Rationale of Intentional
Christian Formation
By Kurai Chitima
Without Christian formation the
church’s task remains unfinished. Church is meant to be manufacturing this
product. In John 17:4, Jesus told the Father that he had finished the work he
had been sent to do. Jesus finished the Christian formation of his selected
followers (John 17:4) then the work of redemption (John 19:30). Jesus finished
his task (John 17:4) by raising followers with whom he would leave the charge
of looking after his sheep, and of Christian formation to spread his gospel and
influence to the whole world.
Christian formation is the most
effective way to build the church and transform individuals and communities. It
involves equipping the disciple to train others to a “third generation” (2 Tim.
2:2; Matt. 28:20). This preparation results in the multiplication of disciples
and ministers as those who are taught to teach others. Initially, it may be
strenuous and slow, but the process eventually bears much fruit as illustrated
in Figure 2.1.
Figure 2.1 compares a situation where one
group is adding one thousand people to their number each year and the other who
begins with two, multiplying themselves by each facilitating the Christian
formation of two others each year. Christian formation may begin slowly, but as
the process and reproduction continues, a movement of changed lives will
explode (Acts 5:28; 17:6-8). If this strategy is done well, the movement brings
transformation to whole communities, cities, nations, and, ultimately, to whole
continents, and eventually the world. Then the end will come (Matt. 24:14). “Unless
disciples are adequately built, there will not be enough competent leadership
to carry on the work of the church” (Wilson
156).
Many
churches have no leaders, neither do they produce leaders because they are
looking for perfect people. They fail to be facilitators of Christian formation
who see potential. Jesus’ men were ordinary, with many faults and failings.
Hence, they needed to be spiritually developed. The best practice is to pass on
sustained, sound doctrine, and spiritual vibrancy from one generation to
another, and thereby avoid spiritual, moral, and doctrinal degeneration. Otherwise,
non-biblical or weak teaching/preaching and practices find root in the church
to the detriment of future sound teaching. Key biblical teachings such as on
grace and forgiveness end up lost. The great truths inherited from church
history become lighter and lighter with each generation if effort is not made
to preserve them (Jude 3 NIV).
Christian formation is the cure to
a growing challenge of nominalism, or lack of commitment and active ministry
participation among professing Christians. The problem of people staying in the
church after being won to Christ could also be remedied by effective Christian
formation. Without effective Christian formation, believers will not grow to
maturity and nominalism will increase; leaders and ministers will be few,
churches will not grow, and their influence in society will be limited. The
stakes are high because Christian formation is the means by which the potential
of believers, and therefore that of the church, is realized. Africa
will fail to prepare for its increasing central role in the future of missions
as a major Christian territory (Jenkins 89-90).
The Church, especially the local
church, is God’s strategy for Christian growth, maturity (Eph. 4:11-16), and
reaching all people. The church is the center for Christian nurture and
inspiration in daily life and vocation. Barna explains, “True Revolutionaries
agree that being isolated from other believers—i.e., the Church [note the
capital C]—is unbiblical. However, while they may not be integrated into a formal
church organization, they are not isolated from the Church” (116). I believe
that while due to local church deficiencies believers resort to alternative
communities for nurturing, the future is best served by strengthening the local
church and linking it up with the alternative communities. I concur with Bill
Hybels’ affirmation of the traditional role of the local church. He says, “I
believe that the local church is the hope of the world. I believe to the core
of my being that local church leaders have the potential to be the most
influential force on planet earth” (12). He also wrote, “The local church is
the hope of the world and its future rests primarily in the hands of its
leaders.” (27)
Both content and a community of
people who know and accept each other are necessary for learning and relating
(1 Cor. 7:15; Col. 3:15; Gal. 5:13; 1 Thess. 4:7; 2 Tim. 1:9) (Stevens 86, 60).
The corporate nature of Christian formation can also be found in Ephesians
4:11-13, Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:1-10, and 1 Peter 4:11. The fellowship
transcends sharing information to sharing lives (1 Thess. 2:8). The community
provides encouragement (Heb. 10:25) and a frame of reference for development
since individuals mature with respect to other members of the body (1 Cor. 12). The individual and the corporate
dimensions of the Christian life must be viewed in balance. The two are important
and work together:
[S]ince to be a person is to be in
relationship with others, involvement in a small group of fellow Christians who
are committed to us and to our journey together is indispensable to our
spiritual and emotional growth. (Seamands 4)
Individuality is important for the wholeness of the
corporate much as the corporate enriches the individual.
Christian formation for church work
is viewed more seriously in congregational life than that for other work.
Formation for leadership is taken
seriously for those who are seeking ordination. Unfortunately, formation other
than for ordination is not taken as seriously in congregational life. I believe
that God calls us into relationship, to be partners in creation throughout our
lives and through all our actions and words within the church and in the world.
This call is given to all people of God, not simply to a chosen few. (Johnson 2)
Johnson’s observation is that lay leaders in the church
often operate under unclear expectations and accountability lines (17). Every
call of God, whether for clergy or lay person, should be recognized and
supported as part of “equipping the saints” of Christ’s church (3). A Christian
community brings a faith perspective to the wisdom in education, business,
science, and humanities (5, 6). Johnson views congregational life as a locus
for learning, and supervision for personal enhancement of God’s call. Obed
notes, “[T]he fellowship of brethren is also the platform for a believer’s
meaningful spiritual growth toward maturity in Christ Jesus. No one grows
spiritually in total isolation” (33).
I believe that the association with
a non-church environment is also vital for an effective Christian formation
process. A relationship with the world exposes the disciple to experiences and
circumstances useful for spiritual shaping as well as the reality of the
harvest field’s needs, and provides the opportunity for the disciple to
practice what he/she is learning. Howard and William Hendricks argue that while
ideally you want a mentor who is a believer, “it’s a mistake to think that only
believers can make a substantial, positive impact on your life” (76). Howard
benefitted from non Christians and believes they can instruct about positive
traits and professional growth.
Churches should not feel threatened
by the increase in the number of resourceful para church organizations that
meet market place ministry development needs that the church may not be
fulfilling. Specialized Christian formation for secular vocations requires a
wider platform. The churches can start market place ministries that cooperate
with the secular outreaches. Adsit argues that a disciple needs contact with
more than one other believer (15). One person alone is more likely to pass on his
or her weaknesses. Ideally, however, church members should have facilitators
who personally walk with them to nurture their growth in Christ. In addition,
each should be a member of a small group of believers for teaching, fellowship,
and caring.
REFERENCES
Adsit,
Christopher B. Personal Discipleship: A
Step by Step Guide for Leading a Christian from New Birth to Maturity. San Bernardino , CA
Barna, George. Leaders on Leadership: Wisdom, Advise, and
Encouragement on the Art of Leading God’s People. Ventura , CA
Hendricks,
Howard, and William Hendricks. As Iron
Sharpens Iron: Building Character in a Mentoring Relationship. Chicago , IL
Hybels, Bill. Courageous Leadership. Grand Rapids , Mi: Zondervan, 2002.
Jenkins, Philip. The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global
Christianity. New York : Oxford UP, 2002.
Johnson, Abigail.
Shaping Spiritual Leaders: Supervision
and Formation in Congregations. Herndon ,
VA
Seamands,
Stephen. Ministry in the Image of God:
The Trinitarian Shape of Christian Service. Downers Grove , IL
Stevens, Paul R. The Other Six Days: Vocation, Work, and
Ministry in Biblical Perspective. Grand
Rapids , MI
Wilson, Carl. With Christ in the School of Disciple Building Grand Rapids , MI
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