The Sylvan Pathway Training

A Two-Year Journey of Spiritual Formation and Sacred Becoming

“An enriching two years bringing meaning, spirituality, appreciation of life and nature to the forefront of your daily existence. A North Star in the melee of life.”
– Veronica, Sylvan Class of 2025

About the training

As someone exploring your spiritual path, you may recognise that you are:

• standing at the edge of a deeper calling, but unsure how it will take shape
• feeling drawn toward a more meaningful, embodied way of living and relating
• seeking space to reflect on your life with honesty, care, and curiosity
• longing for a supportive community that welcomes you as you are
• wanting to explore spiritual practice, ritual, and service in a grounded, inclusive way

At these moments, having the support of a committed community and a structured, transformative process can open the way toward a more intentional and connected life.

The Sylvan Pathway is a two-year, retreat-based training in spiritual formation and ministry. Rooted in embodied experience, relational depth, and inclusive spirituality, it offers a rare opportunity to step away from daily life and immerse yourself in meaningful personal and professional development.

Held primarily in person at Florence House, with facilitated online support between retreats, this training meets you where you are. Whether you feel called to public-facing ministry or a quieter deepening of your spiritual life, both are welcomed here.

The experience

At the heart of the Sylvan Pathway is a journey through the arc of human life, from conception to death and beyond. Your own lived experience becomes the ground of the work.

Through immersive residential retreats, you will engage in:

• deep personal reflection and biographical exploration
  • ritual, creativity, and embodied spiritual practice
  • witnessing and being witnessed within a supportive group
  • relational learning that deepens how you meet yourself and others

Between retreats, Enquiry Circles and peer connections support integration, reflection, and continuity. Over time, you begin to recognise the patterns and experiences that have shaped you, and develop the presence and capacity to accompany others through life’s thresholds with care and integrity.

By completing this training, you can expect to develop:

• a deeper relationship with your inner wisdom and spiritual life
  • greater presence, embodiment, and authenticity
  • the capacity to listen and respond with care and integrity
  • resilience and grounded self-awareness
  • confidence in offering spiritual care, ceremony, or community work
  • meaningful connections within a close-knit learning community

Structure and format

• Length: Two years, across six immersive gateways
• Format: Three 5-day residential retreats each year
• Location: Florence House, East Sussex
• Group size: Intimate cohort of up to 15 students

Between retreats, you will engage in around 6 to 8 hours per month of supported learning, including Enquiry Circles, peer connection, and personal reflection.

Key dates:

• Early Bird deadline: 1 August 2026
• Applications close: 30 September 2026
• First retreat: November 2026
• Final gateway: June 2028
• Optional ordination: July 2028

Applications open now, no prior experience is required. A willingness to engage with yourself and others openly is all that is needed.

Venue

Our home for this training is Florence House in East Sussex, set on the cliffs above Seaford Bay where the South Downs meet the sea. Surrounded by open skies, wild gardens, and coastal paths, the environment naturally supports reflection, rest, and deep work. The house offers warm communal spaces for gathering and quiet areas for personal time, alongside nourishing meals and comfortable accommodation. Florence House becomes more than a setting. It actively holds and deepens the experience.

A two-year journey through life

The training unfolds across six gateways, exploring both inner formation and the outward expression of ministry.

Year One: Roots and Formation
Exploring origins, childhood, and identity through reflection, creativity, and embodied practice.

Year Two: Embodiment in Ministry
Deepening into relationship, community, endings, and service, as your ministry begins to take form.

Vow taking and ordination

At the end of the two years, you are invited to mark this threshold in a way that feels true to you. You may choose to be ordained as an interfaith minister, or to complete the training as a graduate alumni. Both paths are equally honoured. For those who choose ordination, the ceremony marks a powerful beginning. A commitment to serve with presence, compassion, and care.

Where this training can take you

There is no single outcome. Many find this journey becomes a turning point. It may lead to chaplaincy, ceremony work, teaching, facilitation, or spiritual accompaniment. For others, it shapes how they live, relate, and show up in everyday life. What you carry forward is a deepened way of being. One that continues to unfold long after the training ends.

Testimonials

“Moving through the pathway of life, from birth to childhood, to adolescence, adulthood and death, was a deeply profound experience.” – Olly, Sylvan Class of 2025

“I truly believe I can stand in my full authority with confidence and love… I have the tools to navigate what comes my way with honesty, integrity, and self awareness.” – Nancy, Sylvan Class of 2025

Event Details

Date/Time:
November 2026 – July 2028

Event type:
Training / Retreat-based programme

Provider details:

• Email – info@interfaithfoundation.org
• Website – https://www.interfaithfoundation.org
• Training Info: https://www.interfaithfoundation.org/in-person-training-homepage/

Location:
Florence House, East Sussex