Living Streams Flowing Water is a spiritual formation ministry from the heart of its founder, Brenda Buckwell.

Our mission and vision is to help quench the thirsting soul and to empower authentic life and leadership.  Spiritual Direction, contemplative listening, traditional practices of the Desert Fathers and Mothers, and contemplative seeing “beyond the surface” are the basis of our ministries.

Rev. Dr. Brenda Buckwell is a thoughtful innovator who increases leadership excellence and deepens awareness of the Divine through preaching, spiritual direction, coaching, retreat leadership and education. Brenda is an ordained United Methodist endorsed spiritual director, coach, and founder of Living Streams Flowing Water spiritual formation ministry. Brenda converses with clients from around the world via teleconferencing. As co-founder of The Fellowship of United Methodist Spiritual Directors and Retreat Leaders: Hearts on Fire, she connected spiritual directors for support and resourcing their ministry.

Brenda is the author of two books, the just-released Spiritual Direction and the Metamorphosis of Church (2020), and her very popular book, The Advent of God’s Word: Listening for the Power of a Divine Whisper (2015). Additionally, Brenda is one of the featured authors in A Quiet Pentecost.  She also writes twice weekly for her subscribers and followers.  She writes a weekly blog, Brenda’s Blog, in which she offers timely Scriptures, reflections, and devotions along with prayers and spiritual practices that enrich the reader’s life and faith.  Her weekly newsletter, The Weekly Drink: A Weekly Drink of Living Water to Quench the Thirsting Soul, is a weekly gift in your email inbox that offers encouragement and thoughtful words to uplift and sustain the reader.  The newsletter also includes highlights of upcoming events and ministries of Living Streams Flowing Water.

Caring for the needs, spirit and love of others is paramount to Brenda, as she opens space for God’s energy and creative activity in daily life. Through her work as spiritual director she has a very real sense how silence empowers community and personal life. As a consultant for  boards, teams, congregations, and national organizations she assists in the integration of spiritual formation into all aspects of community. Brenda teaches spiritual formation and spiritual direction online and onsite at Ashland Theological and  Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminaries. She is part of the online teaching team for CenterQuest – an ecumenical and International Spiritual Direction training program.

Two of Brenda’s favorite spiritual disciplines are swimming and ballroom dancing. Brenda grew up equally dividing her childhood and teen years between St. Paul, MN and Bowling Green, Ohio. She continues to reside in Ohio where both her son’s family and daughter’s family live. Her greatest delights in life are her children and her grandchildren for whom she strives to be Amma.  

You may contact Brenda to be a speaker at your events, consult with your leadership team or schedule spiritual direction and coaching through the Contact Brenda Form.

July 2022 Announcement

Brenda just received this notification:

“CEO Today Magazine is delighted to inform you that you have been selected as a winner for a 2022 CEO Executive Coaching Award”

Brenda’s Credentials

Spiritual Director | Professional Coach | Professor | UMC Minister

UMC Endorsement Spiritual Direction | General Board
Spiritual Direction and Spiritual Direction Supervision Training | Mercy Center
Transformational Leadership Training | Strategic Business Consulting
Professional Coaching Training & Certification
Conflict Resolution Training | Capital University Law School
Mental Health First Aider | Alcohol Drug and Mental Health Board, Franklin County
On-Line Teaching Certification | United Theological Seminary
Doctorate, Leadership and Theology | Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
Ordination | United Methodist Church
Master of Divinity | Boston University – School of Theology
Bachelors of Arts | Bowling Green State University