If you read the report issued by Willow
Creek Church
a couple of years ago you know how a lot of people feel about their lack of
spiritual growth. In fact, let me ask you a question: over this last year how
much have you grown spiritually? This is not a minor
question. I have been looking for a long time for a tool to use to help me, and
the church overall, to be able to start measuring spiritual growth.
Too many times we think we are measuring spiritual growth, but we are only
measuring one component – academic knowledge of the Bible. There is another
area that is just as important – your personal life and growth, as well as your
relational life and growth, such as with your mate and others in the church and
the world.
Frazee has done a great job with this tool to help us do the measuring and
planning for future growth. In the first part of the tool we assess ourselves
in 10 competencies in three categories: beliefs, practices, and virtues. These
answers assess how fully you have developed a Christlike
profile. But you don’t stop there.
The Christian Life Profile is most effective when used in the
context of biblical community, such as a small group
where the members of the group provide support, encouragement, accountability,
and prayer for each other, as you, individually and corporately, seek to grow
in Christ’s likeness. The assessment tool even strongly suggests you allow
three other people who know you well and care
about you to answer a set of questions about you to help you to develop a
fuller assessment. I see this as one of the most beneficial aspects of this
tool.
The last step is identifying two or maybe three areas where you want to
concentrate your growth over this next year, and making a plan that is workable
and attainable. To do this you need not only a mentor or small group, but most
of all prayer that the Holy spirit will be the one to
actually bring about the change
Dennis Bennett
