A Christian Spiritual Director, Writer, and Teacher near Philly.
As often as possible, I meet with people, host seminars, speak on retreats, write books, and create resources for people to explore rebuilding their faith.
What Others Have Said about Working with John
“I am so grateful for John Chaffee. He is a gifted writer, thinker, guide, and spiritual coach. Each week, I look forward to his weekly email, and I am thrilled he has written this new book to help people live by a wisdom that many consider foolish.” – Brian D. McLaren, author of Do I Stay Christian and Faith After Doubt
“I always think of [John] as a modern desert father.” – Rev. Leah Q.
“Spending time talking with John is more like spiritual therapy than anything else. I often joke that you were more of a therapist/counselor to me than my first 2 therapists.” – Josh S.
“It was so good to have you (for a retreat) and the people who came have had so much to talk about. You are sharing and working through topics that are incredibly important, and you’re doing it in a way that draws people in.” – Rev. Kaitlyn W.
“Taking your class was a blessing in itself and to be put with a professor who knew what he was talking about and loved talking about it was amazing. You opened my mind up to so many new ideas and objectives that I want to reach in life. I would say that you are one of the most influential teachers/professors that I have ever had.” – A Former Student
“Every Friday, [the 5 on Friday Newsletter] challenges me to think a little differently. After a couple of months, I see things in a whole new way.” – Anonymous
“The spiritual wisdom of a sage, the empathetic non-judgment of a therapist, the sensitivity to God’s voice of a prophet, the shame-free love of a parent, and the attentive listening of a close friend. John Chaffee is a healing balm for a hurting soul. If you want a safe space and a trustworthy guide to help you navigate your faith journey, do yourself the favor and talk with John. The love, freedom, empowerment, and hope you will experience is priceless!” – Joshua S.
“When I feel I am losing my way, [John] inevitably say[s] something that reawakens and refreshes my spirit.” – Tom
“I have just started to pursue spiritual direction with John. I found him to be easy to talk with and a good listener. He paces the session well and makes helpful observations and comments based on his vast knowledge of reading various Christian authors over the centuries. I plan to continue working with John and look forward to our next appointment. ” – Don Z.
Steps to Working Together
1.
Sign up for the free weekly newsletter, the “5 on Friday,” for free resources and to get a sense of what I am about.
2.
Peruse the website, check out one of my books or video series on my YouTube channel, and schedule a free 30-minute call.
3.
Set up a Spiritual Direction session, hire me for a seminar or retreat, join a cohort, or we can create something together.
4.
Stay in contact because life comes in waves, and perhaps we will need each other at some point.
A Little More about What I Do…
After twenty years of formal church/ministry work and three degrees (BA, MDiv, and ThM), I saw connections between the faith and other disciplines. At the forefront was synthesizing Christian spiritual formation with various developmental theories and psycho-social frameworks.
This led me to realize that some understandings of faith work against a person’s growth, which can lead to their being stuck and, therefore, negatively impact the people around them.
As a result, I left formal church work to begin my ministry to the world, creating resources, writing books, making podcasts and videos, and meeting up with people in various stages of the Dark Night of the Soul.
New Book: The Way of Holy Foolishness
The early Church utilized a “Rule of Life” as guidelines to help them live a Christian life when surrounded by empires, tyrants, irreverent distractions, and more. Here, I offer a new set of twelve rules to help us live faithfully in our modern world.
Learning from the Mystics Devotional Series
This is a year-long devotional series sent to your mailbox every Monday at 9 a.m. It highlights a quote, reflection, prayer, and short life overview of a different Christian mystic every four weeks.
