Over several years, the number of people identifying as spiritual but not religious has steadily increased. Traditional church methods have caused many of those that identify as spiritual but not religious to leave the church. However, as churches, we have an incredible opportunity to provide the spiritual community that so many are hungry for right now by creating an environment where people can advance in their faith, regardless of how they identify.
As you move the church forward in this post-pandemic world, this is the perfect time to lead people to refocus on the spiritual aspects of the Bible. Not just to learn about Jesus but be in the presence of Jesus. Not just to hear stories in sermons about transcendent experiences but to experience their own. Encouraging spiritual encounters in life will not only move your congregation forward, but it will also invite new people to share in the community you’ve built.
Rather than fearing or dismissing the message that the spiritual but not religious communicate by leaving the church, let’s learn from them instead. They’re signaling the need for a culture shift we can all benefit from. As we pay attention, I think we’ll find that the news is generally hopeful. People want to experience God. They want to experience the transcendent.
James Fowler’s seminary work with establishing the stages of faith development shows that many of those identifying as spiritual but not religious are in his stage four. The quintessential factor for those that move from stage three into stage four faith is that they have started seriously questioning the assumptions they have about their beliefs and the customary religious practices they have long observed. When they don’t like the answers they receive, they often leave the church entirely.
How could we design our churches for people to participate in spiritual growth? How could the spiritually inclined grow in place at church, instead of needing to leave? Spiritual formation is often seen as a side gig, but what if it was woven throughout the life of the church? As congregations embrace spirituality as the next normal, I believe churches can incorporate spiritual formation into worship, Bible study, and mission for people to explore and express their own relationship with God more fully.
A model of spiritual formation: The Covenant Group Model
There are several models of spiritual formation that church leaders can adopt to facilitate the building of community for their congregants. One such model, the Covenant Group Model, is generated and sustained through a desire to experience the presence of God and a willingness to be authentically transparent. Participating in a covenant group is a powerful choice to put oneself in the space of discovery, the experience of spiritual connection, and the flow of God’s unconditional love. It provides the space to dive beyond one’s everyday life into the realm of the soul, guided by four questions.
- How is it with your soul? The starting place of the journey is honesty. Check in with your being, the wellspring from which life flows, a direct connection with God. When all of the world’s demands and distractions are moved aside, what is left? Your answer may vary from week to week, from overflowing with grace and gratitude to empty and dry. Each time the group meets, you again start with this question: How is it with your soul? Over time, you will notice that the state of your soul may not coincide with your everyday life. You could be on top of the mountain and feel your soul weary or be down in the valley with a soul that is overflowing with joy.
- Where have the challenges been? As you move to the second question, vulnerability joins honesty in the conversation. In the days of John Wesley, this question was the time for covenant group members to share where they were struggling. Your struggles might be continued challenges with a relationship or a new temptation that has arisen since the group last met. Sharing your challenge is the first step to loosening its grip on your life. Confidentiality is a must.
- Where have the joys been? After honesty and vulnerability comes celebration. Share where God is at work in your life. There is no limit to where God’s presence can be found. It may be a simple smile at the right time or a life-changing and unexpected shift to a better life. To see the Kin(g)dom of God around and within you, simply stop and notice. Give thanks for God’s never-ending presence.
- What would you like to be held accountable for? The covenant group process begins with honesty, deepens to vulnerability, rises to celebration, and finally ends with accountability. Accountability is a way of affirming, “Please hold me to my commitment. Ask me the hard questions when I fail to follow through, and rejoice with me when I succeed.”
As you begin to incorporate more spirituality into the life of the church, be encouraged. For there is no wrong way to deepen one’s spirituality. Listen for how God speaks to you and let the Spirit guide you. As you embrace spirituality as the next normal, you will grow in your own relationship with God.
Our identity in Christ
At its very best, religion reminds us of our identity in Christ, a truth spoken often in the letters of the New Testament as Paul and the other writers remind their listeners that, through their baptism and belief, they are now children of God. On the journey of spirituality, which we see can take place in a religious community, you move beyond head knowledge of your identity into embracing and embodying your identity. Spirituality is a way of being that opens you to a direct encounter with God. Spirituality is about relationship and connection. Spirituality is learning and experiencing how important you are to God, how you are made in God’s image, and how God created you for community with others. Therefore, I offer that, in spirituality, the purpose is for you to return to your true identity: a child of God.
At first, you may see and experience a new connection with God as you participate in spiritual growth. Wonderful! Live in that moment and celebrate every experience as it comes. On the other hand, you may struggle to hear God’s voice and feel God’s presence. Don’t give up! Know that you are on a journey with God. Each experience, whether you are on cloud nine with God or wondering if God is present, is on the path to a deeper relationship with God.
As your journey continues, you will begin to see that being in the presence of God is not limited to certain times and events. You will come to know that, like Jesus, you are always in the presence of God. Your awareness of our connection with the Divine will become increasingly consistent and, ultimately, second nature. As your church forges a new path and moves forward into the post-pandemic world, let your deepened spirituality shape the path ahead and draw you into new community.
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