Steven Goss for Freedom in Christ contacted me with these comments following my blog "Why we stopped using Freedom in Christ"
Reading your comments though, I'm pretty sure that what you have stopped using is not the Freedom In Christ Discipleship Course but one element of it, The Steps To Freedom In Christ (?)Checking our database, I can't see any record of CCK ever registering as a user of the whole course or buying it from us, (though it's entirely possible you ordered it from somewhere else).
I'm guessing that you may never have actually seen the FIC Discipleship Course which is a 13-session DVD-based resource. If you did take a look at it, I think you'd like where it's coming from, which seems to be exactly the same place you are. Session 5 in particular ("Our Daily Choice") is all about how Christians already have victory over sin and need to make a choice to walk in that. The main emphasis of the whole course is what we already have and who we are in Christ and how we need to choose to act on these things
The Steps To Freedom In Christ is just one element of the whole course (one session out of 14) and we are keen to recommend to churches that they don't use it standalone but always in conjunction with the rest of the teaching.
Sorry Steven, you're correct ... we've not been using the full Discipleship Course, just the book "Steps to Freedom in Christ" Ouch!
Monday, 7 November 2011
Thursday, 3 November 2011
What makes a good Zone meeting?
This is an internal communication to Central Brighton Zone Leaders, posted on this blog, because it may be of interest to others too. For those outside CCK, our Zone meetings are gatherings of around 30-40 people usually from 3-4 small groups in a specific geographic area.
Last month we tried to answer the above question - here are some of the answers and comments.
1. We were not self-critical enough of our own performance. Everyone's self feedback was "amazing". The only perfect Zone meeting is the future one in heaven!
2. It is vitally important regardless of personality, for every Zone leader (and wife) to individually greet every attendee (total 100% without fail), but especially the guest!
3. Every Zone meeting should have a WOW factor! It's not the same old, same old. There needs to be the surprise element - a birthday cake, a special thank you, a video clip, surprising testimony, something!!
4. We gather to the presence of God in the presence of the Spirit, we should be disappointed if there is not some manifestation of the Holy Spirit.
5. We need to have boundaries on both the length and content of the Zone talk. I would suggest that a maximum of 15mins should be observed, to assist retention and attention after a busy day at work. The content nearly always needs to be specific to developing a missional community.
Last month we tried to answer the above question - here are some of the answers and comments.
1. We were not self-critical enough of our own performance. Everyone's self feedback was "amazing". The only perfect Zone meeting is the future one in heaven!
2. It is vitally important regardless of personality, for every Zone leader (and wife) to individually greet every attendee (total 100% without fail), but especially the guest!
3. Every Zone meeting should have a WOW factor! It's not the same old, same old. There needs to be the surprise element - a birthday cake, a special thank you, a video clip, surprising testimony, something!!
4. We gather to the presence of God in the presence of the Spirit, we should be disappointed if there is not some manifestation of the Holy Spirit.
5. We need to have boundaries on both the length and content of the Zone talk. I would suggest that a maximum of 15mins should be observed, to assist retention and attention after a busy day at work. The content nearly always needs to be specific to developing a missional community.
Ten personal questions - yes or no?
Can you answer these with a firm "yes"?
1. Is your earthly father "there for you"?
2. Have you forgiven everybody who hurt you and should have known better?
3. Is it true that you've never done the ouija board or followed your star sign?
4. Do you sleep well without nightmares?
5. Are you free from any repetitive behaviour - mental, physical or emotional
6. Are you free from depression?
7. Are you growing as a Christian?
8. Are you free in the Holy Spirit and worship?
9. Are you freely exercising the gifts of the Spirit?
10. Are you free from any hindering relationships?
Please be honest with yourself ... if your answer is "yes" to all these 10 questions ... you don't need to be on Gospel Living this coming Saturday (12noon at the Clarendon Centre)
God bless you!
1. Is your earthly father "there for you"?
2. Have you forgiven everybody who hurt you and should have known better?
3. Is it true that you've never done the ouija board or followed your star sign?
4. Do you sleep well without nightmares?
5. Are you free from any repetitive behaviour - mental, physical or emotional
6. Are you free from depression?
7. Are you growing as a Christian?
8. Are you free in the Holy Spirit and worship?
9. Are you freely exercising the gifts of the Spirit?
10. Are you free from any hindering relationships?
Please be honest with yourself ... if your answer is "yes" to all these 10 questions ... you don't need to be on Gospel Living this coming Saturday (12noon at the Clarendon Centre)
God bless you!
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
Why (almost) every CCK student needs to join me at the Centre 12noon this Saturday
Gospel Living is a free afternoon course to get you started and founded well in your Christian life. We are meeting in the Whitefield Room at the Clarendon Centre.
It is particularly tailored to those who really want to grow as a Christian and get rid of "every weight that hinders" Heb 12:1 in an atmosphere of being ministered to by the Holy Spirit.
Some great times of worship and gifts of the Holy Spirit flow.
So let me ask you some private questions:
1. Is your earthly father "there for you"?
2. Have you forgiven everybody who hurt you and should have known better?
3. Is it true that you've never done the ouija board or followed your star sign?
4. Do you sleep well without nightmares?
5. Are you free from any repetitive behaviour - mental, physical or emotional
6. Are you free from depression?
7. Are you growing as a Christian?
8. Are you free in the Holy Spirit and worship?
9. Are you freely exercising the gifts of the Spirit?
10. Are you free from any hindering relationships?
Please be honest with yourself ... if your answer is "yes" to all these 10 questions ... you don't need to be on Gospel Living! God bless you!
It is particularly tailored to those who really want to grow as a Christian and get rid of "every weight that hinders" Heb 12:1 in an atmosphere of being ministered to by the Holy Spirit.
Some great times of worship and gifts of the Holy Spirit flow.
So let me ask you some private questions:
1. Is your earthly father "there for you"?
2. Have you forgiven everybody who hurt you and should have known better?
3. Is it true that you've never done the ouija board or followed your star sign?
4. Do you sleep well without nightmares?
5. Are you free from any repetitive behaviour - mental, physical or emotional
6. Are you free from depression?
7. Are you growing as a Christian?
8. Are you free in the Holy Spirit and worship?
9. Are you freely exercising the gifts of the Spirit?
10. Are you free from any hindering relationships?
Please be honest with yourself ... if your answer is "yes" to all these 10 questions ... you don't need to be on Gospel Living! God bless you!
Why we've stopped Freedom In Christ at CCK Brighton
Freedom in Christ is an excellent course and booklet originally written by Dr. Neil Anderson. We no longer run his course at CCK
Why have we stopped? What are we doing to replace it?
Our concern with the thoroughness of the Freedom in Christ was the material in the eyes of the reader became very sin focussed with its long list of tick boxes.
Romans 6 teaches us that at new birth we are delivered from the reign and tryanny of sin. Even to the newest believer, sin although a real issue that needs to be addressed daily, it is only ever now an annoyance, hindrance, distraction or diversion. It is never now our slave master. We are marvellously redeemed, once off at conversion, and are never ever dragged back into that slavery again. Any slavery that is experienced for the Christian is voluntary through ignorance.
It is something of this revolutionary, life-enhancing, joy-filling teaching of Romans 6 that we wanted to underline to a greater extent.
Enter Gospel Living - a new afternoon course at CCK that's free to all.
Gospel Living has a 3G approach, similar material but much more God, grace and gospel focussed than before.
We are running Gospel Living, this Saturday 12 noon (5 Nov) in the Clarendon Centre. See you there!
Why have we stopped? What are we doing to replace it?
Our concern with the thoroughness of the Freedom in Christ was the material in the eyes of the reader became very sin focussed with its long list of tick boxes.
Romans 6 teaches us that at new birth we are delivered from the reign and tryanny of sin. Even to the newest believer, sin although a real issue that needs to be addressed daily, it is only ever now an annoyance, hindrance, distraction or diversion. It is never now our slave master. We are marvellously redeemed, once off at conversion, and are never ever dragged back into that slavery again. Any slavery that is experienced for the Christian is voluntary through ignorance.
It is something of this revolutionary, life-enhancing, joy-filling teaching of Romans 6 that we wanted to underline to a greater extent.
Enter Gospel Living - a new afternoon course at CCK that's free to all.
Gospel Living has a 3G approach, similar material but much more God, grace and gospel focussed than before.
We are running Gospel Living, this Saturday 12 noon (5 Nov) in the Clarendon Centre. See you there!
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