Stillpoint

What Stillpoint does

Stillpoint: The Center for Christian Spirituality is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1983 and headquartered in Pasadena, California, with residential program operations at Ghost Ranch in Northern New Mexico and previously at Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside, California. The organization trains spiritual directors and supports individual spiritual exploration through a portfolio of multi-year formation programs, including the two-year Art of Spiritual Direction (delivered online and as a Ghost Ranch residential intensive), the Spiritual Journey program (offered in 7-month, 2-month, and 1-week formats), Group Spiritual Direction certification, and Spiritual Direction Supervision. Specialized offerings include the Eco-Spiritual Direction program co-created with the Center for Wild Spirituality, BIPOC-focused formation tracks, one-day retreats, virtual contemplative gatherings, the online Interior Chapel, and an annual Iona Pilgrimage to Scotland. The underlying "technology" is rooted in the contemplative tradition and encompasses prayer practices such as Centering Prayer, BioSpiritual Focusing, Wisdom Chanting, and Contemplative Liturgies, delivered through human facilitation rather than software platforms.

The business model is a hybrid of program tuition and charitable donations. Tuition ranges from $650 (Group Spiritual Direction) to $2,950 (Iona Pilgrimage single occupancy), with the flagship 2-year ASD program priced at $2,900 per year; program deposits are non-refundable, and scholarship assistance is available for selected programs. Customer acquisition is sales-led and inquiry-driven: prospective students complete interest forms on the website, pay a $30 non-refundable application fee, submit references, and complete an interview before enrollment. Distribution occurs through online Zoom delivery, in-person residential intensives, and a public directory of trained spiritual directors. Customers are primarily individuals — laypeople, clergy, chaplains (hospital, prison, hospice, school), formation directors, therapists, and activists — seeking either personal spiritual accompaniment or formal training to become spiritual companions. The organization also serves BIPOC communities and eco-spirituality seekers through targeted programs. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the organization has no disclosed funding rounds, consistent with a small-scale nonprofit operating on a multi-program tuition and donor-supported model.

Name

Stillpoint

Legal name

Stillpoint: The Center for Christian Spirituality

Website

https://stillpointca.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Stillpoint is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1983 that trains spiritual directors and supports spiritual exploration through multi-year formation programs, retreats, and one-on-one spiritual direction. It serves individuals, clergy, and chaplains primarily via online and Ghost Ranch residential programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Spiritual Formation & Spiritual Direction Training

NAICS

Educational Services (611)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Meditation Retreats, Workshops & Immersive Programs (HSADAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Guided Meditation Instruction (1:1 & Group) (HSADAJAA), Wellness Retreat Centers (Yoga, Meditation & Mindfulness) (THAGAMAB), Certification & Credentialed Creator Programs (MPACALAI)

Keywords

• Spiritual direction training
• Spiritual formation programs
• Contemplative retreat center
• Christian spirituality education
• Certified spiritual director

Headquarters

HQ city

Pasadena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Tuition and Fees: Revenue generated from formation program tuition including The Art of Spiritual Direction ($2,900/year), Spiritual Journey programs ($1,000 for 2-month and 7-month tracks), Ghost Ranch residential programs ($2,892-$3,222 per session), Supervision ($750), and Group Spiritual Direction ($650)
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Stillpoint receives tax-deductible donations from supporters. The organization explicitly solicits year-end gifts and ongoing support to fund contemplative gatherings, formation programs, accessible spiritual companionship, and culturally grounded contemplative formation expansion.
3. One-Day Retreats and Gatherings: Revenue from contemplative gatherings and one-day retreats, including virtual gatherings ($25 individual or $60 for series) and specialty retreats with guest teachers

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Stillpoint provides individual spiritual direction and multi-year spiritual formation programs that train spiritual companions through experiential, cohort-based learning. Core offerings include The Art of Spiritual Direction (two-year program in online and Ghost Ranch residential formats), The Spiritual Journey (7-month, 2-month, and 1-week tracks), Eco-Spiritual Direction certification, Group Spiritual Direction, and Supervision certification, along with retreats, Contemplative Gatherings, and the online Interior Chapel.

Product overview

Stillpoint offers a comprehensive suite of spiritual formation programs centered on the ancient practice of spiritual direction. The organization provides individual spiritual direction services and multi-year formation programs for those called to become spiritual directors. Programs are delivered through multiple formats including online (via Zoom), residential intensives at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, and one-week retreats in California. Core offerings include The Art of Spiritual Direction (2-year training in both online and Ghost Ranch formats), The Spiritual Journey (formation program in 7-month, 2-month, and one-week formats), Eco-Spiritual Direction (in partnership with Center for Wild Spirituality), Group Spiritual Direction certification, and Spiritual Direction Supervision. Additional programs include one-day retreats, Contemplative Gatherings, The Interior Chapel (online contemplative practices), and international pilgrimages. The organization serves as a 501(c)(3) center for Christian spirituality that is open and inclusive to all faith traditions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Center for Wild SpiritualitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership to offer Eco-Spiritual Direction certification program. Victoria Loorz, author of Church of the Wild and director of the Center for Wild Spirituality, co-created the curriculum with Elizabeth Rechter, former Executive Director of Stillpoint. The program guides participants into sacred, reciprocal relationship with Earth so they may guide others in turn. Collaboration includes Seminary of the Wild Earth experience integration.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mercy Center Burlingame: Spiritual retreat center offering directed retreats, spiritual direction training, and contemplative programs in the Bay Area. Comparable in providing spiritual formation programs and individual direction services.
• Hesychia School at Holy Cross Monastery: Monastic-based spiritual formation school offering programs in spiritual direction and contemplative practice rooted in Orthodox and ecumenical traditions. Comparable in delivering multi-format formation programs with residential intensives.
• Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation: A 40+ year ecumenical contemplative formation organization offering programs in spiritual direction, meditation, and group facilitation. Highly comparable to Stillpoint in mission, program structure, and inclusive interfaith orientation.
• Contemplative Outreach: Organization dedicated to the contemplative prayer tradition of centering prayer, offering formation programs, retreats, and teacher training. Comparable in delivering contemplative formation in cohort-based and residential formats.
• Spiritual Directors International: A global learning community and membership organization for spiritual directors, offering formation resources, supervision training, and a directory. Closely comparable in addressing the same aspiring and practicing spiritual director segment.
• Still Harbor Spiritual Life Center: Contemplative retreat and formation center offering spiritual direction training and individual retreats. Comparable in mission focus on spiritual companionship and residential/retreat-based delivery.
• Wisdom Ways Center for Spiritual Formation: Spiritual formation center offering programs in spiritual direction, retreats, and contemplative education for adults. Comparable as a faith-rooted formation organization providing cohort-based programs and retreats.

Broad incumbents

• Esalen Institute: Established holistic education and retreat center offering workshops and residential programs spanning mindfulness, bodywork, and spirituality. Comparable as a residential retreat venue for personal exploration, but operates at broader scale and less specialized in spiritual direction formation.
• Omega Institute for Holistic Studies: Large-scale educational retreat center offering workshops across wellness, mindfulness, and spiritual topics. Comparable in retreat-based contemplative programming, but with a much broader portfolio and far larger scale than Stillpoint's focused formation mission.
• Holy Names University: Small Catholic university offering graduate programs in spiritual formation and pastoral studies alongside degree programs. Comparable in delivering spiritual formation training but as part of a broader accredited academic institution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stillpoint-the-center-for-christian-spirituality

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stillpoint