Spiritual Formation at Messiah College
Draft in Process. Your feedback appreciated
Purpose Statement for College Ministries
The office of College Ministries seeks to engage the students, faculty and staff of Messiah College in spiritual formation, the process of being conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others. This formation is expressed in maturity of being, characterized by a personal and communal relationship with God in Jesus Christ; maturity of knowing, characterized by intentional and transformational learning and reflection about God, self, and the world; and maturity of doing, characterized by intentional actions compelled by what we believe and who we are in Christ.
Being is the most foundational element of spiritual formation. Each person is made in image of God and is thus created for relationship with God and others. This relationship with God involves personal faith in Jesus Christ, expressed in the College’s use of the Apostles’ Creed. Belief in the image of God and faith in the life and work of Jesus allows us to accept our brokenness and celebrate redemption as God’s greatest gift of love. A maturing Christian faith finds its identity in Jesus Christ and evidences the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Being a Christian is not solely an individual pursuit. A communal faith in Jesus Christ finds expression in communal worship and believes the church to be the body of Christ, locally and universally. A communal faith resists separation and prejudice, and celebrates diversity and reconciliation as characteristics of the kingdom of God.
Knowing who we are in Jesus Christ leads us to engage our minds in learning. A maturing faith pursues an ever-deepening understanding of God through purposeful study of the Bible and reflection on its revelation of God in the person and work of Jesus. Such study will transform the Christian’s life through effective application of the truth of the Gospel. A holistic pursuit of knowing will be characterized by relational, experiential, emotional and social learning in addition to sustained critical reflection on the intersection of faith with all academic disciplines. Knowing is thus an exploration which fully engages the mind, heart and body in the process of faith development.
Doing, the activity of a maturing Christian, is grounded in being and knowing. Genuine knowledge and belief will be manifest in the lifestyle and purposeful actions of a Christian. The vocation of a maturing Christian is rooted in an awareness of self and the needs of the world. By obeying God and engaging society, the Christian seeks to be an agent of transformation in the world. Commitment to the church, exercising spiritual gifts, and serving the local community will characterize the efforts of a maturing Christian, whose activity is motivated by a desire to share the redemptive life and work of Jesus and God’s desire for reconciliation with and throughout the world.