Spiritual Formation

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
                          - Romans 12:2

Being a Christian means different things to different people: being forgiven, being loved by God, receiving eternal life, going to heaven. While all these things are truly blessings of salvation, one of the blessings that is often forgotten is the promise and challenge of transformation. We are saved not only to go to heaven, but also to be changed and formed into the image of Christ, i.e., to be spiritually formed.

It is only by the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in us that we can become like Christ; we can’t make it happen on our own. However, there are many things we can do to invite the Holy Spirit into our lives and allow him to work in us. When we pray, study and meditate on Scripture, worship, fast, come to church, and serve God, we place ourselves before God in an attitude of openness to Him. These “spiritual disciplines” are the means by which we give Him space to work in our hearts and minds so that He can change and grow us to be more like Jesus.

At CBC we create many opportunities to encourage transformation. We worship, listen to His Word, pray, and pursue intimacy with him in our Sunday morning worship services. We gather in small groups as communities who support one another in fellowship, study, and prayer. We encourage each other to serve God in the church, the community, and the world to experience His presence in our lives and to share His presence with others.

We are in the process of developing a Spiritual Formation Framework, a strategy for spiritual growth through the vision of “Reaching Seekers and Growing Believers. This includes a curriculum to communicate the 7 W’s through training workshops or classes, and a system for ongoing evaluation and follow-up. It is our desire to be intentional and committed to the spiritual formation of each person in our church family.

For further reading, the following books are recommended works about spiritual formation:

• "Restoration of the Heart" by Dallas Willard
• "The Divine Conspiracy" by Dallas Willard
• "The Life You’ve Always Wanted" by John Ortberg
• "Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth" by Richard Foster
• "Invitation to Solitude and Silence: Experiencing God’s Transforming Presence" by Ruth Haley Barton