"The community-forming activity of the Holy Spirit challenges us to move beyond the contemporary assumption that the Spirit’s actions center exclusively, or even primarily, on the individual."

"The early church spoke of the reality of God’s reign in terms of the dynamic presence of the Holy Spirit."

Koinonia: The communal reality of Holy Living, mutual support, and sacrificial service.

"Christian community indicates a new collaborative order of interdependence, shared responsibility, mutual instruction, and commonality."

The experience of the Spirit brings the touch of God’s presence, forgiveness, community, joy, and boldness.

"Within the community of those who live "in Christ" by the power of the Holy Spirit, persons are to be ‘members one of another’."

"The social practice of Christian togetherness is how love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are lived out as believers ‘bear one another burdens, and in this way fulfill the law of Christ’."

In the community of God’s people we learn what it is to lead a life worthy of our calling.

We should not ignore the formative powers of the community in which we live.

"We discover who we are face to face and side by side with others in work, love, and learning." - Robert Bellah

"The question is not whether we will be socialized, but what kind of society will have its way with us."

Culture is a process; both in the sense that it is always affecting us, but also that it is always being actively produced.

Culture is a dynamic process with which Christians should interact in a critical, discriminating, and constructive manner.

As a missional community we are to be intentional about providing the space, time and resources to learn new ways of living which reveal God’s power.

"As sign, foretaste, agent, and instrument of God’s reconciling love and forgiveness, the church makes Jesus Christ visible to the world."

What can this mean for us?

Practices: socially established cooperative human activities carried in traditions that form people in a way of life.

"The Christian gospel is at once belief that involves behavior and behavior that involves belief."

Practices should provide: Meaning, orientation and purpose.

"We learn patterns of faith, the practices of the church, from those who have learned and practiced them before us." TRADITION

We bear the challenge to be both faithful and innovative as we contribute to and pass on the historical practices of the community.

Prayer: we must learn how, when, and for what to pray. The Lord’s prayer provides a pattern.

"We are not born knowing how to live the Christian life. We need mentors, teachers, and partners who provide the advice, challenge, and support to enable us to extend and deepen our participation."

The benefits of a Practice are gained through participation in the experience.

Success is exhibited in the quality of Christian love experienced in the midst of the churches common life and ministry.

"As persons who ‘live in Christ’ we are to grow in Christ"

The church’s practices are dynamic