Spiritual Formation Initiative. By: Jennifer Bradley. Jodi Skinner. Maureen Terpstra. Steven Winterhalter

Transcription

1 Spiritual Formation Initiative 1 Spiritual Formation Initiative By: Jennifer Bradley Jodi Skinner Maureen Terpstra Steven Winterhalter

2 Spiritual Formation Initiative 2 Leaders Where Are Your sheep? Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds (Proverbs 27:23, NIV). A spiritual growth strategy has to begin with leaders understanding the current condition of the flock God has set before them. Current research, Willow Creek Reveal studies, has identified four major categories that an average person is in who either attends church or has some type of contact with the church through a church function. Generally people are in one of four categories, Exploring Christ, Growing in Christ, Close to Christ, or Christ Centered (Hawkins, 2008). The research also outlines three stages of growth a believer goes through while following Christ. Leaders must know what percent of the congregation is in what category to effectively provide fertile ground for spiritual growth. Providing fertile ground may be thought of as providing events, occasions, and opportunities, which may become milestones along a person s walk with Christ or markers in a person s personal spiritual growth history. Three growth stages a believer goes through are, Early Growth, Intermediate Growth, and Advanced Growth (Hawkins, 2008). One of the basic rules of communication is know your audience, if the gospel is to be communicated effectively leaders must know what the flock needs to hear at what time. Some need to be fed with spiritual milk and others need spiritual meat (1 Cor 3). Four Categories in Spiritual Continuum The four segments, Exploring Christ, Growing in Christ, Close to Christ, or Christ Centered, combine to form a Spiritual Continuum (Hawkins, 2008, p.26). Exploring Christ Those who are Exploring Christ are very interested, but have not made a commitment to follow Christ yet. These people need to know what it means to be a follower of Christ. They

3 Spiritual Formation Initiative 3 watch Christians on every level to see how they act and react in life s situations. Growing in Christ Those who are Growing in Christ have received Christ as their savior, but need foundational and fundamental Bible teaching, among other things, which encourages spiritual growth. This stage will affect the rest of their Christian walk. Close to Christ Those who are Close to Christ depend on Him daily, talk with Him daily, and read the Word very regularly. Their faith is not easily shaken. It is the people in this stage who do most of the volunteer work. They also tend to over-commit. There is room for growth in Christ beyond being busy for Him. Christ Centered Those who are Christ Centered are well established and firmly planted on the Rock, Christ Jesus. There is nothing in this world, or of their own lives that they care for more than the relationship they have with Christ. Three Movements Across Continuum The four segments connect together through the three stages of spiritual growth in the Spiritual Continuum (Hawkins, 2008, p.26). There are four major categories of Spiritual Catalysts, (Hawkins, 2008, p.27) which precipitates spiritual growth along the continuum. Spiritual Catalysts are: Spiritual Beliefs and Attitudes, Organized Church Activities, Personal Spiritual Practices, and Spiritual Activities with Others (Hawkins, 2008). Exploring Christ Seek the Seekers When the focus is spiritual growth, there are those who need to take the first step of their spiritual journey with God through Christ. Consider this mission statement of a local church. It is

4 Spiritual Formation Initiative 4 to, connect people to Jesus and equip them to become growing and faithful followers." Seeking the seekers is just that. Seek out those who are seeking. Most people in this category know they are hungry for something real something deep. Not one of them could even begin to imagine what God has planned for their life for their new life. First things first though, the seeker needs to be made alive before he or she can grow spiritually in Christ. If the church, however, strives to show love to the point of validating a sinful lifestyle, spiritual growth will stall and spiritual stagnation will set in. "If you simply want a crowd, the seeker sensitive model produces results. If you want solid, sincere, mature followers of Christ, it s a bust" (Burney, 2007). New growth from a new life given by Christ and received by faith is the only first step to spiritual maturity in Christ. So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (NKJV). What then is the best thing each church leader can do for a seeker? "Unless there is a return to simple biblical (and relevant) principles, a new faulty scheme will replace the existing one and another generation will follow along..." (Burney, 2007). Spiritual Beliefs and Attitudes As we look at those who are exploring Christ we must first gain an understanding of their Spiritual beliefs and attitudes in order to help them along on their journey. Many may believe in God but do not know Christ as their personal Savior. They may attend church, read their bible sparingly, or even be part of a small group as they explore Christ, however, if they never have the opportunity to accept Jesus into their heart the church has failed them. Growing in Christ Find the Found The second stage on this continuing journey is called Growing in Christ. People in this stage of the Christian journey are often eager they are eager to get to know their newfound Savior and to share this news with others. They can t wait to shed things from their old life as

5 Spiritual Formation Initiative 5 they learn that they are new creations in Christ. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come, (2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV). We believe one of the biggest needs in this stage is building relationships. So how can we help the person who is growing in Christ become a fully devoted follower? There are a few things we can do to encourage growth, which would help move them along on this journey we call the Christian life. We believe the church should encourage the eagerness that they are experiencing. Organized Church Activities It is essential to get those who are Growing in Christ connected within the church body. One of the most difficult challenges a new believer has is to know where to turn when Satan tries to rob them of their joy. If a person in this stage does not have a solid foundation of positive friendships, they will be very vulnerable. It is good for them to surround themselves with believers, as there is strength in numbers. We think the best way to do this is through house churches, or small groups. A stronger discipling ministry will begin when house churches are launched, (Richards, 1980). When this is accomplished it enables a new believer to learn God s Word in a casual setting where they can feel comfortable to ask questions. One of the biggest reasons why believers don t move beyond this stage is because they don t know where to turn for questions, or how to study God s word. It is also important for the church to have a series of classes for new believers. Many new believers do not know how to find books within the Bible. We all know the Bible is the most important book ever written, however, it can be confusing and overwhelming for new believers. Some important topics include background and structure of how the Bible was written and why it was written, an overview of the Old Testament and New Testament, and how it relates to us

6 Spiritual Formation Initiative 6 today. Personal Spiritual Practices The importance of prayer is one of the hardest things for a new believer to realize. We believe one way to help encourage good prayer habits is to have prayer groups and prayer meetings. People who are further along in their journey with Christ should help teach the younger believers how to pray. Spiritual Activities with others Holding a baby in the nursery, singing with the worship team, passing out bulletins, or being on the welcoming team are wonderful opportunities to serve God. Encouraging new believers to serve and teaching them why we serve is an important part of spiritual growth. Teaching to serve with a joyous heart out of love towards our Heavenly Father and others gives a new believer life interaction with other Christians, which promotes spiritual growth. This stage is all about learning who God is and growing closer to Him. One way to do this is through building relationships with people who are further along in this journey. Close to Christ Identity Relief There is room for growth in Christ beyond being busy for Him. This group needs, opportunities to stretch their serving and evangelistic experiences beyond the typical menu of church ministry options. (Hawkins, 2008, p. 76) Spiritual Beliefs and Attitudes Hawkins (p. 75) points out that four of the top five catalysts for movement three are Spiritual Beliefs and Attitudes. They are, Giving Away My Life, Christ is First, Identity in Christ, and Authority of the Bible. The fifth is a Spiritual Practice Reflection on Scripture.

7 Spiritual Formation Initiative 7 Leaders opening doors for others to serve effectively within their calling is essential. There are multiple opportunities to serve within the church community, but the Close to Christ group has a growing passion to serve Christ, not just sign up for one more program at church. They really desire to immerse their life in obedience to Christ they desire to give their life wholly over to Christ, whatever the cost. They hold the attitude that Christ is First in their lives. They are just bursting to bear fruit all they need are opportunities to step out that bear witness with their spirit. They walk around seemingly triple blessed they received salvation, they have foundational beliefs in order, they understand what it means to be hid in Christ, but at the same time they see a weak and dying world, and know the best thing they can do for it is to do what God wants them to do. The Close to Christ group has their identity wrapped up in Christ. They realize they are not their own, and that they are only in this world but not of this world. They understand not only intellectually, but also by witness, the authority of God s written Word, the Holy Bible. Personal Spiritual Practices Reflection on Scripture is the most common spiritual practice of those who are Close to Christ identified by Hawkins research. They give serious though and consideration to Scripture and seek wisdom and understand on how it applies to their lives. This group can identify what they believe, and also why they believe it. It is to them almost tangible how God orchestrates His will among believers. They have a burning desire to be part of it as an instrument that God works through. All they need is a leader to give them opportunities for a leader to effectively provide fertile ground for spiritual growth in this area. Christ Centered Give it Away As believers learn to depend on the Lord Jesus and integrate Him into all areas of their

8 Spiritual Formation Initiative 8 lives, they become Christ Centered. It is important to continually strengthen the inner man by staying in God s Word, praying, and staying in fellowship with other believers. Spiritual Beliefs and Attitudes We have suggested some ideas for new and maturing believers to educate and motivate them into further growth. The Christ Centered Christian is in a place where their dependence on the Holy Spirit is paramount. The Bible is their full authority. Intimacy with Jesus and serving mankind through Christ is the most important thing! A Christ Centered person is not focused on the things of this world. They do not put their thoughts and emotions into material possessions or ungodly relationships. They look for opportunities to witness to unbelievers and to educate new believers in their lives. Beth Brown states in The Christian Educators Handbook on Spiritual Formation, Christians are called to a life of service until death, (1994). A mature Christian will bear fruit, and show evidence that their life is encompassed by the Lord Jesus. They are BOLD in their faith, quick to be humble and willing to lay their life on the line for their faith. The righteous who are firmly planted in God s truth, will still bear fruit in their old age, they will stay fresh and green proclaiming, The Lord is my Rock (Ps. 92:14-15) Organized Church Activities If we are to stimulate the Christ Centered individual as a church, leaders must provide outlets and opportunities, which allow them to mentor growing leaders. Let us consider putting in place varied programs for mature Christians to GIVE it AWAY! Leaders are stimulated when they witness the excitement and fresh love for God from a Christian who is growing in his or her dependence on Him. Mature Christians are less likely to stagnate in their faith walk when someone is watching their example of lifestyle. It is energizing to share the Word and see someone come to the knowledge of Christ and what He has already done for us! Christ

9 Spiritual Formation Initiative 9 Centered men and women are usually aware of their spiritual gifts, but not always. Implementing classes and workshops on discovering your spiritual gifts would help Christ Centered believers become aware of their spiritual gift mix. Classes should be offered to all members, but will most likely only be attractive to some. One possibility to connect the Growing and Exploring groups with the Christ Centered group might be weekend retreats with worship, special speakers, and other group connecting activities. At these events, the leaders grounded in Christ should be organizing everything and welcoming the attendees. Church Ministry involvement is imperative for the mature believer. An awareness of their spiritual giftings would make it an easy decision for the mature men and woman to decide where to serve in the church. All believers would benefit from small groups to meet at a member s home. Bible study and community service based on Christian values are wonderful when done together as the body of Christ. Fellowship and opening up one s heart to dig deeper into the Heart of God is accomplished with small groups. Personal Spiritual Practices A Christ Centered Christian typically spends the first part of every day in God s word, enjoys worshiping on a regular basis, and often journals. They are people who typically keep running prayer lists for the requests of others. These individuals know how to pray effectively and how to use scripture correctly in each situation. Fasting for God to give discernment is more common with a mature Christian than with a new believer. The gift of speaking in tongues is also associated with a Christ Centered walk. It would be natural for this man or woman to make major decisions only after time with God. The fruit is evident with a Christ Centered Christian. Bob Yandian states, We can now freely receive everything we need for righteous

10 Spiritual Formation Initiative 10 living directly from our loving heavenly Father, (1985). Christians who truly allow the Holy Spirit to direct their lives are at peace. Spiritual Activities with others We are strongly in favor of outside ministry involvement. Homeless shelters, domestic abuse shelters for women, prisons and children s centers are wonderful ways to be JESUS to the world. There are many non-profit organizations desperate for volunteers, and Christians should be knocking at their doors. What a terrific opportunity to serve mankind and to witness to the lost. Salvation is the way out of a lonely and troubled life! The Christ Centered individual could be mentoring and volunteering non-believers, while bringing along other growing Christians. Bringing Us All, Together We hope to help you get started with some exciting challenges for believers in each stage of development in your church. To provide fertile ground for the people who are Exploring Christ, Growing in Christ, Close to Christ, or Christ Centered, there must be leaders who are willing to lead by example while following Christ with humility and courage. As your consultants we believe it is imperative that your leaders have a pulse on the congregants and their spiritual awareness. Our passion is for helping God s Word become alive in your church and in your members. It is attainable for all! We would be humbled and proud for your board to consider our ideas and prayerfully implement them. God Bless.

11 Spiritual Formation Initiative 11 References Burney, B. (2007). A Shocking Confession from Willow Creek Community Church. Retrieved January 27, 2009, from CrossWalk.com The intersection of faith and life Web site: Gangel, K. O., & Wilhoit, J. (1994). The Christian educator's handbook on spiritual formation. Wheaton, Ill: Victor Books. Hawkins, G., & Parkinson, C. (2008). Follow Me - What's Next for You? South Barrington, IL: Reveal. Maxwell, J. C. (1998). The 21 irrefutable laws of leadership: Follow them and people will follow you. Nashville, Tenn: Thomas Nelson. Richards, L., & Hoeldtke, C. (1988). Church leadership: Following the example of Jesus Christ. Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library. Yandian, B. (1985). Galatians: The spirit-controlled life. Tulsa, Okla: Harrison House.