Jun

19

The Present Future-Part 5

June 19, 2007 |

The Present Future

For an introduction to this series, go to here

New Reality Number Four: The Return to Spiritual Formation

“We have turned our churches into groups of people who are studying God as though they were taking a course at school or attending a business seminar. We aim at the head. We don’t deal in relationships. And we wonder why there is no passion for Jesus and his mission?”

Wrong Question: How do We Develop Church Members?

“We have made following Jesus all about being a good church member. The scorecard is all about church membership, church participation, and church support. We are training people to be good club members.”

Tough Question: How Do We Develop Followers of Jesus?

“To live abundantly is to borrow the future into the present. This means that helping people develop emotionally, physically, and relationally is all spiritual. There is no sacred-secular dichotomy when it comes to spiritual formation.”

Newcomers: “Instead of dumping a packet of church club membership stuff on them, why not interview them about what they would like to see happen in their lives in terms of their spiritual development and personal growth?”

“I am recommending that churches provide life coaching for people. We need to view this as spiritual formation. We must use spiritual disciplines to help people form the center. We must attend to their self-awareness and life relationships.” In other words, address felt needs.

“Imagine helping people see how God can get into the life they already have instead of asking them to give up their life for the church.”

“I believe in the power of community in learning, particularly in helping us make behavioral applications of what we learn. That is why I am such a proponent of small groups. The consistent challenge I run into when discussing small groups is the prevalent notion that small groups should function primarily in a curriculum mode (a Bible study, test-driven experience). This is why groups can move from one curriculum piece to another and never experience any real growth. Effective groups where people grow allow people to declare to each other what is going on in their lives, what they’d like to see going on in the lives, and what kind of help and accountability they need to move toward their hopes and away from their frustrations. This brings life to the table, not a book!”

“The spiritual formation process should be customized and shaped to the learner for intentional outcomes…. The person development process is highly labor intensive…. The community of faith should be an environment where the number one pursuit is the development of human beings created in the image of God and redeemed into his family through Jesus.”


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