The Department of Christian Formation has released 10 brochure-style tools that will cover different themes important to more fully develop an individual’s or church’s Christian life. The Grow Deeper Series includes:
• Making Commitments
• Using a Rule of Life
• Reading the Bible
• Reviewing Your Day
• Becoming Spiritual Companions
• Developing Racial Righteousness
• Praying Scripture
• Telling Your Story
• Worshipping with Children
• Mentoring Children
Each of the brochures contains basic information about the practices as well as related reflective questions. The slim bi-fold design makes it easy for people to tuck them into their Bible. “These materials make it clear that we are a church that places a high priority on spiritual growth,” says Doreen Olson, executive minister of the department. “It’s not an option. It’s a necessity.”
Olson emphasizes that the practices covered in the material can be adopted by anyone.
“It’s not just for the spiritually elite,” she stresses. “It’s for anyone who is a follower of Jesus. It’s especially important if we want to sustain our focus on ministries of compassion and justice.”
Several churches already have integrated the recently released materials, all of which were written by members of the Christian Formation department staff. Trinity Covenant Church in Manchester, Connecticut, has used the reflective questions from the Reading the Bible tool to create a bookmark. On the backside, they listed specific texts the entire congregation would be reading through together. The Kerman Covenant Church in Kerman, California, will use several of the tools in an intergenerational setting at their family camp.
For more ideas on how materials can be used, contact Covenant Resource Center by telephone at 800-338-4332 or by email at Resource Center. Information also is available by visiting the Resource Center Website page.
