In 1876, George MacDonald, a Scottish pastor/writer, wrote a book entitled The Curates Awakening. The main character was a young priest or curate who was struggling to experience Christ in the context of ministry. But for me, the hero in the story is an unlikely man named Polwarth. He was a dwarf, a gate keeper, a huge warrior of the faith, and a spiritual giant in the unseen world. I can't help but think of Yoda. He becomes the Curates mentor, a coach, his spiritual director. The book is rich in illustrations of how this is fleshed out with another soul. When I tried to think of a name for what I wanted to do, Polwarth came to mind. He best describes what this ministry is about. He's also who I want to be when I grow up.

The idea of Polwarth Ministries was conceived in 1990 after being on my first silent retreat. I walked away with the thought, "Who pastors the pastor?" That seed, 15 years later, has been transformed into a desire to awaken people to the realities of the Kingdom of God. That by listening, leading, teaching, and serving I might enhance or improve one's ability to live richly, fully, and heroically in this unseen realm. It is a place that we are personally and intimately invited into and a journey and adventure we were made for. This is my passion.

My name is Ronnie Smith. I am 50 years old. I've been married to Sharon for over 23 years and have two of the most incredible boys, Nathan and Samuel. I was a volunteer leader for Young Life for 8 years as a college student and a teacher/coach. Little did I know that coaching in the spiritual realm would be my niche. For 20 years, I served on Young Life staff in several capacities. During this time I was an 8 year summer school student at Dallas Theological Seminary and graduated with a MA in Biblical Studies. I have been ordained by Christ Chapel Bible Church. I also studied spiritual direction for 2 summers at the Vincentian Studies Institute in Denver, Colorado. I am presently serving Polwarth Ministries, working towards a Doctorate at Denver Seminary and letting just the right job in a local church find me.

I am available any time for mentoring relationships and spiritual retreats. Individually I will meet with people usually once every 4-6 weeks. We'll talk about our experience of God in prayer, our practice of the disciplines and general life issues. This shepherding is a mix of coaching, spiritual direction and discipleship. I also lead small groups that focus on formation and development. These are centered on growing in Christ and impacting and leading others. I do retreats as well. They can range from silent retreats, to directed spiritual retreats, to training retreats. As long as we stay near the unseen world the possibilities are endless. I'm also working at helping folks discern what it is that God has been preparing them for. What is the one thing they can do all day long and not grow tired? In general, I help and train people to listen and follow the voice of Jesus. Most of this is done with Young Life staff folks across the state of Texas.

If I can aid you in any way along the journey please let me know.