February Missional Network Gatherings

February 19, 2007 | Filed Under networks, spiritual formation |

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Here again are the times for the next Missional Network gatherings. Remember this month Georges Boujakly will be leading us in a discussion on the concept of spiritual growth with a specific emphasis on understanding how spiritual growth occurs in the life of a believer. Georges has provided a discussion guide for us to consider prior to our time together. If time allows for you, reflect on the two quotes, one from William James and the other from Hannah Withhall Smith.

KC Network
Thursday, February 22nd
5:00pm-8:00pm
Kansas City Association
8745 Ballentine
Overland Park

Newton Network
Friday, February 23rd
12:00 - 3:00pm
The Journey
7th and Plum
Newton, KS

Here is the link to the discussion guide:

Please reflect on the following quotes to get your mind in tune with the subject of our discussion. Most of the difficulty in forming a special habit is that we will not discipline ourselves. Read carefully this quotation from William James and apply it to the matter of prayer.            

“The great thing, then, in all education, is to make our nervous system our ally instead of our enemy. It is to fund and capitalize our acquisitions, and live at ease upon interest of the fund. For this we must make automatic and habitual, as early as possible, as many useful actions as we can, and guard against the growing into ways that are likely to be disadvantageous to us, as we should guard against the plague… The first (maxim) is that in the acquisition of a new habit, or the leaving off of an old one, we must take care to launch ourselves with as strong and decided an initiative as possible…. The second maxim is: Never suffer an exception to occur till the new habit is securely rooted in your life… A third maxim may be added to the preceding pair: Seize the very first possible opportunity to act on every resolution you make, and on every emotional prompting you may experience in the direction of the habit you aspire to gain.”         

Let us apply that lesson right now to ourselves, and take our Lord’s advice home until it becomes character. You say you cannot get up early in the morning; well a very good thing to do is to get up in order to prove that you cannot! This does not contradict at all what has already been said, viz., that we must not put earnestness in the place of God; it means that we have to understand that our bodily mechanism is made by God, and that when we are regenerated He does not give us another body, we have the same body, and therefore the way we use our wits in order to learn a secular thing is the way to learn any spiritual thing. ‘But thou, when thou prayest— begin now.” Oswald Chambers Christian Disciplines, Vol. 2. 

And this quote by Hannah Withall Smith from The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life           

“‘But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.’ Now this text exactly expresses what we believe to be God’s will for us, and what we also believe He has made it possible for us to experience. We accept, in their very fullest meaning, all the commands and promises concerning our being no more children, and our growing up into Christ in all things, until we come unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. We rejoice that we need not continue always to be babes, needing mil, but that we may, by reason of use and development, become such as we have need of strong meat, skillful in the word of righteousness, and able to discern both good and evil. And none would grieve more than we at the thought of any finality in the Christian life beyond which there could be no advance.”            

What model of discipleship did you grow up with?

What were its strengths?

What have you found to be its limitations? 

How would you go about devising a plan for personal and corporate spiritual growth? 

What would a model for spiritual growth look like biblically?

What are the ingredients of it? What is all involved?

Where would you start?

What would you aim for? 

About 7 or 8 years ago, Dallas Willard said that he did not know one church in the USA that had a definite plan of “teaching whatsoever I have commanded you” (in its entirety) to its people. As an example, he asks, “do you know of any church that is intentionally teaching its people how to love their enemies?” I don’t know about how accurate is Willard’s apprehension concerning the American model of spiritual growth. But I know there is much truth to his fears. Namely, that discipleship in America is optional and not a requirement of being a Christian.

Is this an overstatement or have you found it to be true in your circles?  

The context of the gospel is … In other words, where in the plan of God (the metanarrative of Scripture) would you place the content of the gospel?  If the context of the gospel is ____ _____________ __ ____ (Mark 1:14-15) then salvation is a life, in community, under the welcome rule of God, with a vision, intention and means of conformity to the image of Christ.

If salvation is only an event, or an experience, only individualistic, only personal, only the start of something rather than its totality, we get the present situation of Christianity in NA. Not to be critical, but I don’t think that any church (or denomination in the West) would want to go head to head with the Chinese Church (I could have added South America, India, and Africa) in effectiveness of living out in devotion to God and his kingdom in a missional ecclesiology. 

Discussion of Project: listen and interact… 

So in my project…  Chapter two of my dissertation sought to give a biblical rationale to the idea of the necessity of spiritual growth and a model on how that might happen in the life of believers. The project itself concentrated on the contemplative aspects of spirituality that facilitate spiritual growth.  A Biblical Rationale for Spiritual Growth: Expansion of the KGod; growth of nation of God; growth of individuals; new birth as spiritual growth; other images of spiritual growth: Jesus grew in … modeled growth… grew in virtue…. growth as lifestyle  The Agency of the Holy Spirit: in creation, revelation, heart transformation, in Isaiah 63:9-14, and in other passages (Psalm 51) and the New Testament. The Sanctifying Work of the Holy Spirit is telic… A closer look at the telic aspect of the sanctifying work of the HS reveals that it is conformity to the image of Christ. Galatians 4:19; Romans 12:2; 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Luke 6:40; Philippians 2:1-11. 

The trials of life are telic… Not treated but is important. David and Peter: From failure, to rebuke, to repentance, to restoration: A pattern of spiritual growth.

Spiritual Growth and the Role of the Disciplines: The contribution of the disciplines… Categories of Disciplines… One main danger of the disciplines… Role of self control in growth…The principle of indirection… … The telic aspect…

Discussion after presentation: 

How could you use a plan for spiritual growth like this one in the church where you are? 

What would be beneficial that you might want to borrow?

What would not be very useful?  

What could be more practical?  

What curriculum would you design for this process?

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1 comment so far
  1. Clifford Thompson, Pastor February 23, 2007 10:06 pm

    I have read your above notes and are very impressed with what you have said. I am a pastor in the Church of God [Cleveland Tnn]

    Please tell me if or how can I share the information I have received from you

    Thank you,
    Clifford