Faith is
believing something is true so that it shapes one’s understanding of self and
informs how one lives. Cultivating faith involves engaging ministry practices
that foster faith formation within our congregations. The feasts, festivals and
sacrificial system throughout the Old Testament are examples of ministry
practices that fostered faith formation.
Ministry
practices that are effective with our young people contribute to the building
up the body of Christ “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the
knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure
of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:12-13). In other words, what is good for our young people is good for our congregations.
Congregational
faith formation ought to be contextual and forward looking. Trying to rekindle
past practices will result in a short lived flurry of activity. Forward leaning
faith formation looks to the future and envisions how people ought to be
formed. This will necessitate a robust discussion the marks of a maturing
disciple – cognitive, affective and kinesthetic for all ages, including adults.
In fact, I wonder if our primary focus ought to be on adult faith formation.
The picture
provided in Deuteronomy 6 is a community concerned with passing on its faith to
the next generation. It is the adults who are to “Impress the commandments on their
children, talk about them with they sit at home and when they walk along the
road, when they lie down and when they get up” (Deut. 6:6-8). If our adults’ faith is not formed according
to the scriptures, then the faith formation of our children and young people will
suffer. Current research aptly illustrates the relationship between adult faith
formation and its influence on the faith development of our children and young
people.
With this in
mind, I would like to offer six marks of a maturing disciple. These marks are
applicable throughout our congregations and across the age-spectrums. These marks
are assessed using diagnostic questions that focus on how people are being
formed.
The
suggested marks of a maturing faith are:
·
- A growing love and understanding of Scripture through regular reading and reflection;
- A growing understanding and skill in explaining how one’s life is informed by the Ten Commandments, Lord’s Prayer, Apostle’s Creed and the Sacraments;
- A growing understanding of the Gospel and what it means to live prayerfully and missionally as an adopted child of God;
- A lifestyle that increasingly manifests the fruit of the Spirit, stewardship of resources, and gracious support of the church and her ministries
- A desire and ability to share one’s story, and introduce others to the gospel Story;
- An ongoing investment in the life of the faith community through regular attendance, participation in worship and the church’s ministries.
These
markers of a maturing disciple cannot be pursued in a traditional manner; they are
learned and nurtured though active participation
in an intergenerational faith community that models and discusses them.
