Intentional Formation
Because Jesus is our king, we have different ways of living. We commit to learning the culture, values, and teachings of Jesus and unlearning the ways of our previous world. We desire our emotional reflexes, our social instincts, and our daily impulses to mimic those of Jesus. A deep, heart, and gut-level renovation, where we learn how to laugh, love, mourn, celebrate, and live anew.
This vision of holistic renewal will take time, in fact, it may take a lifetime, but our aim is to be the type of person that can step into eternity in Jesus’ kingdom and be right at home. And so, we gather around the things the Jesus-people have always gathered around; prayer, scripture, and mission. In doing so we will gradually learn what it is to live as citizens of His Kingdom.
Aligning our story with His story.
Learning the Way of the Kingdom
Too many discipleship initiatives focus on information– if we can get you to speak the language of Christianity– you’ll be good. But we all know too many who use Christian language to hide a diseased soul. We want a soul-level transformation that helps us to mimic our King Jesus. Each of us must work out this transformation in the community trusting that the Spirit of God is completing the work.
We believe discipleship to Jesus goes beyond learning the correct vocabulary; it involves learning a whole new way of life. We think of this process in terms of stories, loves, and habits. The stories we believe narrate all of our life shaping our understanding of everything and giving us a “north star” by which we navigate life. Our loves, or desires, give us the energy to make that story come to life. And our habits are the means (or barriers) to that story becoming reality.
Our discipleship to Jesus must explore the stories we believe, the loves of our hearts, and the habits we embody in order to reorient those to the Kingdom.
An Environment for Formation.
Practicing the Way of Jesus.
In almost every area of life, we recognize the importance of repetition. If you want to be proficient at playing piano, you repeat the same songs. If you want to improve your golf swing, you repeat the motion. If you want to form a new habit, you repeat that action. Likewise, to be a disciple of Christ requires repetition of the Jesus story.
When we repeat the Story of Christ, in prayer and scripture, it slowly seeps into our imagination transforming who we are. Following the liturgy is not a quick fix, it is the slow work of allowing the Spirit to renew our minds and make us into the image of Christ.
