At St James we have been working for several years to build a relational, engaged and empowered Community of Faith.  Journey of Discipleship is a major part the process that facilitates the building of a relational, engaged, and empowered community of faith in which every member is personally invited to become an active disciple of the Lord, to become a spiritually committed person, who lives and thinks in a manner consistent with the teachings of Jesus.  There is little separation in a spiritually committed person between faith and daily living. Spiritually committed people are the backbone of every church community.  Their conviction about the faith is inspiring and encouraging.  But they are ordinary people like you and me who have the same fears, doubts and questions.

Many church members are on cruise-control, coasting through life without clearly connecting their faith with their everyday life. They are in this state because they are not engaged in the life of the church. Belonging leads to believing. What God calls ‘Church’ is not necessarily buildings or institutions, but rather all the people who know Jesus and follow his teaching. They are scattered over the whole world, growing to know him and each other better and to be a reflection of Jesus every day. You can’t be the Church by following someone else who is living the Gospel; you have to do it yourself

“God is a community and wherever he is known, real community will emerge among his people. Father, Son and Spirit have dwelt in true community for all eternity, knowing the sheer joy and wonder of sharing life, love and glory with themselves. You can’t touch his love and not find it drawing you toward others God puts in your path.”

Through JOD we begin to connect with God and each other. Gene Edwards, a Baptist Minister said that “the model for church life is found in Jesus’ relationship with his disciples. He never taught them how to have a ’service’ or how to construct an organizational flow chart. He didn’t tell them that church life was about attending a meeting, conforming to a group ethic, or regimenting people’s lives by the most well-intentioned program.

Instead, he taught them how to relate to God as Father and each other as brothers and sisters. The language he used with them (and indeed the language Paul uses in his letters) was not the language of institutions, but the language of family”.

Even if, and especially if, you have never attended any of the Journey of Discipleship gatherings I invite you to join us on the Journey, learn what it is to relate to each other as brothers and sisters with God as the center.

If you want to learn more about JOD email me at pcarolan.stjamesparish@gmail.com

Pat Carolan

Ministry, Journey of Discipleship