Journey Into Discipleship & Spiritual Formation
Short-term Opportunities for Adults
Semester-Based
Self-Paced
Our Mission
From study of scripture and theological reflection, the United Methodist Church has stated its mission to be "making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world". This is a powerful mission when you stop and think about what it means. First, our mission is to make disciples which means to shape and form people's lives and faith in such a way that they become believing followers of Jesus Christ and his teachings. Second, our mission is to make disciples for the transformation of the world which means to shape and form people's lives and faith in such a way that they become agents of transformation in the world today.
To be faithful and fruitful in our mission, we would be wise to look at how Jesus made disciples for the transformation of the world. When we study the gospels in the New Testament, we find that Jesus had seven experiences he used to shape and mold the lives of Peter, James, John, and the other disciples. They are:
1. Small groups (Mark 3:13-14)
2. Mentoring (Mark 9:14-29, 33-37)
3. Field trips (Matthew 16::13-28)
4. Retreats (Mark 6:31-32, 9:2-8)
5. Service to others (Mark 6:35-44)
6. Witness to others (Luke 10:1-3, 17)
7. In-depth Bible study (Luke 24:44-48)
An Invitation to a Spiritual Journey
In light of the mission of our church, you are invited to begin "A Journey into Discipleship and Spiritual Formation". This spiritual journey is a collection of experiences for adults patterened after the disciple-making practices of Jesus described above. While this journey could take several years for an adult to complete, each of the steps in the journey are:
1. Short-term opporunities
2. Semester-based
3. Self-paced
Whether it is through short-term opportunities on Sunday mornings, on Sunday evenings, on week days, on week nights, or on weekend retreats, offering short-term opportunities enables these spiritual growth practices to fit into the busy schedules of our adults. Most of the short-term opportunities are offered on a semester system each year with following schedule.
Fall Semester
August (a month of promotion, recruiting, & advertising)
September - November (classes lasting up to 12 weeks)
Spring Semester
January (a month of promotion, recruiting, & advertising)
February - April (classes lasting up to 13 weeks)
Summer Semester
May (a month of promotion, recruiting, & advertising)
June - July (classes lasting up to 9 weeks)
Finally, the "Journey into Discipleship and Spiritual Formation" is a self-paced journey. For example, perhaps the schedule of your life prevents you from participating one year in a spring semester? No problem. You can "sit out" a semester and recommence your journey the next semester. Regardless of the pace you set for yourself in this journey, choosing to participate promises you rich opportunities for personal growth, spiritual renewal, encounters with the presence of the Lord, an experience of community and friendship, and growth in grace.
Getting Started in Your Journey (Part 1 of the Journey)
First Steps -The short-term class is led by the pastor and is hosted by the Outreach committee. The class is an introduction to the faith, beliefs, and ministries of the United Methodist Church. The class is designed for newcomers to Moss Bluff UMC as well as existing members who would like to revisit the beliefs, history, and vision of the United Methodist Church. The class is offered all three semesters, and it is usually taught on a Friday evening and concludes on Saturday morning before noon.
Discipleship Pathway Courses (Part 2 of the Journey)
*The following 8 courses can be taken in any order.
Beginnings: Introduction to Christian Faith (12 sessions)Beginnings is a small group gathering that invites persons to begin an intentional journey with Jesus Christ. The class is ideal for adults new to Christian faith, new to the church, and for long-time members who want to re-discover answers to some common questions people have about Christian faith. The format consists of a 20 minute video and 40 minutes of discussion.
Session Title:
1. So Is This All There Is? (Introduction)
2. Who Is Jesus and Why Should I Care? (Jesus Christ)
3. Why Am I Not Where I Want to Be? (Sin and the Cross)
4. What Happens When I Die? (Death and Resurrection)
5. Can I Trust God? (Suffering and Providence)
6. How Does God Speak to Me? (The Bible)
7. If I Don't Feel Lost, Why Do I Need to Be Found? (Salvation and Conversion)
8. Can I Start Again? (Forgivness and Wholeness)
9. How Do I Speak to God? (Prayer)
10. How Can I Make A Life and Not Just a Living? (The Good Life)
11. Why Should I Join Any Group That Will Have Me as a Member? (Church Membership)
12. Love Feast! (Conclusion)
Bible 101: How We Got Our Bible (6 sessions) & Getting the Bible's Big Picture (6 sessions)Bible 101 gives participants a solid, foundation of God' s Word. The class offers challenging, in-depth learning methods in a group-friendly format that encourage learning together. Participants learn things like: How did the Bible come into existence? Why and how were these books chosen? How do we know that the Bible we today is reliable? What do we gain from those long Old Testament sections on law? What about all of that history? What can we learn from Paul's letters to the church in the New Testament? Bible 101 gives you the foundational information you need to read the Bible as a trustworthy source for your life, and it gives you perspective on the whole message of God's Word.
T
he Workbook of Living Prayer (6 sessions)
The Workbook of Living Prayer is one of the best-selling group resources ever published by the Upper Room, and it is one of the most dynamic and thought-provoking resources on prayer ever written. Participants have daily prayer exercises from their workbook for six weeks, and then they meet as a group once a week for instruction and sharing.
Experiencing the Depths of God's Grace (4 sessions)The course gives a Biblical overview of the spiritual disciplines, and it gives practical "how to" in incorporating the spiritual disciplines into daily life. The spiritual disciplines covered are prayer, worship, scripture, fasting, fellowship, and the Lord's Supper. The course is best taught on a Friday evening and Saturday morning or on a weekend retreat.
Network: Discover Your Spiritual Gifts (6 sessions)Network is the leading course on spiritual gifts. Discover your spiritual gifts, personal style, and God-given passion for serving in the body of Christ. The course helps churches appropriately guide people to see the place of ministry that best reflects who they are. Churches will see increased participation, greater effectiveness, more enthusiasm, and less burn-out in their congregation. Believers in their church will discover will discover their spiritual gifts. They will have a better understanding of God's will for their lives because of gaining a better understanding of who God created them to be.
An Adventure in Healing & Wholeness (7 sessions)This Upper Room resource provides a fundamental understanding of a holistic approach to health; a relationship between prayer and healing; and sound responses to common questions about sickness, health, and faith.
Enough: Discovering Joy through Simplicity and Generosity (5 sessions)Money has great power in our lives. When used wisely, it helps us meet our goals, provide for our needs, adn fulfill our life purpose. But in recent years, many of us ignored this when managing and spending our money. We found ourselves spending tomorrow's money today. The result of all of this was not greater happiness but greater stress and anxiety. Enough is an invitation to rediscover teh Bible's wisdom on prudent financial practices. In this video based course Rev. Adam Hamilton, pastor of one of the leading United Methodist Churches in the country, offers keys to experiencing contentment, overcoming fear, and discovering joy through simplicity and generosity.
Mountain-Top Experiences (Part 3 of the Journey)
*You are invited to continue your journey by choosing from among these 12 lifechanging experiences.
1. Disciple Bible Study - A 9 month personal and small group study of Genesis to Revelation.
2. Book Studies in the Christian Classics - Grow in your faith and understanding through "drinking from the wells" of some of the classic writings of the Christian faith.
3. Companions in Christ - A 28 week small group experiment in practicing the spiritual disciplines.
4. Wesleyan Covenant Groups - After completing Companions in Christ consider becoming a part of a kind of small group John & Charles Wesley used to have.
5. Topical Bible Studies - Take part in short-term Bible studies on topics relevant to living a Christian life today.
6. Retreats - Many of us are too busy and too stressed to really connect with the presence of the Lord. Re-discover the power of connecting with the Lord through a spiritual life retreat.
7. Cursillo or Walk to Emmaus - Begin as a participant, then become a part of a ministry team who leads this powerful, grace-filled, spiritual renewal weekend.
8. Stephen Ministry Training - Develop skills to listen, encourage, and offer hope to others by becoming a Stephen Minister.
9. The Academy for Spiritual Leadership - Take part in events from the Louisiana Annual Conference like courses in spiritual disciplines adn spiritual direction.
10. Field Trips to Highly Effective Churches, Spiritual Growth Conferences, & Ministry Training Events
11. Field Trips to Israel, the Sites of Paul's Missionary Journeys, and the Lands of Early Methodism
12. Volunteers in Mission - Partner with other United Methodists in putting your faith into loving action by serving those with need within our country or in another culture.
