5 Ways to Cultivate Spiritual Formation in the Church

As encouraging as our church’s numerical growth has been in recent days, the real growth I long to see is spiritual growth. I long to see my people hunger and thirst more and more for God; I long to see them beholding and becoming more like Jesus; I long to see them intentionally cultivating a close walk with God and for them to “reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:2–3). The question, then, is how we turn these longings into practices within our local church. How do we take spiritual formation seriously and help our people truly grow? In this article, I want to share five pastoral practices that can help your church pursue spiritual formation with greater intentionality and depth. Define your ministry by the Great Commission Call people to take responsibility for their growth Emphasize salvation as conformity to Christ Trust God to work through the ordinary means of grace Teach the church to abide in Christ 1. Define your ministry by the Great Commission When we think of the Great Commission, we often picture missionaries being sent to unreac...