Practice Discipleship 2015: Story
We are living in the middle of God’s story. God’s story includes all of creation and the specific life of Jesus. Within that story we live and tell our life stories - the places we live, the gifts of our neighbors, what it means to serve, and what matters most in growing up and into discipleship. We live by stories. They tell us where we came from, help us talk about challenges, and inspire us to make choices for good. This year’s Practice Discipleship Initiative will concentrate on weaving together God’s story with stories of self, others, and the places God calls us.
|  Mindy Makant, Lenoir-Rhyne University Making room to hear others’ stories is an act of hospitality in which Christ is present. Listening to such stories helps us see beyond what is to what can/could/might be, opening imaginative possibilities and realities beyond the immediately visible and self-evident. Ultimately, our relationships with others can then inform and shape our own story. PowerPoint Resources mentioned during webinar:  Mark Jackson, Trinity Lutheran College What stories get told through service experiences? Explore biblical stories of service and practices that make room for recognizing and honoring others’ stories. When service and mission experiences are thought of as more than projects and trips, service can become a lifelong spiritual practice and way of life. PowerPoint
How can the historical church - ekklesia -translate to who we are called to be as church today? Stories of Jesus and the early “church” show us how we can be a true community of faith, across racial, socioeconomic and other boundaries that so frequently divide us. Engage in interactive conversation and activities that explore what it means to be a faith community today. PowerPoint |
