How People Grow
Adult spiritual formation is the weak link in the church right now. I don't mean my congregation, Fall Creek Wesleyan, but there too. I'm talking about a systemic problem in the American church. This is the classic "hole" between the two halves of the Great Commission. We're much better at attracting folks to Christ (or to our churches?) than at helping them become like Christ. After we bring them in, we often don't have a good "next step" to offer in their faith development.
What should that next step look like? Here are some elements that must be included in any approach to discipleship. People don't grow without these three things.
Bible Study
What should that next step look like? Here are some elements that must be included in any approach to discipleship. People don't grow without these three things.
Bible Study
People grow when the come to know God more fully, and Scripture is the primary way to accomplish that. To become mature Christians, people need to seriously interact with the Bible. Studying other writings, whether classic Christian texts or the latest best-sellers, will not substitute for Scripture study.
A spiritual formation effort must be founded on Bible study.
Relationships
Jesus organized his closest followers into a group of 12. Paul organized early believers into congregations, usually meeting in homes. The genius of the Methodist movement was its class meetings--small groups, limited in number, that met for study and accountability.
People crave intimate spiritual relationships. Men probably won't use that term, but everybody wants a few close relationships with like-minded from whom they can learn, gain support, and find friendship.
These relationships also provide the informal examples that bring Bible teaching to life. When we see other Christians talk, laugh, handle problems, get hurt, get angry, and get over it, we see how to become like Jesus. That example-based learning is indispensable.
A spiritual formation approach must include the forming of close spiritual relationships among small groups of people.
Accountability
Becoming like Christ is not purely a matter of what we believe; it's a matter of how we live. Jesus didn't say "repeat after me," as if the Christian life were a set of arithmetic tables. He said "Follow me," inviting us to imitate his lifestyle. That means life change is the goal of our effort. We are bringing irreligious people into contact with the Holy Spirit who will change them.
This makes accountability a critical element of discipleship. We must set the expectation that people will change with God's help, call them to do so, celebrate their victories, mourn their failures, and continually expect them to go deeper in their relationship with Christ.
Athlete's don't achieve without pushing themselves--or being pushed by their coaches and peers. Christians don't grow without setting the mutual expectation that change will occur in their lives.
A spiritual formation program must include setting an expectation for growth and keeping one another faithful to choose positive change.
So what will work in creating that environment? I'll blog about that next. For now, what do you think helps people grow? Are these elements present in your church's discipleship effort? How? Are there other important factors?
What do you think people need in order to grow spiritually?
3 Comments:
I recommend Dallas Willard's closing session at the 2002 IVF conference. It really addresses some of these issues. You can listen here: http://media.intervarsity.org/grad/fc2002/fc2002_dallas_willard.mp3
Definitely agree with your comments, but I think that our expectation about change is the foundation for the other pieces, that a prerequisite for healthy spiritual formation is openness to change, a mindset that expects it. I believe that disciples, by definition, are called to a life of constant change. There is no growth without change. (Notice that this means that we should also expect pain.) Yet most of us are highly resistant to spiritual change, in part, I think, because of what we have been traditionally taught about Christianity and what it means to be a Christian. I also think that spiritual formation is hindered by the American attitude toward and understanding of pain, which has permeated the church as well.
I agree that expectation of change is critical. I think in many ways our expectation for churches has become that they are support groups for helping people cope with sin rather than places to seek and celebrate victory over it.
My thought is embarrassingly simple. I think the first thing is to experience an encounter with Jesus Christ. Once you have had one of these, you WANT to get into His Message, the Bible, and learn more about Him and possibly have another encounter with Him.
Then, you WANT to be in relationships with people who also have had encounters with Him. You also want to have relationships with those who haven't yet, so they can experience what you are going through.
You CRAVE accountability. You don't want to go back to where you were- where it seems God is not there.
Maybe that's something we need to do... pray for those life changing encounters with the Lord of the universe- the same One who died for us. I know I could use one of those encounters today.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home