Dr. Houston’s comment, “If the church is going to experience a second reformation, this one dealing with sanctification as the first dealt with justification, then we’ll need to recover the doctrine of the Trinity and understand its implications for human community” and the years of pondering what those words meant have helped me focus my vision for the next ten years.
Pastor Dwight Edwards has sharpened my understanding of the provisions of the New Covenant and Pastor Jim Kallam has deepened my confidence that the church could become a New Covenant community and helped me understand how that could happen. Pastor Kent Denlinger and Elder James Moore have helped me understand the price that must be paid to develop a New Covenant community. All four men are living through the joys and trials of the process.
What if the community of believers discovered the power of Christ in them? What if they discovered that real community happens when the energy of Christ within one believer is poured out into another person with the wisdom that the Bible provides, with the wisdom gained through suffering, and with the wisdom of the Spirit working through New Covenant provisions? What if the astounding nature of grace, inherently available to us in the new covenant, redefined the church and all those who want to help other people?
This is my vision. This is my dream—a revolution in the body of Christ that understands God’s purpose in the New Covenant and how Christians could realize it in our day and age. I want to see the body of Christ move from a philosophy about God to an intimate relationship with God and to a profound experience of each member of the Trinity thats leads to relationships of SoulCare all across the world. We now offer the School of Spiritual Direction (a one week training event for 30 people) and SoulCare: The Basic Conference (a weekend event for all people) as the foundational ministries to achieve our dream. A DVD curriculum in SoulTalk, training in intentional spiritual formation small groups (The School of Spiritual Friendship), radio ministry, and weekend retreats for married couples and parents are all in planning/dreaming stages.
