Spiritual Development July 2016
I’m very excited for the rest of the year and the new emphasis that our church is putting on discipleship. Part of this plan is a new strategy that we are going to have called The Growth Initiative. The Life Change cycle is a model that has served our church well as we think about what genuine, Spirit-provoked life change looks like in the life of a believer. This new push is our attempt to be more faithful to the “Grow” aspect of the Life Change Cycle.
The Growth Initiative will replace the Life Enrichment classes that we have offered in the past on Sunday nights in the fall and spring. Instead of meeting over a series of weeks throughout the year, we will be offering equipping sessions one weekend each month on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings in order to give focused attention to important concepts that will work to strengthen your faith and equip you to be an effective disciple of Christ. Listed below is the schedule for this upcoming fall.
Truth: Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth - Sept. 9th -10th
Learn how to understand, interpret, and apply the truth of the Bible to your life and the lives of others.
Story: God’s Grand Redemption Story - Oct. 14th-15th
See how the Old and New Testaments are one story of God’s workings to
redeem people from the power of sin and establish his everlasting kingdom.
Beliefs: Theological Triage - Nov. 11th-12th
Learn why our beliefs about God and his interactions with us are valuable and important for the maturity of our faith.
Action: How to Be a Disciple Maker - Dec. 9th-10th
Understand what it means to be a disciple of Jesus and learn how to effectively share your faith and disciple others.
Fridays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
It is our hope that many people at Oakhill will participate in these opportunities and see the value in investing in their own spiritual life so they are more effectively equipped to minister to others. These larger categories of Truth, Story, Beliefs, and Action are explained in Pastor Alan’s article and will be addressed on Sunday mornings through the month of July. These categories will serve as the framework for the future discipleship opportunities that our church will offer. Within those categories, new topics will be covered each year. Please plan to be a part of these weekends!
Our desire behind all of this planning is summed up in the tagline of The Growth Initiative’s logo. We want to be a church made up of disciples making disciples. This is the mission that Jesus has left for the church to complete in the power of the Spirit. By God’s grace, this new emphasis will aid our church in completing the Great Commission by reaching the lost and making disciples who make disciples.
Speaking the Truth in Love,
Nick