Spiritual Direction in the Congregaton

There is an increasing need to see churches in North America turn their attention to the way in which we foster the growth and development of believers, both new and existing. There is an increasing sense that the followers of Jesus in North America are less and less mature. Is this an effect of the breakdown of families and communities from Atlantic to Pacific, is it less weighty preaching from the pulpit, is it less instruction at home or in Sunday School in the way we follow after Jesus? I don’t know what the root cause is, but I do see its effects daily in the church and in the community.

Simon Chan in his insightful work, Spiritual Theology argues that the church needs to have a comprehensive and coherent theology if it is going to have well formed followers of Jesus. Chan’s work clearly points out that Christians have a tremendous resource in the church; believers and theologians over the centuries have produced works and developed understandings that will nourish the soul, fortify the followers of Jesus and help to develop mature believers.

There are a numerous ways that church can address the need for spiritual maturity within the congregation. Spiritual direction or in a broader sense, spiritual formation may be viewed in several different venues including: Congregational worship, Small groups, and personal direction.

The first way a church can address spiritual maturity is through the ministry of preaching in worship. Preaching in the context of congregational worship has potential to provide another layer of opportunities for spiritual growth. However, if preaching is disconnected from the rest of worship it will strike a note of discord and if the overall preaching plan for a season or year is not tied closely to the other activities of the church it will fragment rather than unite the body of Christ. The result being that one thrust of the church is aimed in one direction while the small groups are headed in another direct and the Christian Education program is pointed in yet another direction. The preaching plan should tie all the elements of the churches ministries together and be a unifying point rather than another point of divergence.

The second way a congregation can work at spiritual maturity on a congregational level is the use of small group. Small groups are very helpful but will be limited to the extent to which groups are able to develop intimacy; the greater the degree of intimacy the more potential there will be for spiritual maturation. I am inclined to say that groups provide one of the most effective uses of time and talents in the church for the purpose of spiritual growth.

Groups must do a few specific things well will not develop mature believers. It is clear that small groups need time to develop intimacy and group leadership that will be foster internal group development which allows for people to mature. Without properly trained and equipped leadership the chances of developing a high functioning group are slim. Groups need to good leadership. Groups also need to help people connect or in some cases reconnect. People in groups need to connect with God and with each other. Groups that are unable or unwilling to connect or reconnect people with each other will only become an informational session about God. While groups that are unwilling or unable to connect people to God will only be social gatherings with little room for maturation.

The third way that church can address spiritual maturity is to develop an efficient system of spiritual direction for all participants in the congregation. This format has the potential to develop very mature believers but will by definition be very time consuming for the person in the role as spiritual director, who will in most cases be the pastor. Because of the inherent time management issues for this type of congregational spiritual development it likely means that only a small portion of the congregation will be able to receive the time necessary for spiritual maturation.

Perhaps the best approach would be to incorporate all three of these at approaches to spiritual direction in one congregation. The worship service could provide a primary venue for initial spiritual direction and provide a unifying principle in the life of the congregation. The small groups could provide a more intimate and secure environment for the spiritual growth of the largest portion of the congregation. Leaders and other more mature individuals could then receive personal spiritual direction with the pastor.

This example allows for a comprehensive plan for spiritual formation and growth in a congregation of any size. It also works to see that no congregational member is left to slip between the cracks and provides for each person in the congregation to have a person who is responsible for their continued spiritual growth and development. It is important to remember that this is a brief and truncated image of a congregational plan for spiritual formation. However, it points to the potential for addressing how a congregation may work toward maturing its membership and developing a more cohesive approach to spiritual discipline.

The Epic Journey

I’ve been thinking about this for a while. But, I’m still not sure how I want to say what I need to say. I realize, painfully, the reality that most Christians in North America are still rather immature. Not that they are not adults, but rather that their faith is not matured to the point where they have gotten much past the point of conversion. I know the church culture is still so focused on the point of conversion, the decision for Christ, that we often forget that this is not the end of the process but only the beginning step. In other words the Church’s job is not finished once people decide to follow Jesus, but it is really only beginning.

So, what I’d like to do is to begin a process of maturing in Christ with about 10 other men. I’d like to gather about ten of us to make a journey toward being more fully mature followers of Christ. I don’t know if there is anyone else who would like to make this journey with me, but what I know is that it cannot be done alone. It needs to be done in community, Where we can talk, yell, argue and workout our faith, coming to terms with our faults, our failures, our leaps of faith and whatever else comes along.

I see this primarily as a process, not a one time decision. I see this as a opportunity to study scripture and to read Christian authors. I see this as a chance to worship, to work and to build a deeper life in Christ. I would be glad to welcome into this fellowship anyone interested in the journey, be they a Christ follower or not. I would ask, that they only be open to the idea of following Jesus.

I don’t think that this will be an easy journey, but I am convinced it will be an adventure of epic proportions. I expect that there will be many lessons learned on this journey, some will be intensely personal while others or expressly public. I expect to learn about myself, about Christ Jesus, about those who form this fellowship. I anticipate learning what it means to follow Christ more fully, I anticipate learning what it means to be a man in the context of following Christ Jesus and living in North America in the Twenty-first century. I anticipate dealing with old wounds and with new ones as well. I anticipate struggling with others in the fellowship on issues and ideas.

I don’t know when this journey will start, but like Lewis and Clark, I am looking for those who would make the journey with me. A journey into the known and unknown of life in Christ Jesus.