Spiritual Formation Groups
Whereas weekly Chapel and Church services provide students with an opportunity to gather and worship together in a large corporate setting, LCU also provides an opportunity for students to share life together in small groups for a more intimate time of spiritual connection. Spiritual Formation Groups may be led by faculty, staff, or upperclassmen, and they usually consist of 6-8 students. Though each group will have a different focus, all will have the same goal, and each will contain elements of accountability, encouragement, devotion, and prayer. The ultimate goal of Spiritual Formation Groups at LCU is simply to have Christ formed in us. As Richard Foster has written,
Becoming Like Christ
For the Christian, heaven is not a goal; it is a destination. The goal is that "Christ be formed in you," to use the words of the apostle Paul (Gal. 4:19). To the Romans, he declares, "Those whom [God] foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son" (8:29). And to the Corinthians, he says, "All of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image" (2 Cor. 3:18). Thus the daring goal of the Christian life could be summarized as our being formed, conformed, and transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. And the wonder in all this is that Jesus Christ has come among his people as our ever-living Savior, Teacher, Lord, and Friend.
Spiritual Formation groups meet weekly, usually on Thursdays at 9:30 AM. Participation in a Spiritual Formation Group (SFG) is required for all full-time students.
Contact Rob Maupin, Spiritual Formation Coordinator
(217) 732-7788 x 2303
Information for Leaders
What is Required of the SFG Leader?
Attend Chapel every week and track the attendance of your SFG.
Meet with your SFG for at least one hour each week and track their attendance.
Be prepared to meet with your group. Have a long-range plan, something more than to just get you through the first couple of weeks. Don't "wing it."
Remember that you are there to serve God and serve the students in your SFG.
Know your style and focus. Keep the group on track.
Don't counsel beyond your competence.
Pray for your students.
Relax and enjoy it. If you have frustrations or questions please contact the Coordinator of Spiritual Formation Groups and seek help if necessary. Remember, we are just beggars showing other beggars where to find food. It's bound to be messy at times.
So here's our part as leaders of groups with the goal of Spiritual Formation. We are to partner with God in the work and process of helping students conform to his image, be transformed into his likeness, while Christ is formed in them. This is the process of maturation, of attaining the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Eph. 4.11-13, 14-16) Our role in the spiritual formation process with others is discipleship and mentoring. (Matt. 28.18-20; II Tim. 2.1-2)