From her earliest years, Debra A. Brensinger has experienced a deep devotion to Christ and a keen interest in both human wellness in general and the spiritual life in particular. Whether reading secretly under the covers hours after bedtime, reflecting silently in the sanctuary of her childhood church in Massachusetts, or walking prayerfully somewhere in the out-of-doors, Deb has for as long as she can remember sensed “a flame burning within her.” Today, her desire remains not only to follow the pull of God in her own life, but to help others know him as well.

Deb’s early journey eventually brought her to Messiah College in central Pennsylvania, where she earned degrees in both Behavioral Science and Nursing. After practicing nursing for several years, she felt an increasing desire to move more intentionally into the field of Christian Spirituality, her lifelong delight. In 2005, Deb completed her M.A in Christian Spirituality and Spiritual Direction at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia. Given her training in behavioral science, nursing, and spirituality, her family and friends sometimes tease her that she has all three dimensions of the human experience covered—mind, body and soul!

Deb is a member of Spiritual Directors International, maintains a private spiritual direction practice, leads retreats on various topics related to spirituality and wellness, and teaches at both the Kairos School of Spiritual Formation and in her own denomination’s Equipping for Ministry program. In her leisure time, she enjoys reading, hiking, sewing and extending hospitality. In addition, her love for cross-cultural ministry has lead her over the years to, among other things, serve an inner-city congregation in New York, work for peace in Israel and the West Bank, care for AIDS babies at Mother Theresa’s orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya, and provide pastoral care to patients at Macha hospital in Zambia.

Debra A. Brensinger is the mother of two adult sons and a teenage daughter. She is an active member of the Grantham Brethren in Christ Church, the host church at Messiah College where she and her husband were married many years ago and where her husband now serves as Senior Pastor.