Tough Questions 4

New Reality #4: The Return to Spiritual Formation

This is what I'm most excited about in the life of our church. McNeal says,

"We have turned our churches into groups of people who are studying God as though they were taking a course at school or attending a business seminary. We aim at the head. We don't deal in relationship. And we wonder why there is no passion for Jesus and his mission."

The transformation from a programmatic approach to teaching (think university style "sit and listen to the guru") to a coaching approach is intriguing to me. It's a little harder to quantify and measure, but I think the results last a lot longer. I can't remember the last significant Bible study I went to, but I can remember the significant relationships and moments when I learned through some tough questions.

How can we begin to use the experiences of life to coach people toward becoming more committed in following Christ? When we provide experiences, what followup can we do with them to help it mean something? How can we involve others in our own growth and development?

Questions like these bust opportunities wide open. We don't need a building or a program, we just need people who want to get in shape. Together. So we can now begin to think how we live out our faith, hope, and love. Coaching forces us out of the mindset of going through the motions and into genuine passion.

Every ounce of me wants to make this a program. Develop curriculum. But I'm fighting it. I'm trying to keep it simple.