Transformation of people is at the heart of transforming the church as a whole. Two examples I recently encountered may offer a pathway to renewal.
Renovaré subtitles their site “Becoming Like Jesus.” They describe themselves this way:
Renovaré is a nonprofit Christian organization headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, and active worldwide. We seek to resource, fuel, model, and advocate more intentional living and spiritual formation among Christians and those wanting a deeper connection with God. A foundational presence in the spiritual formation movement for over 20 years, Renovaré is Christian in commitment, ecumenical in breadth, and international in scope.
They then go on to describe their vision and mission this way:
Renovaré’s promotes a Balanced Vision and Practical Strategy of spiritual renewal to encourage individuals and churches to develop renewed, sustainable, and enriched spiritual lives.
Check them out. Personal transformation does begin with a personal encounter with the living Christ.
Another example of renewal came to me at an ecumenical social ministry meeting I recently attended in Edmonton. At this gathering a young woman from Fusion Canada shared the story of their ministry. What intrigued me was the journey of transformation she outlined:
- Begin with prayer
- Research the needs of people
- Address one of these basic human needs as a way of building a relational bridge into the lives of people
- Invite them into a weekend retreat setting that prepares them to encounter the transforming gospel
- One-on-one discipleship mentoring
- Integrate into the Christian community
What if we started here on this journey to turn the church inside out?
PT
What if...? 