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Christian Formation
The purpose of the Christian life is to worship God and serve others. Everything that occurs in the faith life of our church (our curriculum) has educative value, informs our faith, and strengthens our worship of God and service of others. The following five forms of church life reflect our educational ministry. They are inter-related and are all necessary for effective spiritual formation in the life of the believer.
Fellowship and Communion
It is only in community that what we do as a people of God makes sense. Christian involvement is a relational experience with others who share a common belief and way of life centered in the love of God. Fellowship "happens" in many ways in our church--in small group study experiences, in planned social events, in worship as we gather collectively, in the sharing of communion, and informally as we share our lives and struggle with one another to be more Christlike in the living of our lives.
Worship and Prayer
Every Christian community develops a life of worship and prayer which takes on various forms--corporate and personal. These forms help us to meet the presence of God corporately with one another and personally in daily life. Our best form of Christian education is corporate worship. Sunday morning worship is the time when the entire membership unites in heart, mind, and spirit to praise God, declare our need for God, and respond to God's voice.
Service and Ministry
Serving and ministering to others has always been the vocation of Christianity. Caring for others from a heart of compassion is modeled in Jesus' ministry. This caring presents itself in many forms to the Christian community of faith and beyond it.
Proclamation of God's Word
Proclamation of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is at the heart of the Christian faith. This proclamation is about good news--that God is, that God is here with us, and that God is here and with us eternally. Kergyma is experienced in the sharing of God's Word, in preaching, in bearing testimony of our faith, and in practice of daily Christian living.
Teaching and Learning
Jesus repeatedly taught in the synagogue and Temple, especially on the Sabbath. People knew him as "Teacher." Didache in the Old Testament was a form of Torah: direction, instruction, information, and guidance. Teaching in the New Testament focuses on one central point: the incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Every teaching and learning event in our church, formal and informal, moves us to a greater understanding of God, in Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Gifts Class
We offer a spiritual gifts class that helps members develop a personal mission statement by discovering their servant profile. The servant profile includes a discovery of one's spiritual gifts, one's passion for ministry service, and acknowledgment of each person's unique personal style. Following the 6-8 hours of study, which is offered in 4 weekly sessions, each participant completes a ninety-minute consultation with our Minister of Education. This time is devoted to clarifying the work in the group study sessions, discussing one's relationship to the church and personal fulfillment in ministry service, and discussing possible ministry opportunities that relate to one's personal profile.
Every Christian has God-given spiritual gifts. Persons are most fulfilled in life when they recognize and use their spiritual gifts. The purpose of every believer is to glorify (worship) God and serve others. Completion of this course will help an individual know who God has created him/her to be, and what God has called him/her to do. This is fashioned into a one-sentence mission statement that gives believers purpose in life for serving God.
All believers are accountable to one another and are called of God to use their gifts to complete the body of Christ in each faith community (church). This program will help each church discover "the right persons, in the right places, for the right reasons." The name of the spiritual gifts program is called Network and is produced by Willow Creek Ministries.
Spiritual Formation Groups
We offer several spiritual formation groups using Richard Foster's Renovare (pronounced with a long e) Program. Renovare is a latin word meaning "to renew." Renovare participants commit to the following covenant:
"In utter dependence upon Jesus Christ as my everliving Savior, Teacher, Lord, and Friend, I will seek continual renewal through: spiritual exercises, spiritual gifts, and acts of service."
Initially, a group of 2-7 believers meet weekly to study six biblical and historical dimensions of the spiritual life using A Spiritual Formation Workbook by James Bryan Smith. This resource contains eight sessions:
A deeply held conviction of Renovare is that our beliefs must, of necessity, result in action. The Renovare motto is Credo Ergo Ago--I believe therefore I do. The following values seek to articulate this commitment to practice.
It is our desire that every person in our church will become involved in a Renovare group, will discover personal spiritual gifts, and will be an active, serving, and growing part of the body of Christ in this community of faith. Credo Ergo Ago--I believe therefore I do.
Lectio Divina
Lectio Divina (pronounced, LEX-EE-O…DE-VEE-NA) is an ancient practice of praying the scriptures. The phrase means "divine/sacred reading." This prayer form has found renewal in circles of spirituality today through the Centering Prayer Movement that began in the early seventies. Although this form of prayer has ancient roots, it still tends to be viewed as a unique, new, meaningful, and non-traditional methodology for listening to and experiencing God.
The purpose of Lectio Divina (or, Lectio, as it is commonly called) is to experience the presence of God through the reading of God's Word. The Bible is not read to seek ideas, concepts, or insights; to study the meaning of a text; or to be inspired, although that may occur. We come, in lectio, seeking God's presence in the text-nothing less. We come seeking to experience the living God-to be with him-and to allow him to be with us in whatever way he wishes. It is the experience of sitting in the presence of our most Intimate Friend. Jesus said, "I no longer call you servants, but friends, because I make known to you all that I have received from the Father…You have not chosen me, no, I have chosen you." (John 15:15)
Lectio involves a process or way of spirituality. It is a journey into God consisting of four parts---lectio (acquaintanceship), meditatio (friendly companionship), oratio (friendship), and contemplatio (union).
Keating sees our relationship with Christ going through four stages of increasing intimacy: from acquaintanceship, to friendliness, to friendship, to union. Thomas R. Ward summarizes Keating saying, "We begin by meeting another (acquaintanceship). If we sense an attraction and commonality, we might spend more time together (friendliness). Should we find an ever deeper pull, we might commit ourselves to a relationship of fidelity over time (friendship). Then, if this commitment deepens, we might find this commitment to be the center of our world, so much so that we find ourselves at one with the other (union)." Movement through this process can happen at any sitting with God's word and this practice leads to one's union with God in daily living.
Lectio (lection) is reading the Sacred Text repeatedly and taking a word or phrase from it that we will use all day to remember God's message to us. Meditatio (meditation) is pondering the text, listening for a message from God in it. Oratio (oration) is our response in prayer to God. Comtemplatio (contemplation) is resting in the presence of God in the experience-spending time with a friend.
This method of prayer is simple and practical and can be put into practice instantly. The elements of Lectio Divina are as follows:
Sometimes God will give us a word though our reading. It will be a message for the day. Sometimes a word will not come, so we take a word and let God speak to us through that word during the day. The result of the practice of Lectio is twofold: 1) Compassio (compassion) as we become more sensitive to the brokenness of creation and, 2) Operatio (action) a heart of self-giving love to others which becomes our spiritual practice. But more importantly, through the practice of Lectio, we will experience union with God in Christ--what is referred to theologically as the Diving Dwelling. Lectio is a life-changing experience.
Companions in Christ: Companions in Christ is a 28-week renewing experience that builds the spiritual practices of prayer, scripture reading, study, worship, ministry, and Christian conversation to help persons share more fully in the life of Christ. It involves daily time with God through individual reading and reflection and a weekly gathering with others for deeper exploration.
Family Cloister Class: Benedictine Wisdom for the Home
Many Christians today are rediscovering the wisdom of St. Benedict's ancient Rule. In our Family Cloister Class we explore teachings from the Rule that are helpful for family growth, peace, love, and stability. Topics covered include: Family Design, Family Spirituality, Family Discipline, Family Health, Family Life Together, Family Service and Hospitality, and Family Growth. David Robinson's The Family Cloister:Benedictine Wisdom for the Home is our study text.
Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life
Majorie Thompson provides guidance and help to those who wish to explore the riches of Christian spirituality. She offers a framework for understanding the spiritual disciplines, as well as instruction in developing and nurturing those practices. We encourage our members to use this resource for personal study and reflection.
Book Studies
Book studies such as Climbing the Sycamore Tree, Awake My Soul, Living a Life That Matters, and Plain Living: A Quaker Path to Simplicity are offered for small group growth experiences.
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"Obeying the Spirit's call to love God and serve others through the practice of our faith." |