06 Coffee with Spiritual Directors features a conversation with Nita Kotiuga, the director of spiritual formation at Bakke Graduate University, discusses her journey into spiritual direction and her experiences as a former pastor (0:06). She shares how her personal quest for a deeper faith led her to seek spiritual direction and eventually become a spiritual director herself (0:35). Nita highlights the unique aspects of spiritual direction, emphasizing the importance of a director's attentive listening and the freedom for individuals to explore their spiritual walk without an agenda (5:21). The conversation also delves into the differences between pastoral ministry and spiritual direction, particularly regarding time commitment and training in attentive listening (12:28). Nita identifies the biggest challenge facing the church today as a lack of "depth" in people's experience with God, often exacerbated by the quick-fix nature of modern life (25:00). She advocates for spiritual direction as a foundational practice for Christians to withstand hardship and develop a profound, trusting relationship with God (36:05). Nita concludes by advising pastors to seek their own spiritual directors and encourages anyone experiencing a spiritual hunger to explore spiritual direction (38:09, 39:22).