Companions In Christ Participant S Book

Companions in Christ is designed to develop you as a leader in guiding the spiritual life of your congregation. This resource gives you an overview of the Christian spiritual life and the practices that help people enter into the formative pattern of Christ's life: a life of prayer, study and service. Help your small-group members move from information (knowledge about) to experience (knowledge of) in the means of grace--ways in which Christ meets people, renews their faith, and deepens their life together in love. This revised Leader's Guide provides detailed guidance for leading a small group through the 28 weekly sessions. The plans have been tested and refined by groups in churches across the country. This books contains all you need, including --the Getting Started Guide, which was formerly a separate piece --a revised plan for a Closing Retreat --Weekly Needs at a Glance --page references for both the comprehensive 1-volume Participant's Book and the new 5-volume series

Grace is a gift. Even before we recognize its need in our lives, God extends us favor. This 9-week study in the Companions in Christ series explores the Gospel of John and how divine grace is at work in our lives today, just as it was in the lives of biblical characters 2,000 years ago. "God's grace comes to us in the distinctive shape of our personal histories, needs, and possibilities," Indermark writes. "Yet divine grace also reveals the depths of what we share across all boundaries of time and place." Participants in this small-group study will explore the central stories of John, focusing on people who discovered God's grace through their encounters with Jesus. The Way of Grace is a transforming interaction with the events and the characters, a chance to identify with what God provided for these people a provision they could never achieve for themselves.

It takes a lot of willingness and practice to see life from God's perspective. Perhaps nothing goes more against the grain of human nature than the ideas of forgiving those who wound us and accepting forgiveness from others. The second release in the Companions in Christ Series, The Way of Forgiveness explores how to deal with these issues to preserve "the beauty of our souls" and to fulfill the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. In this 8-week study, Thompson breaks down the transformational process by first examining shame, guilt, and anger. A full release of these feelings not only leads to the wholeness that Christ taught but also takes us on a path of freedom and joy. A unique feature of this book is the inclusion of a reproduction of Rembrandt's Return of the Prodigal Son. Over the course of the study, the artwork will serve as a focal point for reflection and discovery. A Leader's Guide for The Way of Forgiveness is available.

Embracing the Journey: The Way of Christ focuses on an exploration of spiritual formation as an individual and corporate journey toward wholeness and holiness through the grace of God. This book is the first segment of a five-volume study of the original 28-week Companions in Christ resource. The five-piece participant series is designed for groups who will take breaks between the other four volumes: --Feeding on the Word (scripture) --Deepening Our Prayer (prayer) --Responding to Our Call (vocation) --Exploring Spiritual Guidance (spiritual companionship)

Over 28-weeks, the Companions in Christ Participant's Book moves through five areas: -- Embracing the Journey -- an exploration of spiritual formation as a journey toward wholeness and holiness; -- Feeding on the Word -- several ways of meditating on and praying with scripture; -- Deepening our Prayer -- an experience of various classic forms and styles of prayer; -- Responding to Our Call -- a presentation of gifts and call; -- Exploring Spiritual Guidance -- different ways of giving an receiving spiritual guidance. Well-known writers for Upper Room Ministries introduce weekly themes. Gerrit Scott Dawson, Adele Gonzalez, E. Glenn Hinson, Rueben Job, Marjorie Thompson, and Wendy Wright combine personal, firsthand accounts with wisdom from the Christian tradition to provide focus and background for the weekly exercises. Following each reading are five daily exercises that help participants reflect on the theme more deeply and prepare for the group meeting. These exercises involve some combination of scripture reading, spiritual practice, and reflection questions. Responses are recorded in a journal each day and reviewed during the opening portion of the weekly gathering.

The sensational small groups series Companions in Christ is now being offered in a new 5-piece participant book set as well as the traditional 1-piece participant book set. With the same great daily devotional material and group conversation, the two different participant book styles allow each group to create a study that best fits their members. The 5-piece participant book set will allow groups to take initial breaks between modules and each are to be used with the foundational leaders guide item 9780835898409. Responding to Our Call: The Work of Christ examines what discipleship really means and how obedience leads to the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit. Reflect on Christ's call in your life and discover anew the gifts that God is giving you for living out your personal ministry. Responding to Our Call is the forth segment of a five-volume study of the original 28-week Companions in Christ resource. The five-piece participant series is designed for groups who will take breaks between the other four volumes. These other 4 volumes include: Embracing the Journey (9780835898300), Feeding on the Word (9780835898317), Deepening Our Prayer (9780835898324) and Exploring Spiritual Guidance (9780835898348).

It takes a lot of willingness and practice to see life from God's perspective. Perhaps nothing goes more against the grain of human nature than the ideas of forgiving those who wound us and accepting forgiveness from others. The second release in the Companions in Christ Series, The Way of Forgiveness explores how to deal with these issues to preserve "the beauty of our souls" and to fulfill the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. In this 8-week study, Thompson breaks down the transformational process by first examining shame, guilt, and anger. A full release of these feelings not only leads to the wholeness that Christ taught but also takes us on a path of freedom and joy. A unique feature of this book is the inclusion of a reproduction of Rembrandt's Return of the Prodigal Son. Over the course of the study, the artwork will serve as a focal point for reflection and discovery. A Leader's Guide for The Way of Forgiveness is available.

The sensational small groups series Companions in Christ is now being offered in a new 5-piece participant book set as well as the traditional 1-piece participant book set. With the same great daily devotional material and group conversation, the two different participant book styles allow each group to create a study that best fits their members. The 5-piece participant book set will allow groups to take initial breaks between modules and each are to be used with the foundational leaders guide item 9780835898409. Feeding on the Word: The Mind of Christ is an introduction to the many ways of meditating and praying with scripture. Explore the depths of the Word, learn to listen to God through it, and allow you life to be shaped by it. Feeding on the Word is the second segment of a five-volume study of the original 28-week Companions in Christ resource. The five-piece participant series is designed for groups who will take breaks between the other four volumes. These other 4 volumes include: Embracing the Journey (9780835898300), Deepening Our Prayer (9780835898324) Responding to Our Call (9780835898331) and Exploring Spiritual Guidance (9780835898348).