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Exploring Your Spiritual Design

The Spiritual Design Class is the part of Equipping Ministry that is most well-known. This course is the best way to explore one's God-given design and how God is calling for this design to be used in service to others.

The Class

The Spiritual Design Class is a 10-hour class that includes teaching on personality types, passions, special interests, and spiritual gifts. Individuals take assessments in all these areas and begin to apply what they have learned through small group discussion time and weekly at-home assignments. How God has molded one through past experiences as well as one's present placement in life are also considered in the mix. The goal is to develop faithful, fruitful and fulfilled servants of Christ.

The curriculum was written by Pastor Jerry Cooper to help people explore their unique God-given identity, and it has proven to be extremely helpful for previous class participants. Perhaps the greatest benefit of this class is the opportunity to spend 10 weeks actively seeking God's will and listening and watching for his leading.

The Consultation

Completing the Spiritual Design Class will increase knowledge and understanding, but for what purpose? Everyone who takes the class is provided with a consultation, designed to help translate new insights into application. Each "graduate" is contacted by one of EM's facilitators to set up a convenient meeting time and place. The appointment lasts one hour or less.

The facilitator is likely to begin a consultation with a brief prayer. Then, the facilitator will learn about the member's gifts, passions, personality, faith, experience, needs, expectations, and desire to serve. Together, they will begin to discern how the congregation can care, support and partner with this individual in the living out of his or her call. The consultation will end with some action points, chosen by the individual.

The possible outcomes of a consultation are as numerous and varied as our membership. It is important to reemphasize that EM is ultimately about faith development, for individuals and our body as a whole. We are not a glorified employment agency, interested primarily in getting tasks done and positions filled. God doesn't force but rather invites people to obedience. It is our intent to invite and assist our members in pursuing the call God has put on their life.

Tell me how to sign up!

The Spiritual Design Class is being offered during Adult Christian Education on Sundays, as well as on a weeknight. By January, we will have the class available for small groups to use, providing at least one member of the group has taken the class "in person." Check with the office for dates of upcoming classes. Pre-registration is required, and space is limited. Without exception, past participants have indicated that attending every class and completing all homework was necessary to fully benefit from the class. We encourage you to prayerfully consider when you can commit to taking this class.

Leadership Spiritual Design Class

This is a specially designed course for church leaders which incorporates the regular Spiritual Design class material, but approaches it from the perspective not only of the leader's self-understanding, but also how to effectively empower the individuals and teams they serve. It also teaches a new paradigm and practice of ministry at Central where leaders are primarily equippers who empower and support others for ministry.