A Plan For Spiritual Formation in Community

At Calvary Church

By David Rudd

Submitted to Dr. Peter Osborne

Grand Rapids Theological Seminar

April 28, 2006

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction……………………………………………………………………..3
Spiritual Formation Overview…………………………………………………..4
Existing Explanations of Spiritual Formation…………………………..5
Biblical Overview of Spiritual Formation……………………………....6
Exploration of the Image of Christ……………………………..8
Conforming to the Image of Christ…………………………….10
Spiritual Formation in Community……………………………………………14
Overview of Spiritual Formation Vehicles……………………………14
Rationale for Spiritual Formation in Community……………………..16
Biblical Teaching about Relationships………………………...16
Humanity’s Need for Relationships…………………………...19
Parameters of Biblical Community……………………………………21
Examining Models of Spiritual Formation in Community……………………23
Willow Creek Community Church……………………………………23
North Point Community Church………………………………………25
Pantego Bible Church…………………………………………………26
Church Multiplication Associates……………………………………..27
Xenos Christian Fellowship…………………………………………...29
Ginghamsburg Church………………………………………………...30
Blythefield Hills Baptist Church……………………………………...31
Evergreen Community………………………………………………..32
Evaluation of Church Models………………………………………...33
Greenhouse Method of Church……………………………………….35
A Plan for Spiritual Formation in Community at Calvary Church…………...39

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 Introduction

Christianity boiled down to its very core is all about imitating Jesus. As most

believers have experienced, accomplishing this goal is extremely difficult, and perhaps

seemingly impossible. Fortunately we have not been left alone in this task. We are

enabled by the Holy Spirit, and encouraged by our brothers and sisters in Christ. When

we allow the Spirit to work in us and other believers to work with us, we can be formed

into the image of Christ. This process is called spiritual formation. Spiritual formation

was meant to happen in community. It cannot happen individually.

This paper will provide a biblical explanation of what spiritual formation is and

how it can happen most effectively. Clear evidence will be given that Jesus’ intended us

to grow spiritually through our relationships with one another. Programs of several

churches attempting to enact this type of spiritual formation using different means will be

examined and evaluated.

Finally, a plan will be outlined for spiritual formation at Calvary Church. This

plan will include an evaluation of our current programs as well as a plan for future

programs. An outline of a transition plan is also included.

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Spiritual Formation Overview

Spiritual Formation is not new. Since the time Christ walked with the apostles;

women and men have found themselves being formed spiritually. Throughout the

centuries the idea of spiritual formation has taken on different names and different forms,

however the basic principles have rarely changed. As long as there has been a church,

there have been people who have desired to be conformed to the image of Christ. This is

the goal of spiritual formation.

Recently, the term spiritual formation has been more specifically applied by the

likes of Dallas Willard1, Eugene Peterson2, and Richard Foster3. These men and others

have contributed to the emerging popularity of spiritual formation as a process embraced

by mainline, catholic, and evangelical churches. The organization Renovare has

specialized in assisting groups of believers in their journey toward spiritual formation by

publishing many different resources for those desiring to be spiritually formed.

As the popularity of spiritual formation has grown, so has the array of opinions

regarding what the definition of spiritual formation actually is. Although many differing

opinions exist regarding the definition of spiritual formation, most definitions deal with a

few key elements. Most definitions are concerned with internal change. Most definitions

are concerned with the work of the Holy Spirit. Most definitions see Christ-likeness as

the goal of spiritual formation.

1
Dallas Willard is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern California. His works on
Spiritual Formation include Renovation of the Heart, The Divine Conspiracy, The Spirit of the Disciplines,
and Hearing God.
2
Eugene Peterson is Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British
Columbia. He has written several articles on the topic of Spiritual Formation. His books include
Subversive Spirituality and Christ Plays in a Thousand Places.
3
Richard Foster is the founder of Renovare. He has written Celebration of Discipline, Streams of Living
Water, and Freedom of Simplicity.

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Existing Explanations of Spiritual Formation.

Dallas Willard, considered by many to be the foremost authority on this topic,

would suggest that spiritual formation is the process by which the inner character of a

person is formed to resemble the character of Christ. Willard would reject the idea that

spiritual formation is concerned with external activities. These, he would suggest are

results of the inner transformation. Willard’s view, while emphasizing inner

transformation, places a high emphasis on the role of individuals in accomplishing their

own spiritual formation.

The Eastbourne Consultation Joint Statement on Discipleship4 defines Christian

discipleship as “a process that takes place within accountable relationships over a period

of time for the purpose of bringing believers to spiritual maturity in Christ…The process

of discipleship is played out in a vital life-giving relationship to God that enables us to

walk in the light as he is in the light, and do the will of the Father.” The emphasis placed

on accountable relationships by this statement positively moves away from the

individualistic models of discipleship which have been prevalent in evangelicalism.

However, it seems that this statement as well as Willard’s ideas fail to address the source

of spiritual formation.

James Grier5 has said that spiritual formation is the formative work of the Holy

Spirit by which we are conformed to the image of the Son who is the perfect

representation of the Father. Grier’s Trinitarian definition seems to encapsulate many of

4
In October of 1999, over 450 evangelicals came together at Eastbourne, England for the “First
International Consultation on Discipleship”. The main topic of discussion was the need for discipleship to
be deeper rather than wider. The resulting statement was the Eastobourne Consultation Joint Statement on
Discipleship. The statement in its entirety can be found in Appendix A.
5
James Grier is a Distinguished Professor of Philosophical Theology at the Grand Rapids Theological
Seminary. His lectures on Spiritual Formation can be found at http://grts.cornerstone.edu/about/chapel.

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the ideas regarding spiritual formation while remaining true to the Biblical teaching

regarding the character formation of the believer. I believe Grier’s definition is distinct

from most other definitions in that Grier credits the Holy Spirit as the active force while

most definitions concentrate on the effort required by the individual seeking to be

spiritually formed.

Biblical Overview of Spiritual Formation.

Exploration of Terminology.

What does the Bible teach regarding spiritual formation? The word “spiritual” is

mentioned 27 times in the New Testament (NIV). Paul is the most common user of the

word. Nearly every time we find the word “spiritual” it is translated from the root word

“pneuma” which is the same word most often used to describe the Holy Spirit. Thus it is

reasonable to suggest that references to “spiritual” in the New Testament are dealing with

or suggesting relationship to the Holy Spirit.

An overview of the passages using the word “spiritual” suggests that we can “be”

spiritual. A state exists in which a man can be considered “unspiritual” (Rom.7:14).

There are people who live without the Spirit (1 Cor.2:14). Paul considered some of his

audience to be “not spiritual, but worldly” (1 Cor.3:1). However, there are some whom

Paul would consider to “be spiritual” (Gal.6:1). In contrast to those without the Spirit,

there are those who are called the “spiritual man” (1 Cor.2:14). A simple conclusion is

that one can be spiritual and one can be not spiritual.

Other verses seem to indicate that perhaps degrees of spirituality exist. Peter

implored his audience to consume spiritual milk so they might “grow up” (1Pe2:2). Paul

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prayed that the Colossians might be “filled” with “spiritual wisdom” (Col.1:9). We

should consider that spirituality is not a simple matter of have and have not. Stages exist

which we move between; sometimes being more spiritual, sometimes being less spiritual,

and maybe sometimes being not spiritual. Thus, since spirituality is a state of being

which may exist at different levels and different times, and because spirituality is directly

tied to the work of the Spirit, it may be appropriate to consider spirituality as a

progressive work of the Holy Spirit.

“Formation” is a more difficult word to comprehensively address, however, one

can reasonably identify the main ideas suggested by such a word. “Being formed” is one

related concept which is addressed in the New Testament. “Taking the form of” is

another concept suggested by the word formation. The Greek word “morphoo”, from

which we draw English words such as “morph” and “metamorphisis” and related words

seem to be the closest New Testament word to this idea.

Nearly every verse which speaks of something being formed or taking the form of

identify God as the active force in the formative work. Although most references speak

of God’s formative work in creation, Romans 9:20 uses the image of a potter and clay to

identify God as the formative force in the lives of people as well.

2 Corinthians 3:18 and Philippians 3:21 both speak of being transformed to the

image of Christ. Romans 8:29 uses similar language, speaking of being conformed to the

likeness of the Son. Paul seems to indicate in Galatians 4:19 that his greatest desire for

the Galatians was that Christ would be formed in them.

Negative examples of formation also exist in the New Testament. Paul warns

against being conformed to the pattern of the world (Rom.12:2). Peter points out the

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dangers of conforming to the evil desires one had prior to Christ (1 Pe.1:14). Formation

of this kind could be identified as changing one’s behavior to that of the world, or

changing one’s mindset to that which one formerly had.

Formation is change. Positive formation is being changed to look like Christ.

Negative formation is being formed to look like the world. The formation enacted by

God is the former. We are rarely static. We are constantly being formed. Those who

resist God’s formation will certainly succumb to the formation of the world.

This very basic overview of New Testament references leads me to suggest that

spiritual formation might best be thought of as “the progressive work of the Holy Spirit

which changes us to the image of Christ.”

Exploration of the Image of Christ.

A proper understanding of what it means to be in the image of Christ begins in

Genesis One. The final piece of God’s good creation was man and woman. Genesis 1:27

states that man was created in the image of God. Over the course of time, many have

addressed the meaning of the phrase, “the image of God”, and many different ideas have

emerged as to the precise meaning of this phrase. I prefer to take a more simplistic

approach to this passage, assuming that God created humans to represent him.

Typically when phrases such as “image” or “likeness” are used in the Old

Testament they imply a similarity in external characteristics. The idea of “image” is the

same idea as that of “idol”, a physical representation of an invisible god. Thus, it is not

an inappropriate parallel to suggest that we, as image bearers of God, are in reality idols

of God, the physical representation of an invisible God.

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After naming his creation, God proceeded to outline the job description for the image

bearers of God. Genesis 1:27,28 says:

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the
earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over
every living creature that moves on the ground. Then God said, “I give you every
seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with
seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all
the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that
has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

It was the desire of God that his image bearers maintain and care for creation as if they

had created it themselves. Genesis 2:15-17 offers further clarification:

The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and
take care of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat
from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

One might reasonably conclude that God’s desire was to have humanity represent him to

the rest of creation in an accurate and positive manner.

Representing God to His creation is a daunting task, made more difficult by the

fact that we cannot see God. Although we cannot definitively say so, it is not

unreasonable to suggest that Adam and Eve, as the original image bearers, had the

privilege of spending regular time with God. Many have suggested Genesis 3:8 implies a

regular appointment between God and his two image bearers. During these times, Adam

and Eve certainly would have been able to better know God and thus better represent him

to creation.

Everything changed when Adam and Eve chose to inappropriately represent God

by allowing the serpent to misrepresent God’s words and by choosing to directly disobey

God’s commands. The immediate result was expulsion from the garden and loss of their

intimate relationship with God. The far-reaching result was mankind’s loss of their

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ability to know and thereby appropriately represent God. Galatians 4:8 and 1

Thessalonians 4:5 both speak to the human condition of not knowing God. John 1:18

emphasizes that no one knows God because no one has seen God.

Jesus came to earth so that we could know God. John 1:18 says that “God the

One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.” One aspect of Christ’s

work on earth was to restore our ability to know God, and as a result, He restored our

ability to represent God. He accomplished this by being the perfect representation of

God himself. According to Colossians 1:15, “He is the image of the invisible God.”

Spiritual formation then, as the progressive work of the Holy Spirit changing us to

the image of Christ, is the necessary vehicle by which we become what God created us to

be. The New Testament epistles place a high emphasis on the importance of having our

lives formed to look like Jesus. Paul urged new Christians to follow his example as he

followed the example of Christ (1 Cor.11:1), Peter encouraged believers to follow in the

steps of Christ (1 Pet.2:21), and John said we should “walk as Jesus did.”(1 John 2:6)

Philippians 2:5 says we should assume the same attitude as Christ and 1 Peter 1:14-16

says we should assume the same holiness as Christ.

Conforming to the Image of Christ.

John concluded his gospel by writing, “Jesus did many other things as well. If

every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not

have room for the books that would be written.” I suspect that trying to paint a

conclusive picture of what being formed to the image of Christ might look like is as

impossible a task as recording all that he did in his life. Therefore, I am suggesting the

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following three general statements which summarize much of Jesus’ mission while on

earth:

 While on earth, Jesus relied on the Spirit

 While on earth, Jesus relieved suffering
 While on earth, Jesus redeemed sin

Before returning to the Father, Jesus promised his disciples another Counselor,

the Holy Spirit. He told them that they already knew the Spirit because the Spirit had

lived with them and would soon be in them (John 14:17). Jesus claimed the Spirit had

been with the disciples because His own ministry was so intertwined with that of the

Spirit. John 1:32 portrays this close relationship in a vivid reimaging of Genesis 1. At

the creation of the world, the Spirit hovered over the creative work of the Son (Genesis

1:2; Colossians 1:16). At Jesus’ baptism, the inauguration of the new creation, the Holy

Spirit is again pictured hovering, this time as a dove.

Jesus’ ministry was completely reliant on His close relationship with the Holy

Spirit. John, describing the source of power for Christ’s ministry, wrote that God gave

the Spirit to Jesus “without limit” (John 3:34). Jesus’ promise to his followers was that

they too would receive the Holy Spirit as a power source for carrying out the mission he

would give them.

Much of Jesus’ earthly ministry was spent relieving suffering. Every time he

healed a person, their physical suffering was relieved as was the emotional suffering of

their friends and family. When he suspended the laws of nature, he did so to relieve the

suffering of fear or embarrassment (remember the water being turned to wine?). Even his

teaching emphasized the importance of relieving suffering. Matthew 25:31-46

emphasizes the high value God places on helping those in need. These verses identify

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Jesus’ true followers as those who feed the hungry, show hospitality to the stranger,

clothe the naked, and visit the oppressed.

Jesus’ second greatest command was “love your neighbor as yourself”(Mark

12:31; Luke 10:27). When asked to define who our neighbor is, Jesus told the parable of

the Good Samaritan, a man who showed mercy to a foreigner who had been ignored by

his own religious leaders. The point of the parable was two-fold. First, our neighbor is

everyone we come into contact with. Second, we demonstrate love to our neighbor by

being merciful to those in need.

The climactic act of Jesus’ life was his sacrificial death on the cross. Much of his

activity leading up to this moment was redemptive in nature. Mark 2 tells the story of

Jesus’ interaction with a paralyzed man. Before Christ healed the man, he forgave his

sins. John 4 is the account of Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well.

Throughout the course of their conversation, Jesus brought her to a point of belief and

redemption. During his last supper with the disciples, Jesus used the pouring of wine to

symbolize his blood which he said would be shed for the “sins of many” (Matthew

26:28).

Paul looked back upon Christ’s ministry as being redemptive in nature. He

suggested that one of the reasons God sent His Son to earth was to redeem those who

were enslaved by sin and the law (Galatians 4:3-7). Titus wrote about Christ’s

redemptive work and identified it as the impetus by which we are able to live purified

lives which are considered “good” by the Father (Titus 2:14,15).

The goal of spiritual formation is Christlikeness. One who adopts the mission of

Christ is likely one who is being formed into the image of Christ. Relying on the Spirit

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and relieving suffering are tangible actions which can be viewed as marks of one who is

being spiritually formed. However, redeeming sins is not an element of Christ’s mission

which can be imitated. Emulation of this aspect of Jesus’ mission can be accomplished

through the fulfillment of Jesus final mandate. Matthew 28, Mark 16, and Acts 1 record

Jesus final command to go into the entire world making disciples. This work of

reproducing the ministry of Christ is the practical method by which anyone can engage in

Jesus’ redemptive mission.

Those who are being spiritually formed are those who are being progressively

changed by the Holy Spirit into the image of Christ who is the perfect representative of

God the Father. The image of Christ will naturally be worked out through the adoption

of Christ’s mission while He was on earth. Thus, spiritual formation will result in

believers who rely on the Holy Spirit, relieve the suffering of the oppressed, and lead

others to Christ for the redemption of their sins.

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 Spiritual Formation in Community

If spiritual formation is the progressive work of the Holy Spirit to form us to the

image of Christ, how precisely can this be accomplished? Many have written on this

subject. It is not difficult to find books, articles, web-sites, and other materials detailing

methods for spiritual formation. I think, however, it is crucial to distinguish the process

spiritual formation from the means by which it is produced.

Spiritual formation is the progressive work of the Holy Spirit to change believers

into the image of Christ. Recognizing the Holy Spirit as the active force in spiritual

formation is crucial. We are unable, through our own effort, to produce spiritual

formation in ourselves. Our role is to open ourselves to (or rely upon) the formative

work of the Spirit. Therefore, the actions we undertake are not spiritual formation, but

should rather be considered instruments to assist us in opening ourselves to the formative

work of the Spirit.

Overview of Spiritual Formation Vehicles.

One of the foremost writers on the subject of spiritual formation in recent years is

Dallas Willard. Willard identifies several disciplines which he suggests can be effective

instruments to assist one’s efforts to be formed like Christ. He categorizes these

activities as disciplines of abstinence and engagement.6

Regard disciplines of abstinence, Willard says, “we abstain to some degree and

for some time from the satisfaction of what we generally regard as normal and legitimate

desires.”7 According to Willard, abstaining is a means by which we can be careful not to

6
Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines (San Francisco, CA: Harper Collins, 1988), 158
7
Ibid., 159

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allow legitimate desires to grow out of control and overwhelm our lives. Among the

disciplines of abstinence, Willard lists solitude, silence, fasting, frugality, chastity,

secrecy, and sacrifice.8

Disciplines of engagement “counteract tendencies to sins of omission.”9

According to Willard, abstinence breaks down our improper engagements so that we can

engage in disciplines which allow us to engage with God. Willard suggests that some of

the disciplines of engagement are activities such as study, worship, celebration, service,

prayer, fellowship, confession, and submission.10

Richard Foster is one of the directors of the organization Renovare. The mission

of Renovare is to provide individuals churches and their members with a balanced,

practical, effective small-group strategy for spiritual growth.11 Renovare identifies six

historic movements within Christianity and seeks to assist the formation of believers by

assimilating the strengths of each movement. According to Renovare, the six elements of

the balanced spiritual life are the prayer-filled life, the virtuous life, the spirit-empowered

life, the compassionate life, and the word-centered life. Renovare seeks to form this

balanced life in believers through small groups designed to assist the members in the

practice of spiritual disciplines similar to those espoused by Willard.

Donald Whitney identifies spiritual disciplines as “those personal and corporate

disciplines that promote spiritual growth. They are the habits of devotion and

experiential Christianity that have been practiced by the people of God since biblical

8
Ibid., 159-175
9
Ibid., 176
10
Ibid., 175-190
11
James Bryan Smith with Lynda Graybeal, A Spiritual Formation Workbook (San Francisco, CA: Harper
Collins, 1991), 11

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times.”12 Whitney suggests that spiritual disciplines are one of three primary catalysts

used by God to conform us to Christlikeness. The other two catalysts are people and

circumstances. Whitney would identify some key disciplines as Bible intake, prayer,

worship, evangelism, serving, stewardship, fasting, silence and solitude, journaling, and

learning.

Rationale for Spiritual Formation in Community.

Biblical Teaching About Relationships.

While all these disciplines can be effective means of opening ourselves to the

formative work of the Spirit, engaging in them solely as individuals can keep us from

being completely formed as Christ intended us to be.

We were created to be relational beings. Genesis 2:18 records the first negative

words of God. Before creating the woman, He said of Adam, “It is not good for the man

to be alone.” God had created people who were not complete without other people in

their lives.

Genesis 1:27 says “…in the image of God he created him; male and female he

created them.” The Trinitarian God can rightly be defined as a unity with diversity. The

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit function uniquely in different roles, however they are

perfectly united as one God. People, therefore, image God when they are unified while

embracing diversity. The greatest picture of this concept happens in marriage, when men

and women become one flesh without giving up their uniqueness.

12
Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 1991),
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 Regarding the image of God, Stanley Grenz13 wrote:

“Because God himself is triune, we are in the image of God only as we enjoy
community with others. Only as we live in fellowship can we show forth what
god is like. Ultimately, then, the ‘image of God’ is a social reality. It refers to
human beings as beings-in-fellowship.”14

Sin deeply impacted people’s ability to live in appropriate relationships with one

another. Thus the first recorded story after the fall is one of broken relationship between

brothers. Cain, due to his inability to live in relationship with Abel, was unable to have

appropriate relationship with God. He ignored God’s warning and rebelled against God’s

instructions. John suggested the same is true of believers even today. He wrote in his

first epistle, “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the

darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to

make him stumble.” (1 John 2:9,10)

Jesus confirmed our need to live in relationship with others while sharing the last

supper with His disciples. John 13:34 records Jesus’ instructions. He said, “A new

command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one

another.”

At first glance this command appears to be similar to Christ’s earlier command to

“love your neighbor.” However, the surrounding details of the story make it clear that

this was a different context, and Jesus clearly stated that this was a “new” command. I

would suggest that the “newness” of the command is two-fold. First, it is new because it

is the first command directed specifically at the followers of Christ. Notice that Jesus

gave the command after the exit of Judas; the only people present were those who were

13
Stanley Grenz was the Pioneer McDonald Professor of Theology at Carey Theological College in
Vancouver, British Columbia. He authored over twenty-five books including Created for Community and
Theology for the Community of God.
14
Stanley J. Grenz, Created for Community (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1996), 80

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committed to Jesus’ mission. This new command gives the definitive characteristic for

the new movement Jesus was inaugurating. Second, the command is new because it

demands a new kind of love. Earlier, Jesus had commanded everyone to love their

neighbor as they loved themselves. Now, Jesus is commanding his followers to love as

He had loved. It is worth noting that Jesus loves us even more than we love ourselves.

Therefore, the love with which we are to love one another is a love even greater than self-

love.

Jesus’ love can be summarized with two words drawn from his actions and

teachings that evening. Jesus’ love is demonstrated through humble service and selfless

sacrifice. John 13:1 tells us that Jesus’ intent for his last supper was to demonstrate to the

disciples his love for them. He began by washing their feet. Foot washing was an

activity reserved for servants and slaves. Never would a teacher wash the feet of his

pupils. Peter’s response to Jesus actions demonstrates the awkwardness caused by Jesus’

service. However, even more remarkable is the realization that Jesus actually washed the

feet of Judas. Jesus’ humility is also chronicled by Paul in Philippians 2 where we are

exhorted to follow the example of Jesus. Therefore, living in proper relationship with

others means seeking ways to humbly serve each other, even those who may betray us.

Jesus’ love is also demonstrated through sacrifice. Jesus restated his new

command later that evening, and then unpacked a little of what it meant to love one

another. John recorded those words of Christ in the fifteenth chapter of his book. John

15:12-13 says, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love

has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends. Jesus put action to these

words just a few hours later when he gave his life away for his friends. He calls on us to

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also give ourselves away in the same manner. Living in proper relationship with others

means sacrificing our own wants and needs for the good of other’s wants and needs.

Jesus desire was that his followers engage in these types of relationships with one

another. We were created for these types of relationships, therefore, spiritual formation

of any kind is virtually impossible without loving relationships based on service and

sacrifice.

Humanity’s Need for Relationships

Those who seek to be spiritually formed without engaging in loving relationships

will not be able to completely open themselves to the work of the Holy Spirit. Larry

Crabb15 wrote, “I have come to believe that the root of all our personal and emotional

difficulties is a lack of togetherness, a failure to connect that keeps us from receiving life

and prevents the life in us from spilling over onto others.”16 Our ability to be

appropriately formed is dependant on our willingness to enter relationship with others.

The need for sharing life with others in a part of the human condition. The Great

Good Place is Ray Oldenburg’s17 book chronicling the transition in America from being

a community-based culture to being an individual-based culture. Oldenburg laments the

loss of neighborhoods where people sat on their front porch interacting with one another.

He writes, “…new generations are encouraged to shun a community life in favor of a

highly privatized one and to set personal aggrandizement above public good.”18

15
Larry Crabb is the Distinguished Scholar in Residence at Colorado Christian University in Morrison,
Colorado. His books about community include The Safest Place on Earth, Soul Talk, and Connecting.
16
Larry Crabb, Connecting (Nashville, TN: Word Publishing, 1997), 32
17
Ray Oldenburgis Professor Emeritus in the Department of Sociology at the University of West Florida in
Pensacola. His writing about “third places” includes The Great Good Place(two editions) and Celebrating
the Third Place.
18
Ray Oldenburg, The Great Good Place (New York: Marlowe and Company, 1999), 8

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 Oldenburg goes on to argue that the loss of community life is having a crippling

effect on Americans. The absence has impacted American’s ability to think clearly, work

hard, and relate rightly. His solution is “third places” where members of community can

connect to one another and develop relationships apart from their homes and occupations.

Oldenburg’s work seems to echo the words of God, “It is not good for the man to be

alone.”

The eschewing of community brings an intense sense of isolation. Heather

Webb19 wrote:

“Ironically, as the world gets “smaller” because of technology, the pace at which
we function brings with it a profound sense of isolation for Postmoderns. There is
a felt estrangement from others, particularly as we become more hidden behind
our Wi-Fi networks and iPods.
This sense of isolation brings with it a kind of spiritual unrest. Despite our
unprecedented consumption of goods and resources, rest and contentment remain
elusive. Most spiritual seekers have experienced dissatisfaction, even
disillusionment, with our consumerist culture. With so many options they find
that even choice itself becomes meaningless.”20

George Gallup21 echoed those sentiments saying, “Americans are among the

loneliest people in the world.” Andy Stanley and Bill Willets22 suggest that “in the midst

of busy lives, overcommitted schedules, and congested cities we feel alone.”23 The

loneliness caused by isolation is not a problem only faced by the world. Many church

members consistently struggle with feeling isolated, often because they have over-

estimated the importance of individuality.

19
Heather Webb is a spiritual director and an ordained minister in the PCUSA. She is on faculty at Mars
Hill Graduate School in Bothell, Washington.
20
Heather Webb, Small Group Leadership as Spiritual Direction (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005), 24
21
Andy Stanley and Bill Willits, Creating Community (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, 2004), 22
22
Stanley and Willits are pastors and founders of North Point Community Church in Marietta, Georgia.
Stanley is the lead pastor and Willits oversees small groups at the church.
23
Ibid.

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Parameters of Biblical Community.

I spent much of my life assuming that Christianity was all about a relationship

between myself and God. Any formative activities I engaged in were designed to

develop my “personal relationship with Jesus”. Terminology like, “personal Lord and

Savior” was common place in my understanding of the Gospel. However, in recent years

I have discovered a different emphasis in Scripture. It has become more and more

evident that from Genesis to Revelation an assumption is made that God’s people are

formed by living in community with each other.

Larry Crabb’s ideals of a healing community could be characterized by the words

“upward”, “outward”, and “inward”. Each word deals with different relationships we

engage when we commit ourselves to living in community with others. Crabb’s three

elements of healing community are “A taste of Christ delighting in us”, “A diligent

search for what is good”, and “An engaging exposure of what is bad or painful.”24

According to Crabb, true biblical community will drive us to a healthier relationship with

Christ, a healthier relationship with those around us, and a healthier relationship with

ourselves.

Grenz defines community as “a reconciled people who enjoy fellowship with him,

with one another, and ultimately with all creation.”25 This definition coincides nicely

with the three commands Jesus emphasized during his ministry. Loving God (Mark 12),

loving one another (John 13), and loving neighbor (Mark 12) could be identified as the

three types of fellowship named by Grenz. Again, these three relationships seem to be

crucial elements of biblical community.

24
Crabb, 13-18
25
Grenz, 23

21
 Andy Stanley and Bill Willits wrote, “I believe one of God’s biggest dreams for

us is authentic community – the kind of meaningful relationships that are best

characterized by oneness with Him and with one another.”26 Later they write, “the

credibility of [Jesus’] life and message in the eyes of unbelievers is dependent upon the

way we as His followers relate with one another.”27 Biblical community for Stanley and

Willits is centered around believer’s relationships with God and with one another.

However, according to their book Creating Community, this kind of community serves as

the means by which believers are able to impact the world around them.

Above I have chronicled views on biblical community from a Christian counselor, an

academic professor, and pastors of a mega-church. Although these men are from

significantly different backgrounds, work in different contexts, use different words, and

draw their conclusions using different methods; they all arrived at similar conclusions.

Biblical community is intricately linked to the relationships we engage in with God, other

believers, and the world around us. I believe these three relationships provide the

appropriate vehicle by which believers can, in community, open themselves to the

formative work of the Spirit.

26
Stanley and Willits, 40
27
Ibid., 43

22
 Examining Models of Spiritual Formation in Community

Many churches have attempted and are attempting to accomplish spiritual

formation through the vehicle of community. More often than not, this kind of model

includes the use of small groups, however, that is not always necessarily the case. Many

of the largest churches in America have implemented small groups as the primary vehicle

by which they seek to enable the spiritual formation of their members. Churches like

North Point Community Church in Atlanta, Willow Creek Community Church in

Chicago, and Pantego Bible Church in Arlington, Texas have had great success with

small group programs. Neil Cole’s organization, Church Multiplication Associates has

had great success with a different model of spiritual formation in community. However,

successful small group ministry is possible for normal size churches as well. As I attempt

to identify the ideal model for spiritual formation in community, I will briefly examine

the models of these three mega-churches as well as a few other smaller churches who

have had success accomplishing spiritual formation in community.

Willow Creek Community Church.

Willow Creek Community Church in Barrington, Illinois has a congregation well

over 10,000; holds over 20 services each week; has several “satellite” services; and is one

of the most well-known churches in the world. However, those closest to the leaders of

Willow Creek would acknowledge that they are far more concerned with getting

23
“smaller” than with getting “larger”. Willow Creek is dedicated to being a church “of

small groups”. Bill Donahue and Russ Robinson28 wrote:

At Willow Creek Community Church, we want to become a church of small

groups. It is not a right or wrong decision. It is a clear decision. We all – from
Senior Pastor Bill Hybels to elders, board, staff, and key volunteers – agreed on a
dream to give every person that calls Willow Creek their church home a place in
community. Small groups are central to our practice of community life and are
our primary method for accomplishing ministry.29

Willow Creek is committed to connecting every person who is a part of their

church into a community for the purpose of spiritual formation. Over the years, the

church has developed an extensive assimilation structure30 which they use to bring this

goal to fruition. The groups to which people connect vary in size, structure, and purpose;

making it easier for anyone to find a community in which they will feel comfortable.

The definition of small group at Willow Creek is intentionally wide. Donahue

and Willets wrote, “For too long the term ‘small group’ implied a home-based Bible

Study with some prayer and dessert…Other church gatherings were viewed simply as

‘fellowship,’ because they didn’t count as the kind of spiritual development that scored

points with God – at least in many people’s minds.”31 Believing that spiritual formation

happens in a variety of venues and through many different methods, Willow Creek has

developed a small group structure with little definition and great variety.

28
Bill Donahue and Russ Robinson have collaborated to create several books outlining the Willow Creek
strategy for small groups. Their books include The Seven Deadly Sins of Small Group Ministry, Building a
Church of Small Groups, and Leading Life-Changing Small Groups
29
Bill Donahue and Russ Robinson, The Seven Deadly Sins of Small Group Ministry (Grand Rapids, MI:
Zondervan, 2002), 24
30
Willow Creek’s assimilation process is outlined in detail in Appendix 7 of The Seven Deadly Sins of
Small Group Ministry
31
Ibid. 154,155

24
North Point Community Chuch.

Small groups at North Point Community Church in Atlanta are not completely

opposite of Willow Creek, but differ in several fundamental areas. North Point is a much

younger church, having started less than twenty years ago. From its inception it has

experienced dynamic growth, and small groups have been an integral part of the church

since day one.

While North Point would likely also identify itself as a church “of small groups”,

groups at North Point are more focused than those at Willow Creek. One of the key

elements of North Point’s small group program is “deciding where people go”. Rather

than create small groups which fulfill several different purposes (ministry, assimiliation,

etc.), North Point encourages everyone to join a small group, all of which are fairly

similar; emphasizing the three relationships of spiritual formation. Stanley and Willits

wrote, “We’re unanimous about where we want people to go: to a small group…What do

we want people to do? Pursue three vital relationships. Where do we want people to go?

Into a small group.”32

North Point defines authentic community as “accountability, belonging, and

care.”33 Creating these types of communities is of such a high value, that North Point’s

groups are closed to newcomers. Group members commit to one another for an 18-24

month period during which they will all pursue spiritual formation in community

together, but will not grow the group through outsiders. The exception to this rule is

when every member in the group agrees to let someone in. Groups are encouraged at the

end of their covenant period to open their groups to newcomers.

32
Stanley and Willits, 76
33
Ibid., 106

25
 Because new people cannot connect to currently existing groups, North Point is

constantly in the process of adding new groups. Through a variety of activities and

programs there are almost always opportunities at North Point to get connected to a

group. Individuals even have an opportunity to connect to a group on a trial basis before

covenanting for the 18-24 months.

Pantego Bible Church.

In his book The Connecting Church, Randy Frazee34 lays out his ideas for

spiritually forming community which became the foundation for the small group program

at Pantego Bible Church in Arlington, Texas. If Willow Creek and North Point create

connections for people based on affinity, Frazee champions connections based on

geography. Frazee suggests that “You can have a small group and not experience

community – but you cannot experience community apart from a small group

experience.”35 Because Frazee sees small groups as a sharing of life, he suggests that this

can happen most powerfully between people who live in geographic proximity.

Frazee identifies five characteristics of sharing a common place which lead to

community. Spontaneity is the possibility of random contacts as people engage in the

simple tasks of life. These types of connections are minimized by models which only

allow for one group meeting per week. Availability is the ability for people to meet each

other’s needs with little or no forethought. Living in proximity makes this possible,

whereas people living twenty minutes apart cannot be nearly as available for each other.

34
Randy Frazee currently serves as a Teaching Pastor at Willow Creek. Previously he served as Senior
Pastor of Pantego Bible Church. In addition to The Connecting Church, he has written Making Room for
Life: Trading Chaotic Lifestyles for Connected Relationships.
35
Randy Frazee, The Connecting Church (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2001), 22

26
Frazee suggests that people who enjoy community with one another find ways to be

together frequently. Again, the closer one lives in proximity to others, the more possible

this is. Common meals are another way in which people share lives together. As with the

other characteristics, distance does not preclude this element of community, it simply

makes it more difficult. Finally, Frazee points out that all these elements of community

are made easier through shared geography.36

Frazee focuses not only on the “where” of community, he also evaluates the

“what” of community. He identifies ten core beliefs, ten core values, and ten core

practices which should form the heart of spiritual formation which happens within

community. He suggests a yearly calendar which can be used by any group to work

through these thirty formative ideals.37

Frazee’s book focuses more on how families and individuals can implement these

community concepts than on how a church can create a structure to develop these types

of groups. However, the small group program at Pantego Bible Church was designed to

reflect the principles of this book. Groups are largely based on geography and the thirty

core values form the heart of Pantego’s spiritual formation plan.

Church Multiplication Associates.

A radically different idea of church, community, and small group is offered by

Neil Cole38 in his book Organic Church. Cole is the founder and executive director of

36
Ibid., 120-132
37
The Spiritual Formation Calendar suggested by Frazee can be found in the appendix of The Connecting
Church
38
Cole has also written The Search for God. He has co-authored Raising Leaders for the Harvest and
Beyond Church Planting.

27
Church Multiplication Associates. His organization has helped start over seven hundred

churches in six years.

Cole suggests that a DNA pattern exists within the church. He wrote, “Just as the

DNA is exactly the same in almost every cell of a body, the DNA is the same throughout

the Body of Christ, for all its members and in every cell.”39 The three elements of this

DNA for the church are the three critical elements of community in Cole’s model of

spiritual formation. The three aspects of the church’s DNA are, “Divine truth, Nurturing

relationships, and Apostolic mission.”40 As we have seen with other models, these three

elements closely mirror the three “love” commands; however, the method by which Cole

seeks to develop this DNA in community is radically different from the other models we

have examined.

While most churches have developed structures, programs, and procedures to

create growth within community; Cole favors “organic” growth. He wrote, “Begin with

life and let the structure emerge naturally, driven by the needs and demands of the life.”41

He is not calling for a disintegration of all structure, but rather for an implementation of

the three crucial elements of the DNA and nothing more. Cole would argue to plant the

DNA and water whatever grows.

The result of Cole’s model is not one church, but a massive network of churches,

with each one making autonomous decisions, yet still participating in the lives of the

others. Rather than launching several small groups within a church, Cole’s model calls

for the constant launching of new churches. While every church looks different, they all

share the same DNA of divine truth, nurturing relationships, and apostolic mission.

39
Neil Cole, The Organic Church (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2005), 115
40
Ibid.
41
Ibid., 126

28
 Each of these four churches is the subject of at least one book and is used as a

model by different churches across the country. Each church’s model has clear strengths

as well as some not so clear deficiencies. However, very few churches have the same

resources as these, so it is perhaps important to also notice what smaller churches are

doing in this area of spiritual formation through community.

Xenos Christian Fellowship.

Xenos Christian Fellowship42 in Columbus, Ohio began as a student church in the

1970s. Since then, it has grown to a church of several thousand, largely comprised of

“home groups” which meet around Columbus and come together on Sundays for their

“Central Teaching” time. Xenos’ home groups operate under two crucial assumptions:

 Involvement in home groups is normative for Christians

 The normative mission of home groups is full duplication

These two assumptions drive the church’s high emphasis on reproductive home groups.

It is extremely rare for anyone involved with Xenos to not be a part of a home group.

Anyone interested in joining a home group can do so easily through Xenos’ Home Group

Connection program.

To facilitate their aggressive approach to home groups, Xenos engages in a

detailed equipping program for all leaders of home groups. According to Gary

DeLashmutt43, “Ethos cultivation is the central task of home group leaders.”44 Leaders of

42
Information regarding Xenos Christian Fellowship was gathered through email correspondence with
Doug Patch, overseer of Adult Ministries, as well as through audio recordings slide presentations from
Xenos’ annual Summer Institute Conference.
43
Gary DeLashmutt is a lead pastor and co-founder of Xenos.
44
Lecture entitled “Home Group Ministry”. http://www.xenos.org/xsi/resources.htm

29
home group are expected to go beyond simple management of groups and engage in

forming environments which promote spiritual formation.

Vast opportunities exist at Xenos for leaders to engage in training. Biblical

competency courses are offered as well as practical training for group leaders. The

leaders are all taught that the important elements of ethos cultivation are outreach,

community, equipping, biblical depth, corporate prayer, financial stewardship, and

missions.

Ginhamsburg Chuch.

Ginghamsburg Church in Tipp City, Ohio implements “cell groups” as their

primary vehicle for spiritual formation. Kevin Applegate, Director of Cell Group

Ministry, says, “Cell groups are the very best place to grow in faith because of the close

community.”45 Because Ginghamsburg places such a high emphasis on cell groups,

every ministry head seeks to establish their ministry teams using the cell group model.

Ginghamsburg seeks to accomplish four elements of spiritual formation through

the use of cell groups. Applegate says they seek to build community, study and apply the

Bible, serve each other and the world around them, and pray together.46 Groups are

encouraged to use a discuss the previous week’s sermon as a starting point for their group

meetings. A study guide is provided each week. Applegate says, “We kind of view it as

the practice lab versus the lecture – which they get from the sermons.”47

Each cell group takes a different identity. There is no template by which they are

expected to operate. Applegate says, “I’m not sure that there is much the same in any of

45
Kevin Applegate, “Re:Questions About Your Ministry”. Email to the Author, March, 2006.
46
Ibid.
47
Kevin Applegate, “Re: Follow-Up Questions”. Email to the Author. March, 2006

30
our cell groups. They do know that they exist to fulfill the four functions: community,

bible study, service and prayer, but they all approach it differently.” Most groups meet in

the homes of their members, some meet weekly and others meet every other week. Many

opportunities are provided for connection into cell groups, and people are encouraged to

form groups on a regular basis.

Blythefield Hills Baptist Church.

Blythefield Hills Baptist Church48 in Rockford, Michigan has used small groups

to foster spiritual formation for over twenty years. Unlike many of the other churches I

have surveyed, Blythefield Hills utilizes other vehicles for spiritual formation beyond

their small groups. In addition to a well-established small group programs, Blythefield

Hills also promotes an adult Sunday school program which meets on Sunday nights.

The primary objective of Blythefield Hills’ small group program is “always

making disciples.” Before launching a new group, leaders are expected to complete a

twelve week training session. New groups form each September and January and are

expected to stay together for at least one year. Every group chooses its own study

material, however, the church is beginning to produce material which coincides with the

Sunday sermon and is encouraging groups to use this material when possible.

The easiest way for individuals to connect to small groups at Blythefield Hills is

by joining a group in September or January. Currently, the church is beginning to

develop new “Super Groups”. These groups are larger groups of people who meet

together in an effort to connect people and hopefully grow several groups as time passes.

48
Information regarding Blythefield Hills Baptist Church was gathered through email correspondence and
a personal interview with Gary Heim, pastor of discipleship and small groups.

31
Evergreen Community.

Evergreen Community in Portland, Oregon is a new church, having just

celebrated their second anniversary. Pastor Bob Hyatt49 launched the church out of his

desire to be part of a community that more closely mirrored his view of what the church

should be like. The church currently meets in a pub and has no plans to grow beyond 200

people. They intend to continuously plant new churches rather than continually expand

and require new facilities.

A high value is placed on formation through community at Evergreen. Great

efforts are made in Sunday services, church government, and future planning to involve

as many people as possible and create an environment which promotes relationships.

Despite this high value on community, the church has opted not to create a small group

program. Hyatt writes:

“For years, in addition to buying the specious ‘bigger is better’, we have been addicted to
a one-size-fits-all mentality in the church. It’s called ‘programs’. The problem is, people
aren’t ‘one size fits all’…and that’s why programs are so awful. They just assume that
‘Here’s the way to enter our community’ or ‘Here’s the way to work into leadership and
grow in your relationship with God here.’”50 (article for the Ooze, 8.14.05)

Structured programs don’t have a place at Evergreen. They prefer their people to develop

unique means of community which will lead to spiritual formation. One phrase used by

Hyatt is “refuse to do for your community what they can do for themselves”51 (email

interaction)

49
Information regarding Evergreen was gathered through on-line correspondence with Bob Hyatt as well as
through several of his articles for various e-magazines. His blog provides a great deal of information as
well as links to his articles. http://bobhyatt.typepad.com/
50
Bob Hyatt, The Problem with Programs, in The Ooze [on-line]. August, 2005. Available from
http://www.theooze.com/articles/article.cfm?id=990
51
Bob Hyatt, “Re:What About Small Groups?”. Email to the Author, January, 2006.

32
 However, this intentional avoidance of a small group program does not mean

there are no small groups connected to the church. Several Bible studies have sprung up

in the past two years, and in at least two cases, people have chosen to experience

“extreme community” by moving into shared spaces and developing communal

relationships. Evergreen’s hope is that by not structuring for small groups, the groups

that do grow will be motivated and healthier because they have done it for themselves.

Evaluation of the Church Models.

Having examined the programs of each of these churches, a certain spectrum

seems to have emerged. Some churches take an “organizational” approach to spiritual

formation in community. Some churches take an “organic” approach. Most churches fall

somewhere in the middle of these two concepts. While most of these churches employ

some model of small groups, it is important to identify that the goal is community, small

groups are simply the means to the end.

North Point Community Church would represent the most “organizational” of the

first four churches we looked at. Neil Cole’s model would represent the most “organic”

of the first four churches. Willow Creek Community Church and Pantego Bible Church

would fall between the two with Willow Creek being slightly more organizational and

Pantego Bible being slightly more organic.

A simple metaphor for understanding these concepts would be a comparison

between a garage and a meadow. A garage is a place of great organization (at least in

theory). Most garages have a high degree of structure, utilizing shelves and cabinets for

storage and workspaces. A garage provides a place for projects to be accomplished in a

33
clean and somewhat sterile environment. A great deal can be accomplished in a garage,

however, nothing healthy grows in a garage.

A meadow is very different than a garage. There is no structure in a meadow, no

shelves or cabinets, and no workspace. Very little quantifiable work gets accomplished

in a meadow. However, in a meadow, everything grows. A meadow is full of all

manner of grass, a wide variety of wildflowers, and innumerable weeds. A great deal

grows in a meadow, however, often the healthy growth is choked out by the unhealthy.

Some churches, like North Point, more closely resemble a garage. They have a

great deal of structure and accomplish a great deal. In a “garage” church, small groups

look similar (sometimes identical) and there is little deviation from the prescribed plan.

This provides good opportunity for success, but limits the possibility of unique growth

according to the giftedness of each member. Within any given community of believers,

there exists a variety of gifts. In a garage church, the community reflects the organization

of the church rather than the giftedness of the members.

Some churches, like Cole’s organic churches, more closely resemble a meadow.

A lack of structure and plan allows every group to do its own thing. Groups grow to

reflect the personality and giftedness of their members, however, with no oversight from

the leadership of the church and no overarching plan, groups cannot be certain they are

accomplishing the spiritual formation goals of the church or that they are generating

orthodox Christian belief and practice.

34
The Greenhouse Model of Church.

Somewhere between the garage church and the meadow church lies a balance of

unfettered growth and beneficial structure. The present metaphor would lend itself

toward suggesting a “greenhouse” church as the middle ground. A greenhouse is a

setting designed solely to foster growth. However, a greenhouse also contains a

minimum amount of structure to ensure for healthy and appropriate growth. Within a

greenhouse environment; inappropriate growth is weeded out, and appropriate growth is

encouraged through fertilization and care. In a greenhouse, corrective measures and

occasional pruning can mend unhealthy growth, and assist in the development of strong,

healthy plants.

A church following the greenhouse model will seek to promote growth through

spiritual formation in community while providing the necessary structures to ensure

healthy and appropriate growth. Healthy community looks different because it will

exhibit the unique traits of its individual members. The purpose of structure, in a

greenhouse model, is not to dictate the form of the group but to assist the group in

functioning in as healthy a manner as possible.

The following principles can be considered as the identifying marks of a church

taking the greenhouse model for spiritual formation in community:

1) Unification regarding the desired outcome.

No one works in a greenhouse not knowing what they are growing. The desired

outcome has significant implications for the day to day activities. Quality care for tomato

plants differs greatly from quality care for sunflowers. If all involved parties are not in

agreement on the desired outcome of spiritual formation, a risk is run that efforts of

35
different parties will interfere with each other, cancel each other out, or otherwise

negatively impact the potential benefits of spiritual formation in community.

Within the church setting, it is important that one person or group be responsible

for identifying and communicating the desired outcomes for spiritual formation.

Enabling a person or persons to carry out this task ensures that all participants can be

united in purpose regarding spiritual formation.

2) Guiding principles

Often plants with a tendency to grow crooked are corrected with a little bit of

string and a piece of wood. These stakes enable the plant to grow straight, and in time

they will be removed when the plant has completely corrected its growth. A church

desiring healthy growth through communities must be willing to put some stakes in place,

not to hamper or dictate the growth of each group, but to enable healthy growth.

A temptation for churches will always be to add more stakes than necessary.

Oversight in any area seems to naturally lend itself toward more centralization than

needed. The more “stakes” a church adds to its communities, the more it will resemble

the “garage” model. However, this danger to over-dictate should not scare a church away

from adding necessary corrective stakes for its communities.

Guiding principles should be specific enough to be clearly understood but general

enough to provide freedom for the unique growth of each community. Enough principles

should exist to provide for healthy growth, but not so many that the communities become

clones of each other. The principles should enable each community to plan for growth

and measure their progress.

3) Regular communication and evaluation

36
 Successful growth in a greenhouse is dependant upon regular care. A constant

regimen of watering, fertilizing, and pruning is the appropriate prescription for healthy

plants. Growing healthy communities also requires regular care. Evaluation is crucial

for a community to determine whether they are successfully moving toward the shared

objectives, and whether they are adhering to the guiding principles.

Again, it is important to acknowledge that oversight of any kind carries with it the

temptation to become more organizational and less organic. Therefore, self-evaluation is

probably more preferable for a community. Regular communication with the leadership

of the church provides a necessary forum within which the community, or leaders of the

community, can engage in self-evaluation and as necessary prescribe necessary changes

to move toward health.

4) Flexibility.

In any effort to be organized and organic, a church will constantly experience a

struggle to avoid moving toward either extreme. At times, some communities will

require more oversight, and the temptation will be to become more like the “garage”

model. At other times, groups will need to be encouraged to identify and formulate their

own unique identity. The danger, at those times, will be to avoid any structure and drift

toward the “meadow” model.

Working within the greenhouse model means understanding that every group or

community will be different. Because each community is growing according to its own

uniqueness, but within the framework of shared outcomes and guiding principles, the

necessary adjustments and assistance for each group will look different. Thus, flexibility

37
is necessary. The leadership of the church must be willing to assist each community in

being equipped for spiritual formation according to the uniqueness of the community.

5) Reproduction.

Greenhouse growth usually lends itself toward reproduction. A natural element of

life is creating more life. As healthy communities grow, they will find it necessary to

reproduce themselves in order to avoid growing so large that relationships are no longer

possible. Groups that understand the value of reproduction are much more able to

maintain a missional focus while groups unwilling to reproduce are more likely to sink

into internally focused cliquishness.

38
 A Plan for Spiritual Formation in Community at Calvary Church

Calvary Church will celebrate its 100th anniversary next spring. The church has

experienced slow but steady growth for the past twenty years. Six years ago, the church

moved to a new facility. For most of its existence, Calvary has accomplished spiritual

formation through a traditional model of Sunday services and an adult Sunday school

program. However, in recent years, the Sunday school program has experienced

significant declines in attendance as well as in the number of classes offered. Thus, in

November, 2005; I was asked to transition from my role as pastor of student ministries to

a new role as pastor of spiritual formation. The following plan is the practical

outworking of the preceding research and theories.

The plan for spiritual formation at Calvary Church consists of five steps,

beginning with foundational theory, moving into practical application, and detailing a

potential transition plan from the current model to the new model.

Step One: Identify the key areas of focus for spiritual formation.

Spiritual formation as defined previously is the progressive work of the Holy

Spirit which changes us to the image of Christ. Our role in spiritual formation is opening

ourselves up to the work of the Spirit. One of the sure signs that we are being formed

spiritually is evidence of Christlikeness in our relationships. Jesus great desire for his

church was that they would be unified in a oneness that mirrors the unity of the

trinity.(John 17:21) The overwhelming majority of the New Testament is written to

communities of believers, rather than individuals. The apostles placed a high emphasis

on the need for believers to be building into the lives of one another for the purpose of

39
spiritual growth. All these factors point to the overwhelming importance of sharing

community with other believers for the sake of spiritual formation.

The key area of focus for spiritual formation at Calvary needs to be “community”.

The primary goal is to see every person at Calvary enter into community-type

relationships for the purpose of spiritual formation.

Step Two: Defining marks of spiritual formation through focusing on the three

crucial relationships.

Most churches I have examined identify formative objectives for community

which reflect three key relationships shared by all believers. I believe that these three

relationships reflect three distinct commands given by Jesus during his time on earth.

Our relationship with God corresponds to the command to “Love the Lord your God.”

Our relationship with other believers corresponds to the command to “Love one another.”

Our relationship with those in the world corresponds to the command to “Love your

neighbor.”

A plan for spiritual formation in community should focus on these three

relationships. Successful spiritual formation will seek to assist people in opening

themselves to the formative work of the spirit, particularly in the area of their relationship

with God, their relationships with other believers, and their relationships with those in the

world around them.

Having recognized the three relationships as crucial focal points for the spiritual

formation in community plan at Calvary, the next step is to establish clarity regarding

what these three relationships are and how they appear in a plan stressing formation

through community.

40
 Love is often best expressed in priorities. Just as a husband demonstrates his love

for his wife by prioritizing time with her, we demonstrate our love for God by prioritizing

Him and His values above all else. Mark 12:31 identifies four areas in which we should

prioritize God, our heart, soul, mind, and strength. These four area seem to be virtually

all-encompassing. Thus it is reasonable to assume that our relationship with God should

be characterized by a love for God which is demonstrated by an all-encompassing

prioritization of His character and values.

A high emphasis in Scripture is placed God’s passionate desire for purity. The

Mosaic law chronicles the detailed extent to which people were expected to go in order to

ensure their purity. Regarding the purity of the body of Christ, Paul wrote, “Don’t you

know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast

that you may be a new batch without yeast – as you really are.” (1Cor 5:6,7) Love for

God means placing a high emphasis on personal purity as well as the purity of God’s

people. Only when we pursue the purified life are we able to represent God

appropriately, because He cannot be defined apart from His holiness. Therefore a proper

representative relationship with God requires a commitment to maintaining holiness.

Calvary’s plan for spiritual formation will emphasize a relationship with God

that prioritizes God’s character and values and enables purity in living.

Jesus’ “new command” for his disciples was to “Love one another.”(John 13:35)

This love for one another forms the foundation of the second relationship of spiritual

formation at Calvary. As noted earlier, the type of love Jesus desired his disciples to

have toward one another was a serving and sacrificing love. The author’s of the new

testament epistles fleshed this love out further through their frequent commands

41
regarding behavior toward “one another.”52 These “one another commands” provide

valuable insight for us to understand how the apostles understood Jesus’ commands were

to be worked out in the lives of believers.

Concepts such as being devoted to one another, serving one another, accepting

one another, and building one another up are the building blocks of true biblical

community. They are the conduit through which we develop Christlike love for one

another. Calvary’s plan for spiritual formation will emphasize relationships which are

characterized by a sacrificial and serving love for other believers.

“Love your neighbor” was the command given by Jesus as second to loving

God.(Mark 12:31) His desire for his followers to be out among the world, loving their

neighbors was demonstrated in his final command, “make disciples of all nations.”

(Matthew 28:19) Clearly, the best example we have for loving our neighbor is the

example set by Christ. As mentioned earlier, Jesus’ relationship with those around him

can be characterized by two statements:

 he relieved suffering
 he redeemed sin

If our relationship with the world is to mirror that of Jesus’ we must develop

relationships, characterized by meeting needs and bringing people to Jesus. If we truly

desire to relieve suffering and redeem sin, we will likely find ourselves seeking out those

who need our help and seeking out those who need Christ. Loving our neighbor requires

us to actively pursue relationships with those around us instead of passively waiting for

them to approach us and ask for help. Calvary’s plan for spiritual formation will

52
Appendix B

42
facilitate relationships designed to relieve suffering in the world and bring people to

Christ.

The three relationships addressed by Calvary’s spiritual formation plan can be

identified as relationships which are formative, caring, and missional. Formative

relationships are those relationships which help to form our character and values to

reflect the character and values of God. Caring relationships are those relationships

which enable us to love and be loved in a sacrificial and serving manner. Missional

relationships are those relationships which aid us in adopting the mission of Christ, which

is to relieve suffering and redeem sin.

These three concepts will form the guiding principles of Calvary’s spiritual

formation community. Above all else, we will seek to develop communities which will

be formative, caring, and missional.

Step Three: Assess current programs at Calvary for effectiveness and

ineffectiveness.

Calvary’s current structure for spiritual formation includes three key elements;

Sunday preaching, Sunday school classes, and small groups.

Preaching is a highly effective means of communicating important information to

large groups of people at one time. Calvary’s pastor, Bill Rudd, is a gifted communicator

and his preaching is the primary reason many people attend Calvary. While preaching

can be an extremely formative activity as the Holy Spirit works through the preaching of

the Word, it is minimally missional and provides no opportunity for caring. Even the

formative nature of preaching is limited because it has no element of interaction between

people. Ultimately, preaching is an important element of spiritual formation, but is

43
ineffective as the only element because it does not utilize the relationships associated

with true community.

Adult Sunday school classes are a very traditional means of accomplishing

spiritual formation. Depending on size and structure, classes can take many different

forms. Most of Calvary’s Sunday school classes are moderately sized (30-50) and utilize

the lecture style of teaching. In recent years, some classes have begun using a modified

teaching technique which seeks to combine lecture and discussion. Sunday school

classes have the potential to foster formative, caring, and missional relationships among

their constituents, however, at Calvary they have not for at least the following reasons:

 Focus. Most Sunday school classes are teacher focused. A survey of Calvary’s
Sunday school attendees revealed that over 60% of those attending classes chose
their class because of the teacher. Classes which are highly teacher-centric more
closely resemble a preaching service than a community for spiritual formation.
 Size. Quality relationships are often built in Sunday school classes. Members of
each class are often inclined to care for the needs of one another in the class,
however, the size of the classes can impinge upon the ability of every member to
develop this kind of relationship with every other member. While friendships
may develop among people, the type of life-sharing necessary for spiritual
formation can be significantly impeded in such a large group.
 Commitment. Sunday school offers an easy “experience” for those who desire
more than one preaching service per week, but aren’t willing to make a large
commitment. Many people attend a Sunday school class because they are already
at church and it is a convenient time and place. Were the class to be held at a
different time or place, it is likely that a significant number of attendees would not
participate. Because nothing beyond Sunday attendance is asked of Sunday
school attendees, it is very difficult for them to develop the types of formative and
caring relationships necessary for spiritual formation. Sunday school classes are
rarely missional because class members are unwilling to participate in any
activities or projects beyond class time.

Although Sunday school classes contain more community elements than preaching

services, they have not proven to be an exceptionally effective vehicle for growing

formative, caring, and missional communities.

44
 Small groups have been the spiritual formation vehicle of choice for many

churches for the past several years. Calvary has attempted several times to launch a small

group ministry in the past, however, the groups have never gained traction; and very few

are able to experience sustained success. The most recent attempt came several years ago

during a purpose driven campaign. Over sixty new groups were launched, however, less

than ten remain today. To the best of my ability, through conversations and evaluations, I

can observe the following reasons for the failure of small groups at Calvary:

 Lack of training. No attempt to develop small groups at Calvary has included a

comprehensive training program for the leaders of small groups. Many people I
spoke with regarding their failed experience sited the lack of preparatory and
ongoing training given to the leader.
 Lack of leadership and vision. Until the present time, Calvary has not
implemented a staff position with a primary focus on small group development.
As a result, Calvary has lacked a cohesive vision of what small groups should be
and what they should accomplish, and no one has focused on developing and
maintaining groups and leaders. Thus as groups encountered difficulties and
questions, with no where to turn, they often simply folded.

I do believe that small groups have the opportunity to provide the ideal

environment for spiritual formation in community. However, in order to be effective,

small groups at Calvary will need to be done differently than in the past.

Step Four: Develop a new structure for spiritual formation in community.

Calvary Church’s plan for spiritual formation in community is to “grow

formative, caring, and missional communities”. This will be accomplished by connecting

as many people as possible with Calvary’s LIFEGroups.

A LIFEGroup is a collection of individuals sharing their lives with one another

for the glory of God. Within every LIFEGroup the many become one. However, the

uniquness of each individual is not sacrificed. Rather, the gifts and abilities of each

45
individual are embraced and utilized as building blocks crucial for the development of the

group.

A sense of community that parallels the expectations placed on the church in the

New Testament cannot be developed simply by meeting together once per week.

Effective LIFEGroups develop relationships among their members by engaging in the

activities of life together. Groups celebrate victories with one another and rally around

each other in difficult times. Sharing life is the desired conduit by which all Calvary’s

people should be cared for.

The ultimate goal of every LIFEGroup is to see every member formed to the

image of Christ. Therefore, everything the group undertakes should enable each of its

members to better represent the values and mission of God.

The guiding principles of every LIFEGroup are the desire to be formative, caring,

and missional. Groups that love God by knowing Him and living for Him are formative.

Groups that develop a loving relationship with others who are followers of Christ are

caring. Groups that enable followers of Christ to lovingly influence their neighbors are

missional.

LIFEGroups form organically. That is to say, they are not created by a

centralized structure, but rather as people at Calvary embrace the need for spiritual

formation in community, they will partner with others who share this burden to grow a

new LIFEGroup. Practical training and tools will be provided for those launching new

LIFEGroups, as well as a support structure which will provide for regular communication

and assistance in performing self-evaluations. Healthy LIFEGroups will reproduce new

46
communities from time totime. This process also will be facilitated through structures

created by Calvary’s leadership.

Several means will be available by which individuals can enter into LIFEGroups.

The preferred means is through an existing relationship. As people experience biblical

community within LIFEGroups, it is our desire that they reach outside their groups and

invite others to join them. This is a small element of being missional. This type of

activity will also lead to healthy reproduction. These types of invitations also assume

that LIFEGroups will not become “cliques”, but will be outwardly focused, constantly

developing new relationships within and outside the church.

A second means by which individuals can enter into LIFEGroups is through

connecting events. Occasionally, several LIFEGroups will work in conjunction with one

another to host a “connecting event”. These events will target people at specific stages of

life and will provide opportunities for them to connect with people who are currently part

of a LIFEGroup. Attending these events does not assure a person that they will connect

to a LIFEGroup, however it provides a great opportunity to make relational connections

and potentially find your way into a LIFEGroup.

A third means by which to connect is through the “Get Connected” form.53 This

form will be available in the church foyer as well as on the church web-site and other

strategic venues. Completing the form allows a person to give a little personal and

geographical information, and provides a venue to request placement into a LIFEGroup.

This method is not the preferred method as it does not provide connection through

relationship, however, it is necessary as some at Calvary do not possess the relationships

through which to be connected. Names of those who complete the form will be
53
Appendix C

47
distributed to LIFEGroup drivers who will contact the person and invite them to join their

group.

The final means of connection will be through a “Link-Up” class. LINK-UP is a

relational discussion driven group designed for those desiring to explore Calvary and

connect to our communities. The three purposes of LINK-UP (all are of equal value) are

connecting people to Calvary, connecting people to each other, and connecting people to

LIFEGroups. LINK-UP consists of four one-week sessions. It is preferable that people

attend the sessions in order, however any session can be attended in any order. LINK-UP

will be repeated every month. (fifth Sundays will be unique connection experiences)

Once a person has completed the four weeks of LINK-UP they can either launch a

LIFEGroup with others who have taken the class or be placed into a currently existing

LIFEGroup.

LIFEGroups are led by drivers. The term “driver” is used to indicate a person

who steers rather than pulls or pushes. Every driver is asked to commit to three

expectations. They are asked to sustain their group’s formative, caring, and missional

direction through on-going discipleship, authentic fellowship, and reproductive

relationships. They are asked to connect with their LIFE-Support team/coach once every

4-6 weeks (more on LIFE-support teams and coaches later). They are asked to attend

“Driver’s Training” events 2-3 times per year.

Drivers are not alone in leading a LIFEGroup, however. Every LIFEGroups has

at least four key roles that need to be filled, and the make-up of the group may provide

more necessary roles. As groups develop and recognize giftedness in one another, they

48
begin discussing and assigning the roles of a driver, an associate driver, a care

coordinator, and a host or hostess.54

Facilitating healthy LIFEGroups requires training for drivers prior to the launch

of their group as well as on-going equipping to facilitate growth and maintain focus. A

four week “driver’s training” course will be offered at least two times every year, with

the potential of more offerings as demand dictates. This course will provide the initial

training for all LIFEGroup drivers. The driver’s training course will cover the following

information:

 Week One – Theology and Philosophy of Spiritual Formation in Community. “A

Primer on Community”55 will serve as the text for this week of training. The
desired outcome is that every LIFEGroup driver will understand Calvary’s
emphasis on community as a biblical method for spiritual formation.
 Week Two – Growing a Formative, Caring, and Missional Community. The
process of creating a launch team, inviting people, and launching a group will be
discussed in detail. The importance of relational connections will be stressed.
The three guiding principles will be introduced. The desired outcome is that
every LIFEGroup driver will feel comfortable regarding their role in launching a
healthy group.
 Week Three – Maintaining a Formative, Caring, and Missional Community.
Potential group activities for developing formative, caring, and missional
relationships will be discussed.56 The three guiding principles will be discussed
in depth. The desired outcome is that every LIFEGroup driver will be committed
to sustaining a formative, caring, and missional community.
 Week Four – The First Four Weeks. Ideas will be discussed for group activities
during the crucial first four weeks of a LIFEGroups life. Drivers will be equipped
with relationship building activities, materials for a Spiritual Formation Personal
Survey, and a guide for discussing a group covenant. The desired outcome is that
every LIFEGroup driver will be confident that they are prepared to launch their
new community.57

Beyond the preparatory training, on-going communication, evaluation, and

assistance for LIFEGroup drivers is necessary. LIFE-support groups are designed to

54
Appendix D
55
Appendix E
56
Appendix F
57
Appendix G

49
provide opportunities for several drivers to connect with each other for interaction,

encouragement, and equipping. Each LIFE-support group consists of five to eight

LIFEGroup drivers and is led by a LIFEGroup coach. Coaches are asked to have one

contact with each of their drivers at least once every four to six weeks. These contacts

may be in the form of a LIFE-support group meeting or one-on-one meetings. Coaches

are responsible for assisting drivers in a process of evaluation as well as providing the

resources and training necessary to ensure success for each driver’s LIFEGroup.

LIFEGroup coaches will work directly with the pastor of Spiritual Formation. He

is responsible for their initial training as well as developing on-going relationships with

them to ensure their ability to perform their tasks efficiently. Coaches training will be

less formal, as it will happen in one-on-one situations or in very small group settings.

Coaching Life-Changing Small Group Leaders by Bill Donahue and Greg Bowman will

be the primary text for Coaches training.

Step Five: Create a plan for transition from current structures to new structures.

Growing formative, caring, and missional communities by using LIFEGroups will

require a transition plan to move away from the old models of spiritual formation and

toward the proposed model.

The initial question to be answered is whether to transition through addition,

subtraction, or integration. Transitioning through addition simply means that the new

program is added to the current menu of church programs with little or no modifications

of other programs. Transitioning through subtraction means eliminating several or all

programs in order to create room for new programs. Integration implies that the new

50
program replaces the old program over time. Elements of each are combined to create a

smooth transition.

Transition through addition creates the least amount of negative feeling because

no one is asked to give up programs of value to them. No one is asked to make any

changes unless they want to. The problem with addition is that it creates unwieldy

structures which are difficult to maintain over time. Every time a new program is added,

more choices are demanded. Over time, with such a large variety of options available,

people are not certain which option for spiritual formation is most effective. In the end,

too much choice leads to uncertainty. In our desire to please everyone, we emphasize

everything and end up emphasizing nothing.

Transition through subtraction is much cleaner than through addition. Subtracting

programs leaves no doubt in people’s minds regarding which programs should be

engaged in. Unfortunately, people often wrap their personality up in the church programs

they participate in. Subtracting a person’s Sunday school class can often feel like you

have subtracted a family member from their life. Although, clarification of values can be

accomplished through subtraction, often the price is too high.

Integration of a new program allows for both addition and subtraction. Some

programs to which people feel less attached can be subtracted immediately. Programs to

which a strong sense of attachment exists can be maintained and added to. Over time

some programs can be modified to better fit the LIFEGroup model and others can be

allowed to run their course and eventually die off. Thus transition through integration,

while the slowest of the two, is most likely to accomplish the necessary changes while

causing the least amount of discomfort.

51
 Calvary’s plan for spiritual formation in community will be accomplished through

a transition of integration over time. Calvary’s three vehicles for spiritual formation

(preaching services, Sunday school classes, and small groups) will each undergo some

changes, although none will be completely eliminated. Preaching services will continue

to be a primary vehicle of spiritual formation. The only significant change will be a new

focus on the value of community. This focus will be reflected through sermons and other

elements of the service.

No current Sunday school classes will be subtracted, however, we will no longer

seek to develop new classes and we will not place a large emphasis on the need to

participate in Sunday school classes. All classes will be encouraged to take steps to

become more formative, caring, and missional in nature. Classes will be given the

opportunity to transition their group into several LIFEGroups, and all teachers will be

asked to encourage their members to participate in LIFEGroups.

The greatest change will take place in the area of small groups. Current small

groups will be given the opportunity to be integrated into the LIFEGroup model. The

only area of addition however will be the addition of new LIFEGroups. The following

steps will be taken to integrate the new LIFEGroup program over the following months:

 Throughout the spring and summer of 2006, several potential LIFEGroup coaches
will be identified and walked through the material contained in Coaching Life-
Changing Small Groups. Those who complete the material will become the first
LIFEGroup coaches.
 Beginning in the summer of 2006, potential LIFEGroup drivers will be identified
and recruited. Rather than cold-calling possible drivers, we will recruit those who
have demonstrated interest in being part of spiritual formation ministries and
those who have demonstrated in interest in developing community within the
church.
 The first session of “driver’s training” will be held in August of 2006. Anyone
interested in driving a group or being part of a group will be encouraged to attend.

52
  Once the first driver’s training has concluded, those who have completed the
course and desire to launch groups will be matched with a LIFE-support group
and a LIFEGroup coach. They will be coached through the process of inviting
other group members and provided with the necessary materials and resources to
begin their group.
 September of 2006 will be the first time Calvary holds a LIFEGroup launch
month. During the month of September, the value of belonging to a LIFEGroup
will be constantly communicated to the congregation, and many opportunities
(including connecting events and LINK-up) will be given for people to connect to
a LIFEGroup.
 During the fall of 2006, LIFEGroup coaches and drivers will be given
opportunities to evaluate their early progress and make necessary changes in the
existing structure.
 A second driver’s training event will be held after Thanksgiving in 2006, and a
second LIFEGroup launch month will be held in January of 2007.
 Driver’s training sessions will continue to be held as need dictates. LIFEGroup
launch months will be held each September and January.

Calvary’s plan for spiritual formation is to grow formative, caring, and missional

communities. We desire groups to form organically, motivated by a felt need for

community. We desire for people within groups to share lives together for the purpose of

glorifying God. We desire for groups to be reproductive, birthing new healthy groups

regularly. We desire that all these things be accomplished through the vehicle of

LIFEGroups. We desire that every person connected to a LIFEGroup experience the

formative work of the Holy Spirit changing them to the image of Christ who is the perfect

representation of the Father.

53
APPENDIX A
Eastbourne Consultation Joint Statement on Discipleship

The Eastbourne Consultation Joint

Statement on Discipleship
International Consultation on Discipleship

September 24, 1999

Eastbourne, England
When our Lord Jesus was about to ascend into heaven, He commissioned His followers to go and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them, and teaching them to obey everything He had commanded them
(Matthew28:18-20). This comprises the mission given to His people today.

Given that this is our mission, it is of absolute and critical importance that we understand just what Jesus
was commanding us to do. Jesus said, "Â…anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be
my disciple" (Luke 14:27). Thus, Jesus made it clear that true discipleship, at its very core, is a matter of
the heart, and a matter of radical submission to His Lordship.

Acknowledgment of the Need

As we face the new millenium, we acknowledge that the state of the Church is marked by a paradox of
growth without depth. Our zeal to go wider has not been matched by a commitment to go deeper.
Researchers and pollsters have documented the fact that many times:

1. Christians are not that different from the culture around them. When the desert wind blows, it
shapes the sand, and the Church has become more like the sand than the wind.
2. We grieve that many within the Church are not living lives of biblical purity, integrity and
holiness. The need is in the pulpit and pew alike.
3. The lack of true discipleship has resulted in a lack of power in the Church to impact our culture.

Definition of Discipleship
While there are valid differences of perspective on what constitutes discipleship, we define
Christian discipleship as a process that takes place within accountable relationships over a period of time
for the purpose of bringing believers to spiritual maturity in Christ. Biblical examples suggest that
discipleship is both relational and intentional, both a position and a process. We become disciples by
turning from sin through repentance and turning to God through faith. The process of discipleship is played
out in a vital life-giving relationship to God that enables us to walk in the light as He is in the light, and do
the will of the Father (1 John 1:7; John 4:34). Jesus said if we hold to His teaching, then we are really His
disciples (John 8:31), and we demonstrate this through loving one another (John 13:34-35).

The Marks of a Disciple

Although the process of identifying effective discipleship tools or methods is affected by the culture and
setting, we affirm that

54
 1. the life of a disciple is marked by submission to Christ. Jesus said that we cannot be His disciples
unless we give up our very lives (Luke 14:27).
2. the marks of true repentance in the life of a disciple are evidenced by ongoing transformation,
personal holiness, compassionate service, and the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).

We acknowledge that perfection will not be achieved until we see Him face to face. True disciples do fail
and are marked by humble repentance in response to personal failure, but recognize God's forgiveness and
restoration in the journey.

Our Commitment
In recognition of the state of the Church and the biblical mandate to make disciples of all nations (Matt.
28:18-20), personally and corporately, we

1. call the Church and commit ourselves to preaching the Gospel and making disciples among all
peoples in all nations.
2. will not water down the cost of discipleship in order to increase the number of converts. We
acknowledge that part of making disciples is teaching people to obey everything that Jesus
commanded.
3. acknowledge that a local church is the primary community within which discipleship should take
place.
4. will pursue the process of discipleship just as purposefully as the proclamation of the Gospel.
Evangelism and discipleship must be seen as integral.
5. will strive to submit ourselves to Christ as Lord in every area of our lives, recognizing that we are
subjects in the Kingdom of God.
6. acknowledge that prayer and worship, study and teaching of the Bible, fellowship in the context of
GodÂ’s people, and personal accountability are necessary elements of spiritual growth. We
recommit ourselves to exercising these disciplines as part of a life of discipleship.
7. affirm unreservedly the uniqueness of Christ as the one name under heaven whereby we must be
saved, the only mediator between God and man (Acts 4:12; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; John 14:6), but we
resist the temptation to define simplistic solutions that suggest there is only on method of growing
in Christian maturity.
8. recognize that different people and different cultures have different learning and communication
styles. We must accommodate those styles in our efforts to make disciples, and address the unique
needs of men, women, young people and children.
9. commit to follow the model of our Lord who lived His life with His disciples, and affirm the vital
role of mentoring in the discipleship process.
10. call churches to rigorously assess their existing structures and processes to determine if they
provide the most effective means of making disciples.
11. commit to beginning the discipleship process as early in life as possible, recognizing that large
numbers of people come to faith as children and youth (2 Timothy 3:14-5).
12. acknowledge that discipleship resources, including Bibles, are not readily available to large
numbers of GodÂ’s people in some countries of the world. We commit to doing all we can to
make these resources available to those who need them.
13. refocus on Christ and Christ-likeness as revealed in Scripture. He is the perfect pattern for our
discipleship, and by living as His disciples we bear fruit and bring glory to the Father (John 15:8).
14. affirm the role of the Holy Spirit as our teacher, and the One by whom we are led into all truth
(John 14:26; John 16:13). The Holy Spirit convicts, guides, and empowers us in the process of
discipleship.
15. acknowledge the need for our faith in Christ to impact our societies: our families, our workplaces,
our communities and our nations, thus becoming salt and light in a dark world (Matt. 5:14-16).

55
APPENDIX B
The One Another Commands

Creating Community
The “One Another” Commands

 Romans 12:10
10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Romans 12:16
16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of
low position. Do not be conceited.
Romans 13:8
8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who
loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.
Romans 14:13
13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put
any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.
Romans 15:7
7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
Romans 15:14
14 I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in
knowledge and competent to instruct one another.
Romans 16:16
16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.
1 Corinthians 1:10
10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one
another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in
mind and thought.
1 Corinthians 16:20
20 All the brothers here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
2 Corinthians 13:12
12 Greet one another with a holy kiss.
Galatians 5:13
13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful
nature; rather, serve one another in love.
Ephesians 4:2
2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Ephesians 4:32
32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave
you.
Ephesians 5:19
19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your
heart to the Lord,
Ephesians 5:21
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Colossians 3:13
13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.
Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Colossians 3:16
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all
wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

56
 1 Thessalonians 5:11
11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Hebrews 3:13
13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be
hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
Hebrews 10:24
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
Hebrews 10:25
25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage
one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
James 4:11
11 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him
speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting
in judgment on it.
1 Peter 1:22
22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for
your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.
1 Peter 3:8
8 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be
compassionate and humble.
1 Peter 4:9
9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.
1 Peter 5:5
5 Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe
yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace
to the humble.”
1 Peter 5:14
14 Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
1 John 1:7
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the
blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
1 John 3:11
11 This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
1 John 3:23
23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one
another as he commanded us.
1 John 4:7
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been
born of God and knows God.
1 John 4:11
11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
1 John 4:12
12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made
complete in us.
2 John 5
5 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the
beginning. I ask that we love one another.

57
APPENDIX C
Get Connected Form

58
APPENDIX D
KEY ROLES IN EVERY LIFEGroup

Driver
Responsibilities: Communicating with LIFEGroup Coach; Setting agenda for
group meetings (planning teaching as necessary); Working with Associate Driver
to plan, direct, and enact group meetings; Facilitating the roles of care coordinator
and host/hostess; Planning “extra” activities such as service and outreach projects.
Necessary Training: Completed “Driver’s Training” Course.

Associate Driver
Responsibilities: Working with Driver to plan, direct, and enact group meetings;
Assisting Care Coordinator in pursuing absentee members; Communicating with
Host/Hostess to ensure details for meetings are complete; Assisting Driver as
needed.
Necessary Training: None necessary. Should take “Driver’s Trainin” course at
some point.

Care Coordinator
Responsibilities: Coordinating group efforts to meet the needs of all members;
Communicating with Pastor of Congregational Care as necessary; Pursuing
absentee members (in conjunction with Associate Driver).
Necessary Training: None. Group should designate this person based on
perceived giftedness.

Host/Hostess
Responsibilities: Preparing location of group meeting (in conjunction with
Associate Driver)
Necessary Training: None. Role may rotate among group members depending
on different meeting locations.

Growing Member
Responsibilities: Faithful participation in the lives of other group members; One
year commitment to the LIFEGroup (after a four week trial-period).
Necessary Training: None.

Missing Member
Responsibilities: None. This is a person who is invited by current group
members and participates in group life as a potential group member; This may
also be a group member who has been absent for an extended time and needs to
be pursued.
Necessary Training: None.

59
APPENDIX E
A PRIMER ON COMMUNITY

A PRIMER ON COMMUNITY
Sometimes, when it’s cold, my lawn-mower won’t start. So I prime it.
Priming the lawn-mower isn’t really running the lawn-mower, it’s
just the process of getting the gas flowing.

The purpose of this book is to prime you. It’s to get your “thought
juices” flowing about community.

You won’t get all the answers here. You won’t learn everything you
need to know about biblical community.

But hopefully after reading this short book, you’ll be thinking about
community. And hopefully, those thoughts will lead to more
thoughts, which will lead to action.

Spiritual Formation
In Community
In the beginning…

Whatever we study, we must start here; in the beginning.

Here lies the beginning of the answers to life’s deepest questions:

 Who are we?

 Where did we come from?
 Why are we here?
 Why does evil exist?
 What does the future hold?

“In the beginning…”

60
“God created the heavens and the earth.”58

God spoke and it was.

He spoke the light
He spoke the separation of water and sky
He spoke the land
He spoke the sun, the moon, and also the stars
He spoke fish, and birds, and land animals

“and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters”59

God the Father SPOKE and God the Spirit EMPOWERED.

“…and it was very good.”60

”For by him all things were created”61

God the Son was the ACTOR . Whatever the Father spoke, the
Son created. Whatever the Son created, the Spirit empowered.

One God.

Three God.

Unity with Diversity.

Creation.

Creation was very good, but it didn’t stay that way. Adam and Eve
chose poorly. They chose to honor themselves rather than God. The
result was a broken world.

Relationships are broken.

58
Genesis 1:1
59
Genesis 1:2
60
Genesis 1:31
61
Colossians 1:16

61
Nature is broken.
Evil, pain, suffering, loss, and loneliness are the norm.

A remedy was necessary. Women and men proved to be incapable of

restoring the brokenness.

God the One-in-Three intervened.

“The Father sent the Son”62

God the Father SPOKE.

“The Holy Spirit DESCENDED on him…like a dove”63

It was like in the beginning. The Holy Spirit presided over the
activity of the One-in-Three. He provided the power. He enabled the
Son to do all the Father had spoken.64

At the end of his time on earth, Jesus prayed, “I have brought you
glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.”65

At Creation:

God the Father SPOKE

God the Son enacted
God the Spirit ENABLED

At the Incarnation66:

62
1 John 4:14
63
Luke 3:22
64
John 3:34 says that God gave Jesus the Spirit “without limit.” No one had ever had relationship with the
Holy Spirit like Jesus did. He was given a special dose of the Spirit to enable the completion of His
ministry.
65
John 17:4
66
“Incarnation” literally means “in flesh”. It is the term used to describe the act by which God became
man in the person of Jesus Christ.

62
God the Father SPOKE
God the Son enacted
God the Spirit ENABLED

The incarnation led to new creation.

The first creation was ruined by Adam and Eve’s sin. God’s plan to
have a relationship with His creation wasn’t derailed, though. God
the Son (at the bidding of the Father and with the power of the
Spirit):
 became man
 lived sinlessly
 died unfairly
 to eliminate the curse of sin

We are the new creation. The Father decrees it, The Son enacts it, and
Spirit enables it.67

The Spirit ENABLES us to be the new creation.

Spiritual Formation – “the activity of the Holy Spirit which forms

us into the image of Jesus Christ who is the perfect representation
of God”68

We are most human, most like we were made to be when we are like God.
We were created in His image.69 Unfortunately, we haven’t seen Him. No
one has. So, how can we be like someone we haven’t seen?

“No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the
Father’s side, has made him known.”70

67
Jesus talked about the roles of the Trinity in our salvation at his last supper with his disciples. John
recorded this discourse in chapters 13-17 of his Gospel. Peter also touched on this principle in the opening
of his epistle, 1 Peter.
68
This definition is based on a lecture given at the Grand Rapids Theological Seminary by Dr. James Grier.
To listen to the lecture in its entirety, download it at www.grts.cornerstone.edu/about/chapel
69
Genesis 1:27. More on the “Image of God” in chapter two
70
John 1:18

63
“God the One and Only” is Jesus. John wrote that the “One and
Only” sits at the Father’s side. He wrote that the “One and Only”
came from the Father.

Jesus sits at the Father’s side.

Jesus came from the Father.

Jesus makes the Father known. Jesus shows us how to be like God.
The Spirit that formed Jesus in Mary’s womb is the same Spirit that
forms us to be like Jesus.

That…is spiritual formation.

On our own, we’re hopeless. There is nothing we can do to be like
Jesus. He was sinless, we are not. We are impacted daily by our
exposure to this sinful world. We are constantly at war with our
sinful urges that regularly rear their ugly heads. There is nothing
within us that give us any hope of being like Jesus.71

That’s why the Spirit must form us.

All we have to do…

is let him.

Jesus promised that the Spirit would do the rest.72

Just before Jesus left his disciples, he promised that he would send
another “counselor” to take his place. The Spirit he was sending was
the same Spirit that had been in Him, the samd Spirit that had been
enabling his earthly ministry.

This Spirit would indwell Jesus’ followers, and continue his ministry
in their lives, forming them to be like Jesus.73

71
This ugly picture I’m painting of humanity is the picture Paul (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit)
painted of us in Romans 3.
72
John 14:26
73
John 14:16,17

64
Everyone who takes up the call to follow Jesus receives the Spirit. If
you follow Jesus, you have the Spirit.74

Jesus’ Spirit is in you…forming you to be like Him.

You need to open yourself to the formative work of the Spirit.

Praying, meditating, reading the Bible, memorization, fasting,

contemplation, and many other methods can open you to the Spirit.
He works through all these activities to make you more like Christ.

But Jesus was/is most interested in seeing the Spirit form you
through your relationships with others.

Before he promised the Spirit, Jesus commanded his disciples to

“Love one another.”75
This was a new command to them. They picked it up and ran with it.
It became the foundational teaching of the church in its earliest
days.76

When the apostles wrote letters to other churches, they often

included ideas on how to love one another. They wrote “be devoted
to one another”77, “serve one another”78, “accept one another”79,
“build one another up”80 and many, many more.

Loving one another is the conduit for the Holy Spirit’s formative
work in our life.

74
1 Corinthians 12:13
75
John 13:35
76
In 1 John 3:11, John told his audience that they had heard this command from the beginning. Apparently
this was one of the first teachings that was given to new believers.
77
Romans 12:10
78
Galatians 5:13
79
Romans 15:7
80
1 Thessalonians 5:11

65
After Jesus promised the coming of the Spirit, he prayed for everyone
who would ever believe his message (that means that if you believe in him, he was
praying for you).

His prayer was very simple. He prayed that we would be unified.81

When the people of God are united to each other in love, the Holy
Spirit can perform his formative work in a powerful and effective
way.

It’s really kind of simple. The Holy Spirit makes us look like Christ
by using those around us to influence us in positive ways.
BUT IT DOESN’T END WITH US BEING CHANGED!

Jesus changes us so we can change the world.

When our communities influence us to look like Christ, the natural
result will be that we assume Christ’s mission for the world.

While he was on earth, Jesus accomplished two very clear agendas:

He relieved suffering
He redeemed sin

81
John 17:20-26

66
RELIEVING SUFFERING

Jesus healed the sick, comforted the disheartened, cast out demons,
and even rescued a poor wedding planner.

He taught that those who suffered would be blessed in His kingdom.

He sent out his disciples to follow his example.

A community of true Jesus followers will find ways to relieve

suffering in the world around them.

REDEEMING SINS

No one but God can redeem sins.

Jesus died to redeem our sins, and not just ours, but the sins of the
whole world.

We can’t redeem sins.

But we can bring people to Jesus to have their sins redeemed.

A community of true Jesus followers will find ways to bring people

to Jesus to have their sins redeemed.

A community of true Jesus followers will:

Be formative – within the community, individuals will be formed to

the image of Christ who is the perfect representation of God

Be caring – within the community, individuals will love one another

by finding ways to meet their needs

Be missional – together the community will enact the mission of

Christ by relieving suffering and redeeming sin.

67
This is “Community”.
It’s a collection of people sharing their lives with one another for the
glory of God.

God is glorified when we look like him.

We look like him when we look like Jesus.
We look like Jesus when the Spirit forms us.
The Spirit forms us when we place ourselves into community.
Once formed, the community engages in the mission of Christ.

God’s new creation is a community.

And it is very, very good.

68
APPENDIX F
KEY ACTIVITIES FOR EVERY LIFEGroup

Regular Meetings
Regularly scheduled times together are intended to provide opportunities for
group members to grow spiritually, build relationships, share and pray together, and hold
one another accountable.

Gift Assessment
Group members should be constantly evaluating one another’s giftedness and
finding ways to utilize each person’s uniqueness for the benefit of the group, the church,
and the world.

Ministry Encouragement
From time to time, members of the group will enter new areas of ministry within
the church. The LIFEGroup should affirm each member’s choice in ministry,
commission each member into ministry, support each member throughout their ministry,
and hold each member accountable for their faithfulness in ministry.

Service Projects
Crucial to Christ’s message and the Apostle’s writing is the responsibility of the
church to relieve the suffering and oppression in our world. LIFEGroups should
occasionally seek ways to enact this often neglected aspect of Christ-following.

Relational Outreach
Every believer should be using their inter-personal relationships with non-
believers to lead them to faith in Christ. Inviting a friend to be a part of a LIFEGroup
can provide a positive introduction to the body of Christ. Every group should be willing
to grow through the addition of new and potential believers.

Social Activities
Sharing life requires more than just one weekly meeting. LIFEGroups should
set aside time to simply be together in different environments.

Growth Assessment
During the formative stage of the group, every member will complete a “Spiritual
Formation Survey” to assist them in evaluating the direction of the group. During the
group’s six-month check-up, each member will complete the inventory a second time to
compare the results.

69
APPENDIX F
OVERVIEW OF THE FIRST FOUR WEEKS

WEEK ONE
— Get to know one another
— Discuss Calvary’s purposes for LIFEGroups
— Discuss group objectives

WEEK TWO
— Play “Get Acquainted” Game (contact your LIFEGroup Coach for details)
— Complete Spiritual Formation Survey
— Discuss potential study topics

WEEK THREE
— Share “Jesus Stories”
— Discuss Group Commitment Information Sheet
— Begin study

WEEK FOUR
— Do one-on-one interviews
— Continue study
— Discuss Group Commitment
— Agree upon Commitment Level for the Coming 12 Months

WEEK FIVE
— Continue Doing Life Together

70
 WORKS CITED

Cole, Neil. The Organic Church (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2005)

Crabb, Larry. Connecting (Nashville, TN: Word Publishing, 1997)

Donahue, Bill and Russ Robinson. The Seven Deadly Sins of Small Group Ministry
(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002)

Frazee, Randy. The Connecting Church (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2001)

Grenz, Stanley J. Created for Community (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1996)

Hyatt, Bob. The Problem with Programs, The Ooze [on-line]. August, 2005. Available
from http://www.theooze.com/articles/article.cfm?id=990

Oldenburg, Ray. The Great Good Place (New York: Marlowe and Company, 1999)

Smith, James Bryan with Lynda Graybeal. A Spiritual Formation Workbook (San
Francisco, CA: Harper Collins, 1991)

Stanley, Andy and Bill Willits. Creating Community (Sisters, OR: Multnomah
Publishers, 2004)

Webb, Heather. Small Group Leadership as Spiritual Direction (Grand Rapids, MI:
Zondervan, 2005)

Whitney, Donald S. Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs, CO:
NavPress, 1991)

Willard, Dallas. The Spirit of the Disciplines (San Francisco, CA: Harper Collins, 1988)

71
 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Barna, George. Growing True Disciples. Colorado Springs, CO: Waterbrook Press,
2001.

Using research from several surveys, George Barna addresses the issue of discipleship in
the church. He begins by identifying the type of person he would identify as a growing
disciple of Christ. Barna identifies several fundamental traits shared by those who are
growing disciples. Using these traits, Barna paints a fairly negative picture of the
American church. His research suggests that most churches are not doing a very good job
of growing disciples. Finally he identifies some of the means being used by churches
which are successfully growing disciples. He then overviews the discipleship methods of
five of these churches. Barna’s writing provides interesting insights into the thought
processes of people, and he provides some helpful thoughts regarding evaluation and
measurement of discipleship efforts.

Barton, R. Ruth. "Beyond Words: Experiencing God’s Presence in Silence and

Solitude." Discipleship Journal, 113 September/October 1999.

Ruth Barton is an associate pastor of spiritual formation at Willow Creek Community

Church. This article is a simple “how to” guide for engaging in the spiritual disciplines
of silence and solitude. Barton begins by telling her own story of seeking spiritual
direction and being introduced to these disciplines. She identifies her times of slence and
solitude as among the most formative in her spiritual life. Using the example of Elijah,
she argues that there are often things we cannot learn from God unless we learn to be
silent and alone. She concludes by articulating five steps for beginning to pursue these
disciplines. This article is a good introduction to these disciplines. The Article does not
address the disciplines at the same level as others have, but provides a nice overview.

Cole, Neil. Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2005.

Neil Cole is a church planter and the founder and executive director of Church
Multiplication Associates. Organic Church explains Cole’s perspective of church
planting and evangelism. Cole calls for believers to be actively planting “seeds” of the
Gospel in the life situations they find themselves in. He believes that healthy church
growth happens as people duplicate themselves rather than as churches duplicate
programs. Cole suggests that effective discipleship happens as the Gospel enters the lives
of people and transforms them. The next step, according to Cole, in entrance into a
relationship with one or two other believers for the purpose of growth. Cole’s book
provides a new perspective on the church. His writing about evangelism is inspiring and
convicting, however, he leaves several questions open regarding the spiritual formation
experienced after conversion by those participating in his organic churches.

72
Covey, Stephen R. “The Ideal Community.” In The Community of the Future. ed.
Francis Hesselbein, Marshall Goldsmith, Richard Beckhard and Richard F.
Schubert, 49-58. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1998.

Stephen Covey, cochairman of the Franklin Covey Company and author of several best-
selling books, suggests that the key to success in the world is connections. He writes that
the amount and depth of a person’s connections will play a key role in their ability to
accomplish their mission. He suggests that we seek to create connections with those who
are already aligned with our personal mission. He lists several means by which people
can create new connections. Covey’s four common elements of the ideal community are
helpful in thinking through the identifying marks of positive community. These elements
are: “one standard: principle-centered goodness; one heart: vision and direction; one
mind: purpose, mission, and unity; and economic equality: no poor among them.” His
examples of currently functioning communities are not as helpful as they are too short
and include too little detail. Perhaps this was an editorial decision for brevity.

Crabb, Larry. Connecting. Nashville: Word Publishing, 1997.

Larry Crabb, a distinguished scholar in residence at Colorado Christian University, wrote

Connecting to document a shift in his own thinking about the way the church should
function. Building on the lessons he learned through a personal crisis, Crabb suggests
that a church’s primary mission should be to connect people with one another. In the
course of the book Crabb addresses two issues. The first issue is the question of whether
or not we were created to live in connection. Crabb uses Biblical and psychological
evidence to demonstrate that we do need connection. Secondly, Crabb addresses what it
is that connection does for us. He suggests that we are able to reconnect with people, it
begins the process of drawing out of them the image of God. This is an outstanding book
that should be read by anyone contemplating the issues of community and the church.

Demarest, Bruce. Soulguide. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2003.

Bruce Demarest, a professor at Denver Seminary, wrote Soulguide to be a very practical

primer on the topic of Spiritual Direction. Demarest suggests that one of the main roles
of a pastor should be to provide spiritual guidance for his parishioners. He identifies
three different ways in which spiritual guidance is given (through friends, through
counselors, and through a spiritual director), and believes that all forms of spiritual
guidance are crucial for the development of a believer’s character. The main portion of
the book is part two, in which Demarest identifies several areas of life in which people
need to receive spiritual direction. His fourth segment is two short chapters in which he
identifies the pattern and character of Jesus as a spiritual director. I found the final
chapter to be very useful in helping to define the character of Christ as a pattern for
spiritual formation.

73
Forsyth, Donelson R. Group Dynamics (second edition). Pacific Grove, California:
Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, 1990.

Donelson Forsyth, a professor of psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University,

wrote this textbook which is beneficial for those interested in psychological research
regarding group dynamics. The early chapters are dedicated to explaining the history and
methodology of studying group dynamics. The following chapters address many
different elements of the study of group dynamics. Forsyth does a commendable job of
moving progressively through the issues, so that each chapter clearly builds upon the
content of the previous. His treatment of issues such as group formation, leadership,
group decision making, and group conflict cites numerous studies and includes the
pertinent statistics and resources making this an invaluable resource for those seeking to
deepen their understanding of the psychological elements behind group dynamics.

Frazee, Randy. The Connecting Church. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing

House, 2001.

Randy Frazee, currently a pastor at Willow Creek Community Church, wrote The
Connecting Church while implementing his material at Pantego Bible Church in
Arlington, Texas. Frazee’s book seeks to propose a method of spiritual formation within
Biblical community. He confronts the problems of individualism and isolation within our
culture by suggesting that we were designed to be relational creatures, thus living in
community with others is vitally important to our spiritual development. Particularly
helpful is Frazee’s work in identifying core competencies for the Christian life. He has
identified ten competencies each in the areas of belief, virtue, and practice. He suggests
that spiritual formation should involve a continuing effort to improve in each of these
areas. A companion to this book can be The Christian Life Profile Assessment Tool
which allows a group to evaluate themselves and each other according to these core
competencies.

Freie, John F. Counterfeit Community: The Exploitation of Our Longings for

Community. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 1998.

John F. Freie is a professor of political science at Lemoyne College. Having observed a

massive amount of attention to the concept of community, he set out to evaluate what
does and does not define genuine community. Freie suggests that counterfeit community
is wide spread (particularly in America) as individuals and organizations seek to exploit
people’s desire to experience “community”. He provides identifying marks for both
genuine and counterfeit communities, noting that counterfeit communities are almost
always created to provide an advantage for the creator. After identifying several venues
in which counterfeit community has been developed, Freie evaluates different potential
solutions and offers his own perspective on how genuine community can be formed.
Freie’s insights are often interesting, and much of his research provides helpful insight.
His book raises good cautions to avoid exploitation for anyone seeking to develop
community in various settings.

74
Gaede, S.D. Belonging. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1985.

S.D. Gaede, a professor of Sociology at Gordon College, writes a reasonable critique of

the effects of modernity on relationships within the church. Gaede weaves a comparison
of medieval life and modern life throughout his book demonstrating how our “progress”
has led us to an unbiblical vision of community and tradition. He calls for a re-evaluation
of how we relate to one another as well as a reconsideration of the value of traditions for
a community. Although, he makes his argument well that we have lost a sense of
belonging, he doesn’t give enough effort to identifying a solution to the problem.

Ghandi, Arun. “Lessons from Sevagram Ashram.” In The Community of the Future.
ed. Francis Hesselbein, Marshall Goldsmith, Richard Beckhard and Richard F.
Schubert, 83-90. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1998.

Arun Ghand, the grandson of Mohandas K. “Mahatma” Ghandi, uses his memories of life
with his grandfather to make salient points regarding the necessity of equality for
effective community. Using teaching of his grandfather, Ghandi creates a strong
argument against individualism and exclusivity. His illustrations paint a vivid picture of
his grandfather as one who lived in very close consistency with his own teachings. Upon
completing this short essay, one will have a sense of the importance of inclusivity and
interdependence for the success of any community.

Huttenlocker, Keith. Becoming the Family of God. Grand Rapids: Francis Asbury
Press, 1986.

Keith Huttenlocker offers a synthesis of many ideas regarding relationships within the
church. The majority of material is not new, but Huttenlocker does a good job of
packaging many good principles. He spends the majority of the book using the metaphor
of church as family, which causes him at times to make overly simplistic observations.
His observation in chapter five that acceptance, achievement, and autonomy are the
foundational elements of fulfillment is helpful as are his suggestions for pastors in the
final chapter. Perhaps when it was written, this book was fresh and new. Nearly twenty
years later it is still helpful, but probably not a must read.

Jennings, Theodore W. "The Meaning of Discipleship in Wesley and the New

Testament" Quarterly Review 13 (Spring 1993): 3-18.

Theodore Jennings, a professor of Constructive Theology at Chicago Theological

Seminary, attempts to compare and contrast John Wesley’s ideas of discipleship with a
biblical overview of Jesus methods of discipleship. Jennings notes that such a
comparison is difficult because Wesley did not utilize the term “discipleship”, nor did
Wesley use much of the language often associated with discipleship. Jennings, therefore,
identifies “holiness” as the term Wesley used which is most similar to “discipleship”.
Holiness was to Wesley the primary objective of the Christian life. Jennings provides a
concise summary of Wesley’s ideas regarding how holiness was to be pursued by
Christians. To determine whether Wesley’s ideas were biblically appropriate, Jennings

75
outlines an overview of Christ’s relationship with his disciples. Of great importance is
the idea that discipleship for Christ meant teaching a way of life, not a collection of
knowledge. Jennings concludes that there are significant correlations between Jesus’
methodology and John Wesley’s.

Joy, Donald M. Bonding: Relationships in the Image of God (second edition).

Nappanee. Indiana: Evangel Publishing House, 1999.

Donald M. Joy, a professor of Human Development at Asbury Theological Seminary,

wrote this exploration of family life from a biblical and theological perspective. His
objective is to identify the best possible relationships within the family structure, using
the Genesis account of the image of God as a starting point. Joy identifies the problems
and possibilities within the marriage relationship, beginning with physical bonding and
progressing through the ideas of marriage and child-birth. He also addresses the
relational needs that exist between parents and their children. The first chapter is
particularly helpful for a wider study of relationships, as Joy addresses the needs every
person has for inter-personal relationships. He uses research by E. Mansell Pattison to
identify the particular building blocks of beneficial relationships.

Koessler, John. True Discipleship. Chicago: Moody Press, 2003

John Koessler is the chairman of the Pastoral Studies Department at Moody Bible
Institute. True Discipleship is his overview of purpose and processes of discipleship for
new and old believers. Koessler is convinced that true disciples are those whose lives
clearly identify them as set apart from the world. He suggests several identifying marks
of such disciples as well as the obligations such a pursuit carries. Particularly useful is
Koessler’s chapter on the body. After overviewing several different historical Christian
perspectives of the body, he suggests that the body is the believer’s mechanism for
holiness. The following chapters identify the processes and disciplines by which a
disciple might utilize their body for spiritual growth. I was disappointed that Koessler
only used one chapter to discuss the importance of corporate relationships for
discipleship. By waiting until the last chapter to discuss the impact of other believers, it
almost felt like a obligatory tack-on. Otherwise, this is a good discussion of discipleship
in general.

Lawrenz, Mel. The Dynamics of Spiritual Formation. Grand Rapids: Baker Books,
2000.

Mel Lawrenz explores the meaning of spiritual formation in the church and how it can be
practically worked out. As he explains what spiritual formation is, Lawrenz points to the
following four concepts as important elements: "the progressive integration of who we
are; of ourselves with the rest of creation; of our relationships; and of aesthetics." After
articulating his ideas of spiritual formation, Lawrenz identifies sin as the deformative
element in our lives. He then suggests reading, praying, worship, fellowship, and
preaching as church practices which lead to spiritual formation. He concludes this book

76
by explaining that the ultimate goal of spiritual formation is metamorphisis from the
flesh-driven person into someone who is like Christ.

Lindsay, Michael D. “Creating a Culture of Connectivity.” Rev. 8, March/April

2005, 48-56.

Using research from a Gallup Poll, Michael Lindsay has formulated some of the
characteristics of “satisfied” church attenders. For the most part, it appears that people’s
satisfaction at church is directly linked to the extent to which they feel connected.
Lindsay points to three main factors which contribute to people’s sense of connectivity.
They are a sense of belonging and acceptance; a feeling of being loved, accepted, valued,
and respected; and the presence of caring leaders. An interesting side note is the
observation Lindsay makes that food can be one of the most successful connecting tools a
church can use. I’m not sure that having “satisfied customers” should be our top priority,
but this article gives an interesting perspective on why people do and don’t go to church.

Morse, Suzanne W. “Five Building Blocks for Successful Communities.” In The

Community of the Future. ed. Francis Hesselbein, Marshall Goldsmith, Richard
Beckhard and Richard F. Schubert, 229-236. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
Publishers, 1998.

Suzanne Morse is currently the executive director of the Pew Partnership for Civic
Change. Her article addresses the shift in people’s concept of community over the past
several decades. She explains that “community” is no longer defined by geographic or
ethnic boundaries. Morse points out two new types of community, communities of
interest and communities of relationships. Foundational to Morse’s article is the idea that
healthy communities generally think more strategically and are less reactive. Her five
building blocks for successful communities (“mechanisms for deciding; organization of
community work; accessible community life; creation of more avenues for leadership;
and action for the next generation”) are instructive as to how to think more strategically
and less reactive.

Myers, Joseph. The Search to Belong. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing

House, 2003.

Joseph Myers, a consultant and founding partner of settingPace, suggests a fresh

approach to groups and community in church settings. Using Edward T. Hall’s
communication theories which address the four spaces people occupy in their
relationships, Myers suggests the church pay more attention to developing more holistic
spaces in which people can belong. Myers argues against the suggestion that every
church member should be pursuing intimate relationships in which to be discipled,
choosing rather to suggest that a balance can be found in which people pursue different
levels of belonging within different types of space. Myers does not spend enough time
discussing how his theories might be lived out in churches, choosing rather to leave his
book open ended. If his intent is to begin an ongoing conversation about belonging, he is

77
certainly successful. This book will not provide all the answers, but will supply new
foundational questions.

Ortberg, John. “No More Mr. Nice Group: 5 Practices that Take Small Groups
Beyond Polite ‘Sharing’ to the Disciplines that Change Lives.” Leadership, 26
Summer 2005, 35-39.

John Ortberg, pastor at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, suggests that spiritual formation
cannot happen unless we are willing to commit ourselves to community. He writes, “In
community we discover who we are and how much transformation we still require.”
Ortberg suggests the following five practices for groups desiring to spiritually form one
another: confession; application; accountability; guidance; and encouragement.
Ortberg’s ultimate conclusion is that spiritual formation is truly about learning to love
and that can only happen when we place ourselves into relationships with others.

Pattison, E. Mansell. Pastor and Parish—A Systems Approach. Philadelphia:

Fortress Press, 1977.

E. Mansell Pattison, professor and chairman of the department of Psychology at the

Medical College of Georgia and Chief of Psychiatry at Talmadge Memorial Hospital in
Augusta Georgia, relies on his experience as a minister as well as his knowledge of
psychiatric research to present this study of the church as a system rather than a
collection of individuals. His writing is intended specifically for Pastors, and is designed
to force a new type of thinking about the nature and function of the church. Pattison
points to urbanization and modernization as major contributors to the breakup of the
extended family and the rise of individualism. He suggests that the connectedness once
associated by close family ties has been replaced by a loose network of relationships with
business associates and friends. Pattison identifies the following five characteristics of
interpersonal relationships: “a relatively high degree of interaction; a strong emotional
intensity; the emotion is positive; a willingness to be dependant upon for concrete
assistance; and symmetrical reciprocation.” He postulates that most people possess a
psychosocial system consisting of twenty to thirty people with whom they share these
relationships. He identifies this as a “semipermeable network of relationships”. Pattison
demonstrates that churches are ineffective because their relational networks do not
correspond to the five characteristics he has identified. He spends a great deal of time
identifying a process for pastors to reevaluate their congregations and begin creating
relational networks through which the church can become a integral element in people’s
network of relationships.

Schwartz, Barry. The Paradox of Choice. New York: HarperCollins Publishers,

2004.

Barry Schwartz, the Dorwin Cartwright Professor of Social Theory and Social Action at
Swarthmore College, believes that too much choice can be a bad thing. Although,
according to Schwartz, freedom to choose is a crucial element for self-determination, the
proliferation of choice will more often than not lead to unhappiness and discontentment.

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Schwartz uses many different case studies to build his argument that the more we are
confronted with choice, the less likely we are to be happy with our choices. Although he
spends very little time discussing religion, he does point to the negative effect choice has
had on religion. He suggests that fewer people are willing to commit to churches because
of the vast amount of choices presented to them. This book provides a new perspective
on church programming for those who are tired of “full-service” churches.

Stanley, Andy and Bill Willits. Creating Community. Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah
Publishers, 2004.

Andy Stanley, pastor at North Point Community Church, partners with his associate Bill
Willits to write this description of their church’s efforts to create community among their
congregants. More than anything else, this is a strategy book for leaders. The authors
spend a little time discussing why community is important in a church and then devote
the majority of the book to explaining why they develop community the way they do.
The writing is not overly complex, and like most North Point resources, the strategies
seem to be fairly simple to implement. Stanley and Willits do a good job of stressing the
importance of a church being committed to community in order for this to work. While
there are no earth-shaking revelations, this is a nice packaging of good material that is
readable for anyone.

Ulrich, Dave. “Six Practices for Creating Communities of Value, Not Proximity.” In
The Community of the Future. ed. Francis Hesselbein, Marshall Goldsmith, Richard
Beckhard and Richard F. Schubert, 155-165. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
Publishers, 1998.

Dave Ulrich, professor of business administration in the School of Business at the

University of Michigan, has authored many books and been named one of the world’s top
ten educators in management and the number one educator in human resources. He
presents the following six practices that are intended for the business world, but can also
be helpful for those interested in other forms of community: “forge a strong and distinct
identity; establish clear rules of inclusion; share information across boundaries; create
serial reciprocity; use symbols, myths, and stories to create and sustain values; manage
enough similarity so that the community feels familiar.” Drawing on experience and
research, Ulrich identifies the crucial characteristics of organizations which seek to unite
around values rather than geographic proximity. Key to each of his practices is a high
emphasis on inclusion and interdependence. He cites many successful and recognizable
companies that adhere to these principles. This article will be beneficial for anyone
interested in developing a greater sense of community in their setting.

Webb, Heather. Small Group Leadership as Spiritual Direction. Grand Rapids:

Zondervan, 2005.

Heather Webb is a spiritual director and a licensed professional counselor. In this book,
Webb takes a fresh approach to small groups by seeking for ways to enact the art of
spiritual direction in the group setting. The first section of her book provides helpful

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analysis and suggestions for all types of small groups. Webb’s second section introduces
and explains the basic tenets of spiritual direction. The third and fourth section are
Webb’s suggestions for enacting spiritual direction within the small group. Particularly
helpful are the three different models for spiritual direction in small groups laid out by
Webb in the final three chapters.

Webber, Robert E. Ancient-Future Evangelism. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2003.

Robert Webber is Myers Professor of Ministry at Northern Seminary and the president of
the Institute for Worship Studies. Citing many of the findings of the International
Consultation on Discipleship, he uses this book to offer an analysis of the difficulties
faced by the church today and to present possible solutions. In Ancient Future
Evangelism, Weber suggests a reassessment of the methods by which the American
church does evangelism and discipleship. Weber uses the practices of the ancient church
to serve as a model for our practice today. His first section regarding spiritual formation
is a good resource for understanding the methods used by the early church to disciple and
form believers. I found this section to be very worthwhile for anyone seeking to better
understand discipleship in the church.

Wheatley, Margaret J. and Myron Kellner-Rogers. “The Paradox and Promise of

Community.” In The Community of the Future. ed. Francis Hesselbein, Marshall
Goldsmith, Richard Beckhard and Richard F. Schubert, 9-18. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1998.

Margaret Wheatley and Myron Kellner-Rogers lead the work of the Berkana Institute, a
research foundation exploring new organizational forms and ideas. They address here,
the problem caused when people seek community based on significant levels of affinity.
Wheatley and Kellner-Rogers identify two core human values of freedom and
connectedness. They point out that these two values can often become competing values
as people seek to retain autonomy within their spheres of connection. They suggest
community based on sharing, on discovering commonality, and on embracing diversity.

Whitney, Donald S. "10 Questions To Ask To Make Sure You’re Still Growing."
Discipleship Journal, 97 January/February 1997.

Donald Whitney is an assistant professor of spiritual formation at Midwestern Baptist

Theological Seminary. This short but practical article points to ten questions one might
ask to evaluate their progress in spiritual formation. Whitney states, “there is a difference
between activity and progress.” This article is intended to assist Christians in evaluating
whether the activity they are engaged in is leading to progress in their spiritual formation.
This is an easy read, but useful particularly for pastors and church leaders.

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Whitney, Donald S. Spiritual Disciplines Within the Church. Chicago: Moody Press,
1996.

According to his introduction, Donald Whitney wrote this book to declare the glory of the
church and to invite people to enjoy the church. He also wrote it to contend against the
consumeristic view of the church prevalent today and the privatization of spirituality. He
writes that “Too many believers isolate themselves from lifewith the family of God,
deceived by the notion that "me and Jesus" are all they need in order to be all that God
wants them to become and to savor all He has for them.” Whitney takes a new approach
to spiritual disciplines, suggesting that any efforts we make toward spiritual formation
should in some way be tied to our life together with other believers. The result is this
book which serves almost as an apologetic for spiritual formation being carried out
through traditional church activities such as preaching, woship, and the ordinances.
Although the writing is fairly simplistic, Whitney provides a nice overview of church life,
answering many questions with biblical answers.

Willard, Dallas. The Spirit of the Disciplines. New York: HarperCollins Publishers,
1988.

Dallas Willard addresses many questions related to spiritual disciplines in this work. At
the foundation of his writing is an attempt to answer the question, “how can I be like
Christ?” He debunks the myth that salvation is simply a one-time event that delivers us
from sin, preferring instead to see salvation as new life in Christ. This new life,
therefore, requires a new way of living. Willard suggests a “sensible asceticsm” for those
desiring to pursue this type of life. He identifies several spiritual disciplines within the
categories of abstinence and engagement. Willard is one of the foremost authors on
spiritual disciplines and his writing is virtually always helpful. However, at times, his
focus on personal disciplines seems to ignore the church a little too much.

Wink, Walter. "Walking M. Scott Peck’s Less-Traveled Road." Theology Today 48

(October 1991): 279-289.

Dr. Walter Wink is Professor of Biblical Interpretation at Auburn Theological Seminary

in New York City. His review of Peck’s writing is a gracious critique which seeks to
highlight the movement of Peck’s work toward a higher view of community. He
provides a nice summary of some of Peck’s observations about community without
passing judgment on their validity. This is a helpful article for those wishing to gain a
brief but accurate introduction to Peck’s work. Particuluarly interesting are Peck’s
thoughts regarding the incompatibility of organization and community. Wink notes that
Peck’s view is that community must exist as an end in itself, for any attempt at
organizing true community will fail due to the chaos which is necessary for a community
to reach true mutuality.

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Zander, Alvin. "The Value of Belonging to A Group in Japan." Small Group
Behavior 14 (February, 1983): 3-14.

Alvin Zander is a psychologist who traveled to Japan to observe the research being done
there on group behavior. His findings demonstrate significant fundamental differences
between the Japanese people and Americans. While Americans place a high value on
individualism and autonomy, Japanes people are far more likely to value the group and
find their personal identity as a contributor to a group. Zander uses several illustrative
stories from the Japanese workplace to illustrate the significant differences between
Eastern and Western mindsets. Of particular interest is the length to which the Japanese
people will go to make a positive contribution to their group, often making great personal
sacrifices. This article is useful for presenting a new perspective of what the church
could look like if it’s members were

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