Dr. Ted Wueste,  Director of the SFSAZ

Ted serves as the Founder/Director of the Spiritual Formation Society of Arizona. For the last 30 years, he has served in various ministry capacities with 20 of those years serving in pastoral ministry. After serving as an associate pastor, Ted planted a church that he pastored for 9 years and then served as an Executive Pastor of Spiritual Formation for 6 years. Ted designed and taught in a Spiritual Formation program at Phoenix Seminary for seven years, and now enjoys a ministry of spiritual direction, retreat leading, and teaching. Ted is the coordinator for a spiritual direction training program in Arizona (Selah) and serves as Senior Faculty. He has written several books on the spiritual journey as well as devotionals and study guides that many have found helpful. You can reach Ted at [email protected] and learn more about his spiritual formation ministry at www.desertdirection.com.

Dr. Tom Ashbrook, Minister for Formation

Tom has served as a pastor for 26 years and then the co-founder, team leader, and founder associate for the Order of Imago Christi, an international spiritual formation ministry, for 20 years. As a Minister for Formation with SFSAZ, Tom develops spiritual formation resources and coaches Christian leaders and churches to live and lead with a spiritual authority grounded in loving intimacy with Jesus. He provides spiritual direction and coaching for pastors, churches, and missionaries in various parts of the world and teaches in spiritual formation seminars and other spiritual formation settings. Tom earned a B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering, an M.S. in Management Systems, an M.Div., and a D.Min. in Spiritual Formation. Tom lives in Fountain Hills, Arizona with his wife Charlotte. His books include Mansions of the Heart: Seven Stages of Spiritual Growth, and Mansions of the Heart Study Guide; Presence: What if Jesus Were Really Here, and study guide, Discovering Christ’s Presence; Contagious Fire: Forming Christian Hearts for Kingdom Mission; and Connected: Rediscovering Life-Giving Love with God. Learn more about Tom’s ministry at www.tomashbrook.com.

Email: [email protected]

Beth Beadle, Administrative Coordinator

Beth has been involved with the Spiritual Formation Society for several years and just recently joined us as an Administrative Assistant  on our Operations team. She is trained as a Spiritual Director under Danny Mullins with Sustainable Faith Ministries. When not with family, she loves travel, being outdoors, and hiking with her Labrador Retriever named Charli.  She and her husband Jim have been married for 41 years and live in Pine, Arizona.  They have 5 children and 7 grandchildren

Jim Beadle, Director of Finance

Jim joined the ministry team as our Finance Director in June of 2021.  Formally an Administrative Pastor at a California megachurch, Jim currently works as a Senior Financial Analyst for APS.  His spiritual gifts include administration, leadership, wisdom, and organization. Jim and his wife Beth have been married 41 years; they have five kids and 7 grandkids. When he’s not working, you’ll likely find Jim mountain biking, watching college basketball, or playing with his English Bulldog, Lola.

Joel Bidderman is a spiritual director, minister, and musician, who is passionate about mercy and justice. Having ministered cross-culturally on Navajo and Apache reservations for about a decade, as well as in various local church contexts in different regions of the U.S., he is now on pastoral staff at Vineyard Community Church in Gilbert, AZ. You can learn more about his personal ministry at kairosdirection.com, and his creative works at joelbidderman.com.

Renee Clark serves as the Events Coordinator for the SFSAZ. She enjoys creating warm and inviting spaces where others feel welcomed. She has a heart for nurturing others on their spiritual journey as a trained Spiritual Director and Enneagram coach with specialized training in body work, grief and trauma. Renee can be reached at [email protected].

Dr. John DelHousaye, Theologian in Residence/Soul Care

John joined the ministry team after teaching at Phoenix Seminary for twenty-one years. He serves as elder of spiritual formation at Redemption Church, Alhambra. He has authored several articles and books on spiritual disciplines and enjoys listening to God with soul friends and churches.

Gray Ewing is the Lead Pastor of New Valley Church in Downtown Phoenix. Although his roots are in rural Mississippi, he attended college at the University of Nebraska earning a BA in History, with minors in Communication Studies and Judaic Studies. After college, he attended Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, receiving a Masters of Divinity (MDiv). Before coming to DT PHX, Gray was a worship leader for 10 years in various churches, worked as a Church-Planting apprentice in St. Louis, and spent several years as an Assistant Pastor at New Valley Church (Chandler site).

Danny Mullins served in pastoral and worship ministry in Texas and Arizona for almost 40 years.  In 2013, he received his training in spiritual direction through Sustainable Faith’s School of Spiritual Direction.  Since completing that program, he has devoted his time to ministering in the areas of spiritual formation, spiritual direction and the healing of souls.  He joined the faculty of Sustainable Faith in 2015 and now spends the majority of his time training and supervising spiritual directors.

LuAnn Roberson, Minister for Formation

LuAnn volunteers her time with us as a gift from her home base, A Simple Pause, an outreach to leaders and learners through MSW ministries. She has tended to bodies and souls for many years as a trained Spiritual Director and a nurse specializing in trauma and the crisis of newly diagnosed cancer. She is familiar with those life-altering moments and desires to offer hope, direction and companionship. You can reach her at [email protected] or [email protected].

Sheli Sloterbeek, Communications Director

Sheli is passionate about justice and contemplative life. Her desire for each and every person is to live wholly – spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically – to be alive and live fully. She has extensive experience in working with non-profits and churches in both local and global settings. She is a trained spiritual director and is available to  meet in person in the East Valley of Phoenix and is available online via Zoom and Skype. She enjoys trying new things, writing and being outside. You can contact her at [email protected].

Board of Directors

Ted Wueste, Chairman; Deborah Annable, Jim Beadle, Travis Collins, Kerry Failoni, and Art Guina

(Info for Ted and Jim above).

Deborah Annable

Deborah is a wife, and mother who has been privileged to serve her family full-time. She and her husband have five adult children, and three grandchildren. She attended undergraduate school in California, and audited classes with Phoenix Seminary. She completed her training as a Spiritual Director through the Selah Program offered by Leadership Transformations Inc. Deborah has a passion for journeying alongside thirsty souls seeking to deepen their intimacy with Christ and to know their true belovedness. Deborah offers Spiritual Direction, the Ignatian Exercises with the Ignatian Journey curriculum, and Enneagram coaching.

Travis Collins

With a background in pastoral ministry, church planting and missions, Travis’ desire is to companion Christian leaders as they lead the Church through the ever changing realities of our world. After graduating Biola University with a degree in Biblical Studies, he went on to pursue his Master degree in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care from Talbot School of theology and has been offering leaders Spiritual Direction ever since. His passion and calling is to companion men and woman, that they may know themselves and the deep, deep love of Jesus and that this love union may set them free into their greatest sense of calling and purpose in His Kingdom.

Travis has working alongside and served The Spiritual Formation society in a variety of contexts since 2016. He and his wife Christin, and their son Caleb now live in Santa Barbara, Ca where he is the Owner/Operator of a Chick-fil-A.

Kerry Failoni

Kerry is Licensed Professional Counselor in Gilbert, Arizona who works in her own private practice. Previously she worked in a large church counseling center for 13 years. Kerry is also an active grandma of five grandchildren who know her as “the adventure grandma”! She finds delight in conversations, connecting and joining others in their stories. Kerry likes to say she has a deep and wide emotional and spiritual resume and loves to meet with others as they share their own story and journey with them. Kerry has been a believer for 50 years and involved in ministry and church staff. She considers it a privilege to meet with pastors, ministry leaders, missionaries and those who have experienced church /spiritual woundedness. Kerry has been a part of the Spiritual Formation Society of Arizona since its beginning. She was in the first cohort of Formatio and has participated SFSAZ programs/retreats throughout the years. Kerry often shares with others how the Lord has used SFSAZ to draw her deeper into knowing life as the Beloved and living from that love. She is humbled and honored to be able to be a part of SFSAZ Board of Directors.

Art Guina  Completed training with the Hesychia School of Spiritual Direction in Tucson, AZ.  My academic training includes Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry. I’ve been on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ since 1977, having served in the Philippines and now based in Arizona. I personally prefer the term ‘spiritual companioning’ as I’m passionate about coming alongside others to, in the words of David Benner, “…help others attend to God’s presence and revelation and prepare to respond to him… thus helping people attune themselves to God.”  

Email: [email protected]

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