My friend small group author Greg Bowman commended the book to me several years ago. Based on Greg’s enthusiastic recommendation I picked up the book and started to read it. As I started into it for some reason I thought, “What’s so great about this?”, and I didn’t make it past the first chapter. Then last year our senior pastors, Hap & Di Leman, gave me and all of our senior leadership team a copy of the book and worked through it with us chapter by chapter over coffee on Wednesday mornings. The book thrilled me and was tremendously helpful in accelerating my spiritual journey.

More recently I went through the book with four other guys in a men’s discipleship group early on Wednesday mornings. The biblical principles in the book again were life changing for me and them. As one of the guys expressed, “God has been changing my life through what I am learning. My wife is telling me she sees big changes in me. We are getting our best friends together and working through the book with them because they really need to understand who God is and his amazing love for them.”

The Transformation Triangle
Smith explains that The Good & Beautiful God and the two books that follow it are designed to be “a curriculum for Christlikeness” (p. 13). He points out that we cannot change our own lives. Change comes as the Holy Spirit works in our lives through three elements: adopting the narratives of Jesus (changing our foundational beliefs and assumptions), participating in supportive Christian community, and engaging in soul training exercises (activities that help us put ourselves before God). Foundational to this is realizing our real identity and the new hearts we have been given in Christ.

Who is God?
The heart of Smith’s book is understanding who God really is. The book is appropriately subtitled “Falling in Love with the God Jesus Knows.” So the middle chapters of the book explore the following topics, calling us to lay aside our misconceptions and again and again taking us back to Jesus’ amazing and revolutionary teachings:

• God is Good
• God is Trustworthy
• God is Generous
• God is Love
• God is Holy
• God is Self-Sacrificing
• God Transforms

Cookies on the Bottom Shelf
Smith communicates simply and clearly. I love to read books on spiritual growth and spiritual disciplines but sometimes they overwhelm me. Smith makes everything very accessible and doable. It’s kind of like “spiritual growth for dummies.” He puts the cookies on the bottom shelf, which really helps me. With each chapter Smith gives a “soul training exercise” to help us connect with God. These are simple and often surprising activities that are fun to try and discuss with your group. There’s also a helpful leader’s guide in the back.

The Bottom Line
All this to say that currently my favorite small group curriculum is The Good & Beautiful God. Right now I am taking our pastoral interns through the book in our weekly meetings. Go through the book with a group or some friends. I think you’ll find the simple, biblical truths it conveys deeply transforming.

What questions or insights do you have on curriculum and spiritual growth? I’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions.

by Jim Egli

Leadership and Missions Pastor – Vineyard Church in Urbana, IL

Original Post - http://smallgroupsbigimpact.wordpress.com/2013/02/22/the-best-small-group-curriculum/#more-551

 Thank you Jim, Diedre, and Mike for what many already are calling the highlight of their spiritual formation experience.  

 I’m not going to even mention the song and dance man who entertained us.  Dancing with the stars, watch out

 Mike Renfro, “Retreat” Committee Chairman, Suntree UMC – Melbourne, FL

Apprentice Conference – Hope Church – Richmond, VA from Aprentis on Vimeo.

Jesus talks about the kingdom of Heaven more than anything else in scripture. It is his main teaching. Despite this it still amazes me how so many people have never heard about the kingdom of heaven being here and now. Like me up until 6 years ago, I was only concerned with what I had to do to get into heaven when I died. In never considered what I was supposed to do with this one wild and precious life I have been given. When Jesus’s teaching about the kingdom’s present reality started to sink in, my life started to change drastically. I trust that the Holy Spirit is working in the hearts of those that struggle to grasp the wonderful gospel message and I know that He is relentless in inviting His beloved children to abide in Him. 

It is such a wonderful gift to have spent time with such wonderful people. Community like this is a reminder of what Heaven is to me. Many different backgrounds, stories, theologies, and passions yet all coming together to worship and striving to follow our good and Beautiful God.

Mike C.

AI Recruitment Cordinator

Talks about being Hidden with Hope, Who am I, Where am I, and Where am I Going. Colossians 3:1-3

Click Here to Listen to Jim’s Talk

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Words are powerful. They contain ideas and shape the way we see God, ourselves and all of reality. We’re transformed, in particular, by God’s Word, and by “the Word,” the Logos—Jesus himself—as described by John in the first chapter of his Gospel.

Memorizing and studying a passage in depth can offer a deeper sense of the meaning of each word. In this unique introduction to the hidden life in Christ, James Bryan Smith walks readers through a thirty-day immersion in Colossians 3:1-17. Each of the thirty short chapters of this book bring out the main truth of just one word or phrase of this rich passage. You’ll also find a very simple daily practice to take up, reflection questions and a guide for five weeks of group discussion.

The only way to tell a story is to use words. May the words of Colossians 3 become a companion to you as God continues to write your story.

A Deeper Sort of Devotional Each chapter in this book is short in length, making it ideal to use as a daily devotional. Since there are thirty chapters, it could be used for a one-month introduction to the hidden life in Christ. Though brief in terms of length, each chapter tries to unearth some very deep truths. For this reason, the book could also be beneficial to more mature Christians who need to be reminded of the basic truths that guide our life with God. Put another way, the reader who is unfamiliar with the Apprentice series should find this book an easy access point into a deeper life with Christ. And for those who have read and practiced the exercises in the Apprentice series, this book will be a helpful refresher as you continue your sacred journey.

Each chapter contains an exercise or practice (“Living into the Truth”), as well as an affirmation that summarizes the main point of the chapter and a written prayer designed to move you deeper into the truths of the Word. In addition, each chapter concludes with a few reflection questions that can be used either by individuals or in a group discussion. Thus, this book can be used privately, or as a part of a small group.

The best way to get the most out of this book is to read the chapter, engage in the daily/weekly exercise, repeat the summative affirmation throughout the day or week, answer the questions using a journal, and then meet with a fellow Christ-follower to discuss it together.

Grace and Peace, The AI team

Good spiritual directors assist in learning the art and importance of prayer. Many people feel that their prayers are not good enough or claim that they never have time to pray. A spiritual director can introduce the directee to styles of prayer, to different times and places that a person can pray which are often overlooked, and should help the directee overcome their feelings of failing at praying. The drive/ride/walk to work is a great time and place to pray. People can pray while washing dishes, doing laundry, or making dinner. In my opinion, there really is not an unacceptable time or place to pray. Margaret was careful to mention that there are numerous methods for prayer and the director must not push their own method on the directee. The director should make suggestions for helpful methods but should not demand that the directee does them. Suggestions should be introduced lightly and not strictly enforced.

So far… our working definition of Spiritual direction relies heavily on listening and should be modeled after Jesus. Spiritual direction most be practiced in a safe environment allowing both the directee and the director to be vulnerable.

Today we add- A spiritual director asks good questions and invites the directee to ask questions of their own. The director never assigns but makes suggestions for various types of prayer or practices that might be helpful to the directee. 

-Amy CSF Student @ Friends U

Jesus is the greatest model for a spiritual director to follow. Jesus spoke with authority and used a variety of methods for his sermons. Many of Jesus’ sayings were simple and concrete. He would get straight to the point and his listeners could not help but to remember his words. Other times Jesus’ teachings were indirect or he taught by being silent. Indirectness and silence caused those around Jesus to stop playing games, to stop pointing fingers and to look inside themselves. Jesus portrays a spiritual director as a guide who speaks at the right time, asks the right questions, is silent when silence is needed, and always acts out of love. Acting out of love is probably the most important thing a spiritual director can do because it creates a safe place for the directee to open up.

To be open, a person has to be vulnerable and allow himself or herself to be truly known. Vulnerability can be scary but it is how real connections happen. I recently watched a TED video where Brené Brown, the speaker, discussed how vulnerability can be a source of shame because many people are afraid to let others see who they really are. They fear they might not be accepted, or they might be seen as weak. But in actuality, vulnerability is the only way true connection with other people can happen. It is important for the spiritual director and the directee to be vulnerable with one another. They are able to do so by working in a safe, loving, nonjudgmental environment.

So far… our working definition of Spiritual Direction involves listening and after listening, the director is in the position to help the directee open up and share more of their story (yes, this means more listening). Spiritual Direction should be modeled after Jesus. We cannot work miracles, heal the sick, or save the entire world, but we can live the way Jesus lived and we can and must love.

-Amy- CSF Student @ Friends U

To see Brené Brown talk about vulnerability watch this twenty minute clip…

When people ask me what I can do or want to do with a major in Spiritual Formation, I often say something simple like, “I want to help people.” Margaret quickly addresses the temptation that many people have when they want to help someone. A lot of times helping someone can turn into trying to fix that someone. Unfortunately, a lot of situations are out of our control and we cannot “fix” everything. Fortunately, it is not my job to fix anything. As a Spiritual Director, it will be my job to listen and to listen fully without judgment. Avoiding the temptation to fix people can be difficult or unsettling but it can also be comforting. I cannot fix them but God can. I cannot heal people but God can. He is the ultimate healer and as people share their stories they often find him and the healing and wholeness they truly need. My job is to listen.

But let’s face it, listening can be hard. It is difficult to be 100% attentive to a person without letting my own thoughts and ideas take over. It is challenging to know when to speak and when to stay silent, when to ask questions and what kind of questions to ask. Margaret adds a comforting thought at the end of chapter one: “the Holy Spirit is the true director.” I must surrender the control I like to cling to, but by doing so I will be able to listen and take direction from God. This makes it possible to be there for those he chooses to let cross my path.

So far…our working definition of Spiritual Direction begins with listening. Spiritual Direction is about listening to a person’s story from a place of love without interruptions, judgment or condemnation.

-Amy- CSF Student @ Friends U