Articles for tag: Spiritual Formation

November 6, 2011

Christian Standard

Equipping Volunteer Leaders

By Jennifer Taylor Churches around the country struggle with the wonderful problem of how to expand their work by involving enthusiastic new leaders””people who may have limited Bible knowledge or ministry experience. The Crossing (Quincy, IL) created its Ministry Development Institute in 2009 to equip and encourage these volunteer leaders. The 18-month course of study provides in-depth biblical teaching and training in ministry skills. Classes include Old and New Testament surveys, the book of Acts, biblical interpretation, worldview and spiritual formation, practical ministry, and more. The institute posts syllabi and reading lists for each course on its website, and the

October 25, 2011

Christian Standard

You Must Read This . . . A Spiritual Retreat

By Becky Ahlberg Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense By N.T. Wright New York: HarperCollins, 2006 I found this gem during my search for help in writing the spiritual formation curriculum for an intensive yearlong program for low-income single mothers. As is often the case, when you teach, you learn the most. For this teacher, this book was like fresh water to a parched soul. In its simplicity and clarity it brought into bold relief how truly dry I was! Page after page the author brings to life the theology we often “know” and yet don”t understand in a personal way.

July 28, 2011

Christian Standard

A Place at the Table

By Ethan Magness   Many of Jesus” stories and parables center on parties and feasts. A consistent theme in these stories is that many who attend are unworthy. We see this in the parable of the great banquet (Luke 14:15-24). Many on the initial guest list refused to come, and so many others were then invited. And those invited later were people one would never expect to be invited to a noble event. The great parable of the wayward son (Luke 15:11-32) ends with a surprising feast. The elder son in the parable gives voice to our confusion when he

July 24, 2011

Christian Standard

God”s Great Story

By Ethan Magness There is a great story to be told that the world needs to hear. It is a story of rebellion and loss, chaos and destruction, punishment and fear. It is a story of rescue and restoration, order and repair, forgiveness and hope. It is a story of great redemption purchased at great cost. It is the story of great sacrifice because of a great love. This is the story of God and all people and this is the story the world needs to hear. There is a great story to be told that the church needs to

July 7, 2011

Christian Standard

Memory Matters

By Ethan Magness Our memory matters to God. After a personal encounter with God, a pillar of rocks would be built so the mercy of God would never be forgotten. In response to the great saving acts of God, festivals were established so the people could celebrate and never forget. Pilgrimages and parties, feasts and festivals were held for the purpose of maintaining the memories that defined God”s people. When the Israelites entered the land, God gave them new disciplines of memory: doorposts and tassels, promises to repeat, stories to tell. All of these were so God”s people and their

April 18, 2011

Christian Standard

Making Disciples?

By Kent E. Fillinger What about small groups? Should they be “euthanized,” as Brian Jones asserted (January 23) or promoted, as all the writers in Christian Standard”s March 6 issue suggested? We asked the churches we surveyed for their answer. For the first time, the churches that participated in this study were asked: “What is the primary method for adult discipleship (spiritual formation) at your church?” Churches were given these three choices to select from: Sunday school classes/adult Bible fellowship classes, small group Bible studies, or a combination of classes and groups. Here are the findings. Not a single megachurch

March 28, 2011

Christian Standard

Lesson for April 3, 2011: Remember Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:8-19)

This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for April 3) is written by Nicholas Cox who serves with Community Christian Church in White Marsh, Maryland. ____________ Remember Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:8-19) By Nicholas Cox When I moved from Maryland to Tennessee to attend seminary, I had an odd fear I couldn”t shake. Sure, there were logistics to figure out and hundreds of miles to travel. I had the normal butterflies when it came to meeting new people and facing new challenges. There was also concern caused by moving from an urban setting to a rural one; I

February 14, 2011

Christian Standard

Breathing Space in the Spiritual Journey

By Jan Johnson I felt the pressure building as I griped at my son for breaking his lunch box. A few days before, my husband, Greg, had been laid off for the third time, and every time something broke or wore out I felt my tightly bound panic cut loose. I needed to quiet myself before I heaped more shaming, unfeeling words on my family. I felt drawn toward my bedroom, so I finished preparing lunch and slipped on to my bed””not to sleep, but to pull out an untidy spiral notebook and spread my grief before God. God, I”m

November 4, 2010

Christian Standard

It”s All About Change

By Bill Search We”ve called change different things through the years: discipleship, edification, sanctification, transformation, spiritual formation. These are really great terms, but they convey one simple idea: how people become more like Jesus. A healthy small group should help people change. But many of our groups get off track. Ironically, the love for Scripture can accidentally distract us from the ultimate goal of changing to become like Jesus. You Need to Know More Some groups take a materialistic approach to Bible study. They crave to know more. They may not have the same intense desire to become different people,

October 4, 2010

Christian Standard

Lesson for Oct. 10, 2010: God”s Perfect Law (Psalm 19:7-14)

This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for October 10) is written by Nicolas Cox who serves as minister of small groups and spiritual formation at Community Christian Church, White Marsh, Maryland. God”s Perfect Law (Psalm 19:7-14) By Nicolas Cox Whether it”s the speed limit or regulations of a homeowners association, we tend to dislike laws. Restrictions seem to rankle us. Laws point out what is black and what is white””what is wrong and what is right. It”s amazing how hard we search for a messy gray somewhere in between. We become experts in finding loopholes that will

July 18, 2010

Christian Standard

NACC “˜Beyond”: A Sermon Series and BEYOND

By Ethan Magness In our own congregation, the BEYOND theme has been a channel for change. When we see what has happened here, we have great hope for what God will do through our convention. All of us want to be a part of churches that are moving beyond. We want to be always following Jesus to a place we have never been before. Certainly this desire to move beyond is a central value of Mountain Christian Church, where I serve on staff and where NACC President Ben Cachiaras is senior minister. One of the reasons we are excited to be

March 15, 2009

Christian Standard

Spiritual Formation as Leadership Development

By Bill Weber Bible colleges and seminaries are charged with preparing leaders for the church in an increasingly sophisticated and complex world. An institution”s value is determined by the success or failure of its graduates. A school”s visibility may be enhanced by special programs or presentations, new buildings, faculty publications, or successful sports teams, but the effectiveness of the graduates indicates whether or not a school is fulfilling its mission. These schools are expected to serve the educational and developmental needs of students. The first goal is to provide a knowledge base in important areas: Scripture, theological concepts, leadership theories,

March 15, 2009

Christian Standard

Christian College: High Value

    These days everyone is thinking about value received for money spent. In keeping with the times, we asked each of the Christian colleges in our annual survey to write a few paragraphs on this theme: “The High Value of Your Education at Our School.” Their reports follow.     Alberta Bible College Empowered to dream! Equipped to serve! Students join Alberta Bible College at different points on their faith journeys, but each is greeted with the same challenging question, “Where does your deep gladness meet the world”s deep need?”But students who are uncertain about attending ABC should ask

March 15, 2009

Christian Standard

FROM MY BOOKSHELF: For Presiders, Preachers, Prayers, and Other Leaders

By LeRoy Lawson Clinton J. Holloway, Lest We Forget: Meditations at the Meal of Remembrance (Cold Tree Press, 2008). August 2008 featured selections in Christian Standard from this collection by Clinton Holloway of meditations on the Lord”s Supper. This helpful book responds to a need many a presider feels when trying to offer a fresh thought before the worshipers partake. Some of Holloway”s offerings are refreshingly original, others more predictable, and yet others will spark your own imagination. Each focuses our attention on the reason for our worship. And, to one who has sat through””and even been guilty of presenting””sometimes

February 22, 2009

Christian Standard

Just What Is Christian Spirituality?

by Neal Windham In 1993, while returning from a Society of Biblical Literature meeting in San Francisco, I had a deep encounter with the living God. Having picked up Henri Nouwen”s In the Name of Jesus, I was confronted very directly with a question of terrifying significance: Had my life and work counted for anything, anything at all, or was I just playing games? That night, somewhere around 35,000 feet, God used one of the truly great Christian spirituality writers of the 20th century to begin stripping away layer upon layer of my selfishness and conceit. Since then I have

November 9, 2008

Christian Standard

Windows of Youth Ministry

By Curtis Booher and Phyllis Fox   In the rapidly changing culture of adolescents, one thing has remained the same over the generations””the nature of teenagers. Students of the current millennial generation are struggling to find their identity, purpose, and direction in life, to be independent of their parents, and to find love. These same struggles have confronted students in every generation.  The big questions remain the same: Who am I? Where am I going? Why am I here? But there are also many characteristics unique to students growing up in the new millennium. It is important to understand the

July 20, 2008

Christian Standard

Intentional Events

By Darrel Rowland Southland Christian Church“s approach to making disciples might seem a little counterintuitive. For instance, although the Lexington, Kentucky, church has grown to 8,000 weekend attendees in recent years, Southland actually is holding fewer, not more events. And the leadership believes the discipleship process begins before, not when, someone becomes a Christian. The number of events has been trimmed to maximize impact and quality, say Will Briggs, connection minister, and Brandon Schaefer, study associate minister. “We have been aware of the stigma and reality that some churches do entertain,” Schaefer says. “We”ve combated this by really being intentional

July 20, 2008

Christian Standard

ONLINE EXTRA: Making Disciples–An Interview with Ethan Magness

By Darrel Rowland His title alone””spiritual formation pastor””is enough to tell you that Ethan Magness of Mountain Christian Church near Baltimore, Maryland, does not hold a typical ministerial position. He is a leader in Mountain”s wide-ranging effort to make disciples and the primary author of The Walk, a 226-page book to help Christians grow. Here he talks about some of the barriers and opportunities to making disciples in the 21st-century church, including the contention of some critics that too many churches are entertaining attendees instead of teaching them to follow Jesus. Is the “entertaining rather than teaching” problem new? I

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