Making our life together a safe place to encounter Jesus.

Words or phrases like “discipleship” or “spiritual formation” are often thrown around in Church settings. But what does this mean, and what is the end goal? If we don’t know where we are going, or how to get there we will exist in a constant state of stagnation. However, in our culture stagnation is not option. Everything about our culture is actively at work trying to shape us into it’s image. If we are passive in our own spiritual formation, we are actively being formed by our word. We must know our goal in formation and how are going to get there.

Spiritual formation is to be renewed in the Image of God through Christ by the power of the Spirit in community. In Genesis 1, we see that God created humanity “in his image, after his likeness” (v. 26). At the Fall the image of God was marred within humanity and in Christ that image is restored. Christ is the image of the invisible God, and when we trust in Him for salvation, the Holy Spirit indwells us and is at work within us to conform us to the image of Christ. This process is called sanctification and is often referred to as spiritual formation.

At Kings Cross Church we know that spiritual formation is a community project so we engage in different groups to help us to go deeper in our relationship with Jesus and to be conformed to His image.

Discipleship happens at the intersection of relationship and partnership with Jesus

When Adam rebelled against God (Gen 3) this image in humanity was marred. We are all still made in the image of God but our ability to rightly relate to God and to partner with him was destroyed. Whoever trusts in Christ’s atoning work alone for the forgiveness of their sins can be reconciled to God the image of God in them begin the process of renewal. Jesus is the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15). Since he is God, he is the perfect representation of God (Heb 1:3); thus, Jesus perfectly embodies what it means to be made “as” the image of God. When trust Jesus we become indwelled by the Spirit of God who is actively at work conforming us into the image of the Son (Rom 8:29).

As we are being renewed in the image of the Creator, our loves become increasingly rightly oriented towards God. Our affection for God are increased and as a result, we desire to partner with God in the work that God is doing on earth—expanding his kingdom. God’s kingdom becomes manifested in his followers as they begin to “put off” their “old self” and “put on” their “new self” (Eph 4:22-24). Additionally, God’s kingdom spreads throughout creation as renewed image bearers multiply and make disciples throughout creation. As disciples make disciples, they are being fruitful and multiplying; and thus the original vocation of God’s people is renewed as they are acting in relationship to him.

This is not a process that we can (nor were we intended) to go through alone. Spiritual formation is a community project. To aid in becoming disciples by growing in relationship and partnership with Jesus at King’s Cross Church, we give ourselves to a 3, 2, 1 rhythm of formation through groups ministry.

Spiritual Formation is a community project

We don’t go to a gas station to buy jewelry, that is not the right thing to do in that space. Different spaces are intended for different purposes. We prioritize three spaces where spiritual formation can happen within community: Sunday Gatherings, Community Groups, and Discipleship Groups. Each space creates a different environment to aid in our discipleship. As we engage in these different spaces we give ourselves to a 3,2,1 Rhythm for Formation.

3, 2, 1 Rhythm

As we give ourselves to these monthly rhythms our affections for Christ will deepen our partnership with him will increase and we will slowly come into greater conformation of the Image of God.