Spiritual Formation/Prayer and Retreat Ministries

Spiritual Formation is...                                                                                                                                                                               

  • What happens when we accept God's invitation to draw near and allow God's Spirit to form who we are and guide what we do.
  • This life-long process, of being conformed to the image of Christ, is the gracious working of the Holy Spirit.

This requires...

  • There are many ways to respond to God’s love and invitation and many different avenues of Spiritual Formation.
  • Our willingness to be open to God
  • Us to set our intention be open to the Holy Spirit
  1. In other words, we have to want it.
  2. It needs to become a priority for us or it will not happen
  3. Giving the controls to God

Spiritual Disciplines are...

  • Practices that we engage in that help us to respond to God’s invitation.
  • John Wesley called them “means of grace” because the disciplines themselves cannot change us, but they offer a way to participate in the grace that is available for Spiritual growth.
     
    1. Meditation
    2. Prayer
    3. Study or Spiritual Reading
    4. Fasting
    5. Works of Mercy - Service
    6. Solitude
    7. Worship including participation in the Sacraments
    8. Spiritual Direction
    9. Confession

The Conference Spiritual Formation Team

  • Exists to encourage and foster Spiritual Formation within our Annual Conference. 
  • Our goals are to:
    1. Advocate and highlight the importance of Spiritual Formation in the life to the Conference
    2. Serve as a resource for individuals, groups, churches, etc. in identifying and locating resources.