Connecting with God
Connecting with God is one way that we grow and deepen our faith. Below are suggestions for how to grow at each stage in faith growth.
Planting
- Upper Room Devotional
- Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton
- Read through the Gospel of Mark and write down your thoughts in a notebook or journal.
- Attend worship at least once a month
- Begin a daily prayer ritual (first thing in the morning, before bed, at meals, etc.)
- Learn about different spiritual practices
Nurturing
- Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster
- Three Simple Rules for Christian Living by Rueben P. Job
- Read through a book of the Bible such as Romans, Acts, Genesis, Exodus, or Psalms and write down your thoughts in a notebook or journal.
- Learn about different practices and try one or two new ones
- Attend worship at least twice a month
- Get involved in a Central Connect Group
Shaping
- Streams of Living Water by Richard Foster
- Practice at least one new spiritual practice/discipline every six months to a year
- Continue to read through the Bible. Try using an inductive approach as you read asking the following questions as you read: “What does the passage say?”; “What does it mean?”; “What does it mean to my life?”
Sharing
- The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard
- A Shared Christian Life by Ben Witherington, III
- Mysticism by Evelyn Underhill
- Books by Henri Nouwen
- Read your Bible daily and use a commentary or other resources for deeper understanding