Langley United ChurchChristian Formation and Spiritual Growth
Christian Development focuses on the work of building up the body of Christ by helping all of us at Langley United Church to grow in our Christian faith. The work of Christian nurture and formation teaches people the broader Christian story and helps them to draw connections between that story and their own lives. We strive as much as we can to offer a variety of programme opportunities for children, youth, and adults of various ages.
Over the last two thousand or so years that the Christian movement has been around, we have tended at times to get caught up worrying about what people believe – making sure they believe all the "right" things about God and Jesus and human nature and all that. But during that same time there has also developed a concern for what we do, and a recognition that when it comes to growing spiritually and becoming followers ("disciples") of Jesus, there are a few important practices to attend to that really help that growth to happen.
The United Church of Canada has often tolerated a pretty broad spectrum of beliefs; many of us, along with many other Christian communities, find ourselves right now in a time of reclaiming and honouring the ancient practices of our tradition:
As Christians we grow spiritually in community with others. We will only achieve limited growth through attending worship services, where, despite the crowd, we are basically "alone" in our spiritual journey.
In various small groups with other Christians, we share our lives – its hopes, joys, struggles and challenges. We also share our emotional pain and fears. Other Christians care for us and support us, as well as challenge us.
We learn among others how to relate our faith to our everyday life. We strive to answer the question, "where is God in all this?"
Christians grow spiritually by practicing the first five marks of discipleship (above). They understand deeply that we live in a paradox: on the one hand "In God, we are always enough;" on the other hand: "God is not finished with me yet" and at no time in life can we say "I've arrived. I'm good enough."
If you would like to make an appointment to discuss your spiritual life or opportunities for spiritual growth, feel free to contact the Church office to set up a time.
Worship
Faithful discipleship means committing to worship every Sunday, not simply on high holy days or whenever you feel like coming. The rhythm of worshipping weekly adds richness and blessing to one's life. Many describe it as a spiritual "recharging of one's battery." Listening to the word of God proclaimed and applied to daily life week in and week out eventually equips for all aspects of our daily lives. It has a sort of "cumulative effect."
But worship is not just for us – meeting our own spiritual needs. Worship is ultimately for God. It is a celebration of God's presence among us, and an opportunity to praise and thank God for all the blessings bestowed upon us. See our worship page for more information.
Prayer
Prayer is not just "talking to God," nor is it begging God to change some circumstance in your life that you are unhappy with. Those who consider prayer to be nothing but this are often disappointed in the outcome.
Prayer is a way of communicating with the Divine, a Christian form of meditation, and ultimately a source of incredible cosmic power.
Learning to pray is much like learning a sport. Some dabble in it for personal enjoyment only. Others get quite good with some practice. Then there are Olympians who commit to practice several hours per day. Olympian "pray-ers" are remarkable people who have the ability to tap into the power of God-in-Christ. It is power to strengthen, heal and change the world. You do not have to be a special person to discover the power of prayer. You only have to have the desire and will to commit to it.
If you do not know anything about prayer, there are a number of ways to discover more about it at Langley United:
- Education for Ministry
- Congregational Spiritual Retreat
- Make an Appointment with the Minister to discuss your prayer life
Bible Study
All of the world's enduring religious traditions have in common the tradition of a set of sacred texts. We all believe that these texts transcend time and space. They are relevant to us today, and relate to our daily lives. We find rich meaning in "reading between the lines" of the text.
In the United Church we take the Bible seriously, not literally. United Church clergy are educated at a Masters' degree level in the scholarly study of the Bible. Every Sunday, one passage of Scripture is chosen as the sermon text and interpreted for the people in our contemporary context.
It is amazing to discover that many people have been Christians their whole life, and yet have never even read the Holy Scriptures of their own religion. A life of discipleship is one of continual reading and study of the Bible. Here are a few ways you can begin your study of the Bible:
- sign up for one of the courses offered at Langley United to familiarize yourself with the Bible (its contents, and how to read it)
- sign up for Education for Ministry – you will read the whole Bible over two years
Contact the Church office for more information on these and other opportunities.
Giving
Why should I give money to the church?
Christians give money to the church because they feel so blessed by God, and so thankful for all that God has done for them. We do not give out of duty or obligation, or because the church needs the money. We give as a response of faith. The more blessed we have been financially, the more we are able to give. So everyone will give according to their means.
"Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can" ... John Wesley
Astonishingly enough, generosity feels good. It is a spiritual discipline to give your money away, trusting in God that God will provide for you and your family as well as empower the church to make good use of your gifts through caring for others in the world. While the culture screams at us through the media to spend, spend, spend, and to acquire material possessions and wealth, people of faith learn the joy of letting go of this crazy-making, stressful mentality. Our drive to accumulate wealth and possessions makes for an incredibly unjust world where a few people (mostly North Americans) have so much, while many in the rest of the world lives in near starvation. We do not need the lifestyle that we have. A life of discipleship including generous giving puts these thoughts into action.
"... out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water." John 7:38
What happens to my money?
The church is an independent financial organization that receives money only from donations and no other granting sources. Langley United also receives some money from building rentals. From the money donated we pay the ministers and other staff, pay the mortgage and maintain our building, run programs for children, youth and adults, and support mission and social justice programs in Langley, in the downtown east side of Vancouver and across the world through the United Church of Canada's Mission and Service Fund. For a more detailed explanation of where the money that we receive at Langley United goes, download our most recent Narrative Budget (PDF 5pp./100 KB).
How much money should I give?
Christian disciples give proportionally. This means that we give according to our means, on a percentage basis. We make choices in our lives about how we live, the cars we drive, the way we spend, and how we entertain ourselves, by prioritizing our household budgets placing at the top the things that are the most important. Giving in response to what God has done for us comes very close to the top (after providing for the nurture and safety of our families).
Many Christians strive to give 10% of their (net) income.
Those new to Christian discipleship often begin by aiming at giving 2%.
As years go on and your personal circumstances change, you can look at increasing this percentage to 3%, then 5%, and so on.
Whatever you can manage, we encourage you to give a percentage, rather than putting in the offering plate what is leftover.
Those who attend our church regularly may arrange for a monthly pre-authorized remittance ("PAR") from their bank accounts so that their giving patterns are always consistent. Email the Church Office to set up a PAR. More information on PAR is available from The United Church of Canada.
Other opportunities to donate to Langley United Church include:
- use of envelopes for weekly offerings
- planned gifts
- large, single time donations
- donate to specific projects
Donors who identify their donations will be issued a tax-deductible receipt.
For more information, and a dollar amount chart, see the United Church of Christ's How Much Shall I Give? (PDF, 2pp.).
| Poverty Theology | Prosperity Theology | The North American Dream "Theology" | Stewardship Theology | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| View of Prosperity... | Non-materialistic, disdain for possessions | Prosperity is the reward of the righteous | The pursuit of household possessions and family pleasures is acceptable | Possessions are a trust given by God in varying proportions |
| In a word, possessions, are ... | A curse | A reward | A right | A privilege |
| View about purchases | Lowest quality | Top quality | Quantity | wisest |
| Needs are met by ... | Thinking you don't have any needs | Seed faith, Give to get | Credit and borrowing | Faithfully using and giving from what you've received |
| Primary role | Rejector | Owner | Accumulator | Steward (manager) |
| Preoccupation | Daily needs | Money | Comfort and convenience | Wisdom |
| Attitude | Carefree (Proverbs 3:5,6) | Driven (Proverbs 10:17) | Entangled (Mark 4:19. Hag. 1) | Faithful (Luke 16:10,11) |
Service
Those seeking to live a Christian life are not concerned only with themselves, but also for all of creation. Contact us for more information on the opportunities for such service here at Langley United.