Stephen D. Bryant

Compañerismo en Cristo Guía del líder

Wed, 18 May 2022 20:40:05 GMT

Compañerismo en Cristo, Libro del participante también está disponible para miembros de grupos pequeños.

Usted explorará a profundidad las Escrituras, aprenderá a escuchar a Dios por medio de ellas, y permitirá a su vida ser formada por la Palabra. Experimentará nuevas dimensiones de la oración, practicará nuevas formas de abrir su vida a Dios, y aprenderá lo que significa practicar la presencia de Dios. Usted reflexionará sobre el llamado de Cristo a su vida y descubrirá de nuevo los dones que Dios le ha dado para que lleve a cabo su ministerio personal.

Usted y los miembros de su grupo crecerán juntos como comunidad cristiana y adquirirán destrezas para dirigir grupos pequeños en la iglesia como espacios para la dirección espiritual.

Compañerismo en Cristo ofrece una poderosa experiencia de renovación a través de las prácticas espirituales que le ayudan a compartir más plenamente la vida de Cristo y traer lo que ha aprendido a todas las áreas de la vida de la iglesia. Esta jornada espiritual de 28 semanas le guiará a tener un tiempo diario con Dios por medio de las lecturas individuales y la meditación, y le permitirá reunirse semanalmente con otras personas de su comunidad de fe para participar en una exploración más profunda.

Compañerismo en Cristo provee oportunidades diversas y creativas para aprender las disciplinas espirituales de oración, lectura de la Escritura, estudio, adoración, ministerio y conferencia cristiana. En algunos momentos tendrá nuevas experiencias con la oración, descubrirá sus pensamientos y deseos más íntimos, y recordará dónde ha estado Dios presente de manera especial en su vida. En otros momentos, usted y los miembros de su grupo compartirán historias comunes, preguntas y descubrimientos en su relación con Cristo. Cada semana comenzará con una presentación interesante y desafiante por un escritor/a reconocido en el área de formación espiritual.

Los escritores de estas lecturas son Gerrit Scott Dawson, Adele González, E. Glenn Hinson, Rueben P. Job, Marjorie Thompson y Wendy M. Wright. Además de esa presentación, Compañerismo provee lecturas diarias de las Escrituras y preguntas para dirigirle en su meditación personal. La semana concluye con una sesión de dos horas donde usted puede compartir sus ideas, reflexionar junto a sus compañeros y compañeras y participar en una variedad de experiencias de aprendizaje como grupo.

Compañerismo en Cristo es uno de los recursos más versátiles y completos en el área de formación espiritual. Incorpora lo mejor de la tradición cristiana. Un aspecto único de esta experiencia es que su búsqueda y aprendizaje espiritual serán apoyados por otras personas en su grupo que son verdaderamente compañeras en Cristo.

Compañerismo en Cristo Guía del líder - PDF

Wed, 18 May 2022 20:30:29 GMT

Compañerismo en Cristo, Libro del participante también está disponibles para miembros de grupos pequeños.

Usted y los miembros de su grupo crecerán juntos como comunidad cristiana y adquirirán destrezas para dirigir grupos pequeños en la iglesia como espacios para la dirección espiritual.

The Group Reunion

Sat, 14 May 2022 01:59:01 GMT

Designed for persons who have participated in The Walk to Emmaus, this helpful booklet provides ideas on joining follow-up accountability groups, organizing groups, and improving the quality of groups as a means of growth in grace.

What Is Emmaus?

Sat, 14 May 2022 01:57:24 GMT

This 40-page booklet contains information about what happens during an Emmaus weekend, what participants should expect, and how Emmaus can help congregations. It answers the most frequently asked questions about Emmaus, the Emmaus community, and Emmaus follow-up groups (reunion groups).

A great resource for those considering attending an Emmaus weekend retreat.

¿Qué es Emaús?

Sat, 14 May 2022 01:11:11 GMT

Este librillo de 41 páginas contiene información sobre lo que ocurre durante un fin de semana de Emaús, qué deben esperar los participantes y cómo Emaús puede ayudar a las congregaciones. El recurso contesta las preguntas más comunes acerca de Emaús, la comunidad de Emaús y los grupos de seguimiento de Emaús.

¿Qué es Emaús?

Fri, 13 May 2022 23:03:19 GMT

Este cuadernillo de 40 páginas contiene información sobre lo que ocurre durante un fin de semana de Emaús, qué deben esperar los participantes y cómo Emaús puede ayudar a las congregaciones. El recurso tiene repuestas para las preguntas más comunes acerca de Emaús, la comunidad de Emaús y los grupos de seguimiento de Emaús (reunión de grupos). Es un excelente recurso para aquellos que están considerando asistir a un retiro Emaús de fin de semana.

The Group Reunion

Thu, 05 May 2022 20:44:21 GMT

Exploring the Way Leader's Guide

Thu, 05 May 2022 20:38:42 GMT

Exploring the Way Participant's Book is available for small-group members.

This user-friendly Leader's Guide provides complete guidance, content, and background material for each of the weekly meetings. Also included is general information about Christian spirituality and disciplines. It's the perfect condensed orientation to Companions in Christ! All weekly group gatherings follow the same basic outline:

Opening time of welcoming, centering, and worship (5 minutes)
Sharing insights from the week's spiritual exercises (10 minutes)
Teaching narrative (20 minutes)
Deeper explorations into a specific spiritual practice (20 minutes)
Closing worship (5 minutes)

Find the tools you need in this comprehensive Leader's Guide to make your group study both thought-provoking and full of lively discussion, including a full explanation of spiritual formation, a complete list of materials needed, and an outline for each session with suggestions for what to say.

The Way of Blessedness Participant's Book

Thu, 05 May 2022 20:33:21 GMT

The Way of Blessedness Leader's Guide is also available.

The Way of Blessedness invites readers to cultivate the dispositions of the soul as outlined in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, which suit us for the reign of God while drawing us into its realm. Jesus portrays the reign of God in terms that are contrary to social hierarchy — in his time as well as our own. It is a realm of outlandish generosity and uncommon compassion. This is a 9-week study of the spiritual practices that help us turn away from pride and fill us with God's abundant love. As we're transformed by God's love, we're able to become people who mourn with and for others and our world, who understand and live out Jesus' example of meekness, who hunger and thirst for holiness, who humbly offer and receive mercy, whose hearts are pure and able to see the imprint of God in all things, who seek peace, and who hold strong in our faith through adversity. The Way of Blessedness guides participants along a path that offers clarity to our way of life and the very life of God's kingdom.

The Way of Blessedness Leader's Guide

Thu, 05 May 2022 20:31:04 GMT

The Way of Blessedness Participant's Book is also available for small-group members.

The Way of Blessedness Leader's Guide provides everything you need to lead small groups through this 9-week study of the Beatitudes, including a preparatory meeting. The Leader's Guide contains detailed weekly session plans and a list of Weekly Needs at a Glance to make preparation for each meeting simple and quick. Each Leader's Guide in the Companions in Christ series assumes leaders are new to the formational group process and includes the full introductory material, guidance for leading formational groups, and a description of the unique leadership skills needed. The Leader's Guides for each resource in the series are described as being the most complete and user-friendly guides available.

The Way of Forgiveness Leader's Guide

Thu, 05 May 2022 20:20:20 GMT

The Way of Forgiveness Participant's Book is also available for small-group members.

The Way of Forgiveness Leader's Guide provides everything you need to lead small groups through this 8-week study. This guide includes step-by-step instructions for each of the weekly sessions. It also includes information to help you develop the distinct skills needed when leading spiritual formation groups. A Weekly Needs at a Glance list helps streamline your preparation. Session topics include:

Living in God's Blessing
Releasing Shame and Guilt
Facing Our Anger
Receiving God's Forgiveness
Forgiving Others
Seeking Reconciliation
Becoming the Blessed Community

The Way of Transforming Discipleship Participant's Book

Thu, 05 May 2022 20:18:30 GMT

The Way of Transforming Discipleship Leader's Guide is also available.

Are you becoming the person God wants you to be? Discover a way to authentic Christian spirituality through this 6-week study. By shining the light of God's Word into the darkness of our lives, Hudson and Bryant will lead you to a pathway of discovery and growth. Explore the markers of the journey:

Becoming a Christ-Follower
Knowing Who We Are
Changing from the Inside
Listening to the Groans
Experiencing the God Who Heals
Discovering Community Together

"The Upper Room has crafted a practical tool for assisting pilgrims on the journey of transformation," writes one reviewer. "The Way of Transforming Discipleship is for anyone who is on the way to becoming a true Christ-follower. Not only is this a must-read, but even more so, it is a must-do resource!" Join this journey to experience more deeply what it means to live as a follower of Christ. Understand the meaning of spiritual formation and how it leads to a spirituality that's authentic and grace-filled. Reflect on what your faith means in terms of who you are, how you must change, how you deal with pain, and how you relate to others. Be challenged to live the whole gospel by authentically connecting spirituality with discipleship.

A group experience of this resource consists of a preparatory meeting, 5 weekly sessions, and a closing retreat. The Way of Transforming Discipleship is appropriate for any group that has completed the Companions in Christ 28-week foundational resource, or it may also be used as an introduction to this powerful program.

The Way of Prayer Participant's Book

Thu, 05 May 2022 20:14:52 GMT

The Way of Prayer Leader's Guide is also available.

It's said that prayer is so primal an urge for humankind that we're born into the world praying. Yet, something so natural and seemingly so easy comes hard sometimes. The Way of Prayer is a 10-week small-group study about the nature, practice, and results of prayer. Some forms of prayer arise in our lives spontaneously, some are learned by rote, and others are stumbled upon as we move through life.

"All prayer, formal or informal, is about our relationship with God," the authors write. "Somewhere deep inside us resides the experience of being so deeply connected to God that we long to express the wonder of that relationship. We pray because we can — and must." Honor the ways you were taught to pray while expanding your understanding to include new ways to pray. Topics covered include:

How Do You Pray?
Images of God
Praying by Heart
Praying with Music
Praying by Gaze
Praying with Our Bodies
Scriptural Prayer
Contemplative Prayer
Praying with and for Others
Prayer and Social Transformation

What Is Emmaus?

Thu, 05 May 2022 20:11:23 GMT

A great resource for those considering attending an Emmaus weekend retreat.

Companions in Christ Leader's Guide (Revised)

Thu, 05 May 2022 20:01:52 GMT

Companions in Christ Participant's Book in 1 Volume is available for small-group members.

Companions in Christ Leader's Guide is designed to develop you as a leader in guiding the spiritual life of your congregation. This resource gives you an overview of the Christian spiritual life and the practices that help people enter into the formative pattern of Christ's life: a life of prayer, study and service. Help your small-group members move from information (knowledge about) to experience (knowledge of) in the means of grace — ways in which Christ meets people, renews their faith, and deepens their life together in love.

This revised Leader's Guide provides detailed guidance for leading a small group through the 28 weekly sessions. The plans have been tested and refined by groups in churches across the country. This book contains all you need, including:

the Getting Started Guide, which was formerly a separate piece
a revised plan for a Closing Retreat
Weekly Needs at a Glance
page references for both the comprehensive 1-volume Participant's Book and the new 5-volume series

"I found that the Leader's Guide was complete, easy to use, and filled with a vast wealth of worship experiences and leadership tools," writes one Companions in Christ group leader. "I haven't found this content in other resources." Lead your group deeper into the heart and mind, the work and spirit, and the very life of Jesus Christ!

The Way of Transforming Discipleship Leader's Guide

Thu, 05 May 2022 20:00:59 GMT

The Way of Transforming Discipleship Participant's Book is also available for small-group members.

Everything you need to guide a small group in a 6-week exploration of authentic Christian spirituality is contained in this Leader's Guide. Find the very practical help you need:

Ideas for a session to introduce the resource to participants
A list of Weekly Needs at a Glance
Detailed instructions for leading five weekly meetings
Meaningful Deeper Explorations of the spiritual life
Plans for a Closing Pilgrimage and Retreat

Help your group members become the people God wants them to be. Lead them to reflect on what faith means in terms of who we are, how we must change, how to deal with pain, and how to move toward reconciliation and belonging. Be challenged to live the whole gospel by connecting spirituality and discipleship. "The Upper Room has crafted a practical tool for assisting pilgrims on the journey of transformation," writes one reviewer. "The Way of Transforming Discipleship is for anyone who is on the way to becoming a true Christ-follower. Not only is this a must-read, but even more so, it is a must-do resource!"