ABOUT
FRONT PORCH ABBEY
Front Porch Abbey cultivates deeper lives through Christian contemplative practices.
Not so long ago, homes were built to feature a front porch for folks to pause from the speed of life and chat with neighbors in open and casual ways. Ideas were discussed, questions asked, and formation occurred through conversation, dialogue, and friendship. As times have shifted toward automated, isolated, and disconnected lives, such collaborative and connective spaces like the front porch have diminished.
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Front Porch Abbey seeks to reclaim this hospitable space to provide a container for sacred dialogue to occur that helps us awaken to God's activity in our daily lives. This is the work of spiritual direction.
Spiritual direction is a prayerful conversation of gazing at one’s life on behalf of another in a context of trust.
Spiritual directors are faithful companions who listen attentively to your life stories with attentive intention to not so much direct, as highlight signposts indicating the Holy Spirit’s active presence in your life.
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To support this front porch reclamation project, we created Front Porch Abbey as a nonprofit 501 (c) 3 religious organization. FPA exits to nurture sustainable spiritual lives in Christ by helping people slow down and pay attention to the questions, desires, joys, and struggles that arise and how they affect the soul.
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In a spirit of friendship, we hope to accompany people in a variety of ways. We hope to provide, promote, and transmit life sustaining contemplative rhythms through the prayer practices of spiritual direction, Bible meditation, and personal reflection in various contemporary forms of soul companionship.
You do not have to be a religious expert to benefit from such practices. You simply need to have openness to hearing and responding to God’s call to intimacy, discovery, and service.
WE BELIEVE
Life is about loving God and befriending others.
All of life is full of opportunities to grow in our relationship with God and to learn to treat others with the same generous kindness God treats us with.
To take advantage of these opportunities we must practice keeping our head, heart, and hands open so if something is helpful to loving God and befriending others, we can find ways to do it more. If something is not helpful or no longer helpful, we need to stop. Therefore, we desire an inner freedom to move toward gratitude and away from illusions, addictions, and unhelpful attachments.
In this way, we become wholehearted in our love for God and a friend to others.
OUR VALUES
CHRIST-WARD
Have a clear vivid picture of the direction of your purpose in Christ.
We desire to help you become more aware of your views, beliefs, and experiences and how those fit within the greater context of the Christian narrative. In the process you will gain clarity on what it means for you to move Christward as a unique person at a unique time, while walking an ancient Christian path.
AUTHENTICITY
Develop God’s unique expression of love residing within your soul.
We explore your God-images, gifts, motivations, commitments, personality, and experiences to discover your current ways of hiding in one hand, while pondering the direction the Spirit is pointing for your true self to emerge in the other hand.
HOSPITALITY
Create room for God, yourself, others, and creation in your heart.
We create a safe space for you with an atmosphere of humility, empathy, and compassion so that you feel free to explore, process, and heal under the loving gaze of God. You choose what experiences to share. I simply want to come alongside you to listen, understand, and hope without an agenda.
INTEGRATED
Deepen intimacy with God through normal, daily choices and prayer.
Transformation happens holistically through involving your head, heart, and hands in prayer. Together, we explore various time-tested ways of prayer and/or create custom ways that are unique to you to integrate what we know of God into our daily responses.
TODD CLARK
CEO and Spiritual Director
Todd is the founder and Spiritual Director of Front Porch Abbey. He has accompanied people’s spiritual journeys since 1998 and is a member of SDI and ESDA spiritual direction communities.
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D. Min. from Portland Seminary, (2014) in Leadership and Spiritual Formation
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YWAM Discipleship Training School; Multicultural outreach among the Haida and Tlingit peoples in S. E. Alaska (2003)
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M.A. from Fuller Theological Seminary, (2002), in Intercultural Leadership
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Completed Spiritual Direction Certification through Denver Seminary (2002) via Fuller visiting student program
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B.S. from New Hope Christian College, (1996), in Pastoral Studies
In addition to his work with Front Porch Abbey, Todd has accompanied young professionals at Mount Hermon Camp & Conference Center and provided spiritual direction for Young Life Staff, Beyond These Shores Ignatian Retreatants, and Sustainable Faith Ministries students.
Todd enjoys working with a diverse range of people and ages which brings a richness of experience in Christ. Todd has been described by directees as a gentle presence, a good listener, wise guide, and a safe place to share their experiences with. Since 2011, he has loved facilitating the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius.
Todd lives in the San Lorenzo Valley of California with his wife, daughter, son, and two dogs. He spends much of his time pondering about a great deal of things. He enjoys the outdoors, running, reading, and is an avid Oregon State Beaver sports fan. Words such as deep, curious, piercing, abstract, and relentless in his pursuits of the Holy are good descriptors.