addition to working with clients and teaching, Michelle leads transformative retreats and creative workshops, creating meaningful spaces for others to explore their spiritual journey and individual stories through expressive arts. Michelle embraces life as a "boomerang nester," enjoying time with her two college-aged sons, traveling, or volunteering at a local horse barn. For more on Michelle, see www.hesedhouseart.com.
ICS Historical Series: George MacDonald & Divine Imagination
Led by Drew Baker, D.Min.
Tuesdays, October 6, 13, 20, & 27 • 6:30–7:30 p.m. (CT) • via Zoom
About the Course
This October, journey into the life and theological imagination of George MacDonald, the beloved Scottish writer whose vision influenced C. S. Lewis and generations of Christian thinkers.
With Drew Baker, D.Min., we will explore the people and ideas that shaped MacDonald’s enduring conviction: God’s love must be infinitely greater than the best human love. Together, we will bring MacDonald’s voice to our own tables, discovering how his divine imagination can enrich spiritual formation, spiritual direction, and our everyday lives with God.
Session Themes
October 1: From Dread to Laughter: MacDonald’s Faith Formation
October 15: The Divine Child and the Human Child: Identity, Obedience, and Hope
October 22: False Self meets the Consuming Fire: Justice/Mercy and the Inexorable Love of God
October 29: MacDonald’s voice at our tables
Course Details
Price
$80 for four sessions.
If you would like to attend but are experiencing financial hardship, please email us at ics [at] lipscomb.edu (ics[at]lipscomb[dot]edu) for a scholarship.
Lipscomb faculty and staff: email ics [at] lipscomb.edu (ics[at]lipscomb[dot]edu) for a $30 discount code.
Location
Online via Zoom
About Drew Baker
Drew Baker, D.Min., lives in North Carolina with his wife, Sarah, and their two kids, Jude and Rowan. He serves with Common Grounds Unity, offers Spiritual Direction, and teaches for Abilene Christian University Online. In each of these settings, one is likely to hear Drew say something like, “That reminds me of a quote from George MacDonald…” Drew had the pleasure of presenting papers at both George MacDonald Bicentenary Conferences–in Wheaton, IL (May 2024) and in St. Andrews, Scotland (November 2024). Drew enjoys all things outdoors, reading, photography, playing guitar, and, since 2021, acting!
ICS Book Discussion: The Familiar Stranger by Tyler Staton
Thursday, October 22, 6:30-8:00 p.m. CT via Zoom
About the Course
Who is the Holy Spirit—and what might it mean to experience His presence more fully in our everyday lives?
In The Familiar Stranger, pastor and author Tyler Staton reintroduces us to the often-overlooked and misunderstood Person of the Trinity. Drawing from Scripture, Christian tradition, and ancient spiritual practices, Staton traces the work of the Holy Spirit throughout the biblical story and invites us to move beyond merely knowing about the Spirit toward a vibrant, personal relationship with Him.
Join spiritual director Jodi Thomas and ICS staff associate for a thoughtful and engaging discussion as we explore how the Holy Spirit guides, empowers, transforms, and draws us into deeper communion with God. Through reading and conversation, participants will gain a richer biblical understanding of the Spirit, examine misconceptions that may limit their experience of God, and discover practical ways to become more attentive and responsive to the Spirit’s presence.
Whatever your church background, this book offers an accessible and compelling invitation to a faith that is more intimate, discerning, and fully alive.
Event Details
Price
$20 per person. Registration required by October 22.
If you would like to attend but are experiencing financial hardship, please email us at ics [at] lipscomb.edu for a scholarship.
Lipscomb faculty and staff: email ics [at] lipscomb.edu (ics[at]lipscomb[dot]edu) for a $10 discount code.
Capacity
This event is limited to 25 participants.
About Jodi Thomas
Jodi Thomas is a certified spiritual director and supervisor. She received her BS in Education from The University of Texas at Austin and an MA in Spiritual Formation and Direction from Richmont Graduate University in Atlanta, GA. Jodi has served with ICS since 2024 and loves all things spiritual formation and spiritual direction. She loves to study and teach the Bible, read, hike, play with her dogs, and spend time with her husband of 28 years, JT. She and her husband have one adult son and reside in Mt. Juliet, TN. For more on Jodi, see jodikthomas.com.
ICS Historical Series: St. Catherine of Sienna: Knowing Self, Knowing God
Led by Kiah Fisher
November 5, 12, 19 • 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 pm (CT) • Via Zoom
About the Course
Join us for a three-week online journey with Kiah Fisher into the life and spirituality of St. Catherine of Siena—14th-century mystic, Dominican tertiary, spiritual teacher, and courageous advocate for renewal in the Church. Grounded in an intimate relationship with God, Catherine spoke with remarkable insight about human dignity, Christ’s love, and our call to serve the world with truth and compassion.
Each week explores a central theme in Catherine’s life and writings:
November 5 — The Cell of Self-Knowledge: Catherine’s Formation and Life with God
November 12 — The Bridge Between God and Humanity: Catherine’s Vision of Christ and Human Dignity
November 19 — The Fire of Divine Love: Catherine’s Bold Voice for the Church and the World
Through studying Catherine’s life, participants will discover a spirituality that unites contemplation with courageous action. Her wisdom invites us to grow in self-knowledge, deepen our relationship with God, recognize the sacred dignity of every person, and find the confidence to respond faithfully to the needs of the Church and the world. Whether you are encountering Catherine for the first time or returning to her writings with fresh questions, this course offers an inspiring opportunity to explore how a life set ablaze by divine love can bring clarity, purpose, and hope to our own.
Course Details
Price
$60 for three sessions
If you would like to attend but are experiencing financial hardship, please email us at ics [at] lipscomb.edu (ics[at]lipscomb[dot]edu) for a scholarship.
Lipscomb faculty and staff: email ics [at] lipscomb.edu (ics[at]lipscomb[dot]edu) for a $20 discount code.
About Kiah Fisher
Kiah Fisher earned both her Bachelor of Arts in Pastoral Leadership and her Master of Divinity from Lipscomb University. She has served in youth ministry and Christian education and is particularly interested in church history, Christian spirituality, and storytelling. She spends most of her free time traveling and exploring places significant to the Christian tradition.