“The Way of Jesus”
A Course of Study, Practice, and Spiritual Formation for Apprentices of Jesus
This is the second year of Geoff Chapman's popular spiritual formation seminar. Last year some 35 people completed the course, giving it high marks for its interest and impact on their lives as disciples of Jesus.
Starting Sept 16th, the class meets on Sunday evenings for an hour and a half, gathering to read, think and talk about the fundamental dynamics of Christian spiritual formation. The class will be using the classical resources for spiritual formation gathered by Dallas Willard, Richard Foster, Jim Smith and the Renovare movement. The class will explore some of the great ‘masters' of spiritual formation from various Christian traditions along the way. At all times, we will be focused on Christlikeness as our goal. The whole atmosphere of our work together will be rooted in and fueled by the grace God so freely gives us in Jesus.
The seminar is divided in three parts, the first third of the course is titled, “Getting to Know God All Over Again”, and is focused on his goodness, his grace, his joy and his presence. The next part of the course is titled, “The Good News of the Kingdom” and centers in on Jesus' Kingdom message and how spiritual change happens. The last third is called, “Growing Kingdom Life” and helps us learn how to live from the resources of Christ's Kingdom, with a careful look at the Sermon on the Mount.
Evenings together will include presentations and discussions of our reading, an introduction to some 20 “Spiritual Tools”, a half-dozen of so video presentations from Dallas Willard and Richard Foster, biographical sketches of some outstanding Christians of past centuries, and creative times of prayer from various streams of Christian spirituality.
An interactive ingredient of the course is putting what you learn into action in your own lives, praying for one another, learning and practicing new grace-habits, encouraging each other and celebrating every step along the way. By the time the course finishes in April, you will begin to form a personalized "Rule of Life" that you are thinking through and living into. All of this makes this seminar a special learning community – unlike most any other you have known!
People who decide to join this course will be asked to not miss more than three meetings through the year, to be willing to read three challenging books along the way, and be ready to make a good faith effort to practice what we learn. Come and join us!
