For Christians, the pattern and fulfillment of God’s work of spiritual formation converge in a single figure—Jesus Christ. Jesus is the human being fully alive, fully open to God’s work in the world. Christians are placed daily before the greatest of all choices: to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ through the gracious assistance of God the Holy Spirit or to be conformed to the image of the world (Rom. 12:2; Eph. 6:10-13)
Spiritual formation in the Christian tradition then is a lifelong process through which our new humanity, hidden with Jesus Christ in God, becomes more visible and effective through the leading of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual formation at its best has been understood to be at once fully divine and fully human—that is, initiated by God and manifest in both vital communities of faith and in the lives of individual disciples. We see this theme carried through the history of the church, from Paul’s introduction of formation in Jesus Christ as the central work of Christian life (Gal. 4:19) to early formational writings such as the Didache (2nd century); to the formative intent of monastic rules; to the shaping purpose of Protestant manuals of piety; to the affirmation of lay formation in the documents of Vatican II; and finally to the current search for practices that open us to God.
“No one is richer, no one more powerful, no one more free,” observes Thomas a Kempis, “than the person who can give his whole life to God and freely serve others with deep humility and love.” To embody in thought, word and deed the love of God made known in our Lord Jesus Christ is the signal mark of faithful discipleship, the inexhaustible strength of vital congregations and the ultimate goal of spiritual formation.
A spiritual formation focus has been emerging at Highland for many years. This intentional emphasis on participating in God's transforming work is at the heart of discipleship. Jesus calls us to a discipleship that lives with the expectation of changes of the heart; a discipleship not lived apart from but within the world releasing the kingdom from within; and a discipleship that transforms us into the image of Jesus. Every individual, and everything we do, is called into this process of spiritual formation.
Spiritual formation is an intentional life-long process of being conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others.*
The Spiritual Formation Ministry Team includes Children, Youth & Family, Campus, Adult Faith, and Community ministries. The team's mission is to create, communicate, and call for communal participation in God's transforming work. This transforming work by the Holy Spirit will produce a missional people who are committed to worship, community, the pursuit of spiritual disciplines, and the ministry of reconciliation.
Worship...permeates every aspect of our lives with love and gratitude to God. Participation in corporate worship is a culmination of celebrating and surrendering to God's transforming work throughout the week.
Community...a diverse community of people practicing radical hospitality and forgiveness creating places of belonging as they live together, loving God and others. The community shares a commitment to everyone while pursuing intimacy with a smaller group of people (life-teams, small groups, ministry teams, etc.).
Pursuit of Spiritual Disciplines...the fruit of the Spirit will be seen both individually and corporately as each person in the community practices spiritual disciplines: those practices and habits (prayer, contemplation, scripture reading, fasting, etc.) that open the human spirit to the refining of God's transforming Spirit.
Ministry of Reconciliation...living cruciform lives that sacrifice personal comfort and security for the sake of the kingdom of God thus creating an open community that welcomes strangers: Deploying members into their neighborhoods, the community, work places and the world to build relationships with everyone they can, especially the last, the lost, and the least.
* Click here for a more detailed explanation of our definition of spiritual formation.