Summit Youth Academy: Spiritual Formation Workshop

Photos by Britt Bradley

Last Thursday, I had the privilege of teaching a workshop on the foundations of Christian Spiritual Formation to the youth of the Summit Academy. Since I graduated last May with a major in Christian Spiritual Formation, I am always excited at the chance to teach material that has been so instrumental in my life. As adding this workshop was a bit last minute, I was a little nervous but was pleasantly surprised at the maturity and thought processes of the high school students.

We began by addressing the fact that everyone is being spiritually shaped by something, whether it is intentional or not. Christian Spiritual Formation is simply allowing our soul to be shaped by Christ. Borrowing a phrase from Mark Scandrette, we discussed how the process of Christian Spiritual Formation happens in a "Jesus Dojo" - a place for us to actively learn from and participate with Jesus in our formation. We discussed how narratives, spiritual practices, and our community, when innervated by the Holy Spirit, lead to the transformation of the whole person - mind, body, and soul. With these thoughts in mind, the students created simple rhythm of life, a set of 3 spiritual practices they wanted to experiment with throughout the next month. Finally, we PLAYED, one of my all-time favorite spiritual practices. 

Throughout the entire workshop, the students had great questions and even better insights. Personally, I learn more about spiritual formation each time I teach it.