Welcome to the Spiritual Formation and Spiritual Direction site for Foothills Community Church in Arvada, Colorado.
Have these questions ever passed through your mind?
- What’s all this about Spiritual Formation and Spiritual Direction?
- Is it all merely the latest “buzz word”?
- Just who is God?
- Who am I? Why do I exist?
- Is it possible to really know God and not just information about Him?
These are profound questions—and they need to be addressed.
The Purpose of Spiritual Formation
Every man and every woman is an image bearer of Jesus; it’s who we are created to be.
Humans have received the distinct privilege of revealing Christ to all of creation. As Christians, people are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, reunited with the Trinity, and are given a unique calling in the created order. Christians have received the gift ofincarnating Jesus, even more, the Trinity. Think about that …
It is the Spirit’s role to cause people to grow into and become a more accurate image of Christ. In doing so, the Spirit’s work enables them to experience and pour out God’s love, grace, nature to all they encounter. They live in the freedom in which He lives. Thus, part of the spiritual journey involves cooperation with the Spirit’s transformational work, so that Christ’s followers uniquely and accurately reveal Him through humanity.
Just before He ascended to heaven, Jesus charged His followers to, in their goings, make other disciples, other followers of Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20). Jesus, in what is called “The Great Commission,” instructed the disciples to embrace the privilege of introducing others to Jesus and companioning with them in their unique process of being conformed to His image—of becoming who they are created to be, their true selves. Out of that formational work, followers receive and in turn give away God’s love, grace, compassion to others.
The Work of Spiritual Formation
The apostle Paul, in addition to his missional work, took the calling of growing image bearers of Christ, very seriously. He wrote,
“My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,” (Galatians 4:19, Today’s New Living Translation).
“My little children, again I feel the pain of childbirth for you until you truly become like Christ.” (Galatians 4:19, New Century Version).
“Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed …” (Romans 12:1, 2, NASB)
The process of spiritual formation, the journey of being conformed into the image of Christ, is the spiritual journey of becoming. But it is never an end in itself. It is the process of being conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others. (Robert Mullholland, Jr., Invitation to a Journey: A Road Map for Spiritual Formation. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1993. p.15.).
In an axiomatic sense, followers are “blessed to bless others.” As a community of “blessed people” Christ’s followers reveal God to others through loving compassion, grace-filled living, and humility in service.
At Foothills, spiritual formation is one of the cores principles the community embraces. It is the community’s calling to companion with each other in the process of formation. As a community and individuals Christ sends us “out, being” Jesus to others. This is the great direction, great commission given all disciples.
The Process of Spiritual Formation
This process has many aspects and in part, involves getting to know Christ through the Word, prayer, community, service and companioning with each other in the journey of “becoming” and serving.
God has given His church, His body, people who have received the charism and are skilled in companioning with others in the process of spiritual formation. This is a spiritual vocation.
As companions with others in their growth journeys, Foothills offers Mentoring, Discipleship, Soul Care, and Spiritual Direction.
We invite you to spend some time on this site, reading, digesting, questioning, pondering, and perhaps yearning. And if we can come alongside you in any way, please contact us.
The Journey of Spiritual Formation
David Benner, author, Christian psychotherapist, speaker, retreat leader, and Spiritual Director, wrote about the Israelites’ journey from Egypt, through the desert, and into the Promised Land,
Tracing their [the Israelites] route throughout the forty years of wandering in what is now Saudi Arabia would suggest that they were lost. But they were precisely where they were supposed to be—following God around the wilderness until they underwent the desired character transformation.
They thought their call was simply a deliverance from Egypt to the Promised Land of milk and honey. But… His plan was for deliverance from much more than the Egyptians. God had in mind their deliverance from themselves. They were called to a journey of transformation not simply to another country in which to live.
The essence of Christian spirituality is following Christ on a Journey of personal transformation. The soul’s journey in Christian spirituality is a journey of becoming, not simply of doing or even being. This is why it gives priority to the inner self. The transformation that occurs in Christian spirituality moves from the inside out, this is the significance of Christ’s constant emphasis on the heart.
—David G. Benner. Sacred Companions: The Gift of Spiritual Friendship and Direction., Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2002, pgs. 26—7.
