 Those of you astute in the fineries of painstaking textual exegesis will notice right off the bat that I have changed something. The name of this grand publication has mercifully evolved from KIesis Monthly to Klesis Quarterly. "What was I thinking?" you ask. Good question. "I wasn't thinking," is my answer. It turns out to be a ton of work to write, edit, and publish even something as simple as a newsletter. So, common sense has prevailed and we will publish it four times a year beginning with this issue. The next letter will be mailed to you in early April. §  As we mentioned in the last issue, to help you get a closer look at Klesis we will explain each ministry in more detail, one in each newsletter. The Klesia Academy for Spiritual Formation in Christ is its teaching ministry. We call it an "Academy" because of the meaning of the word, especially the idea of specialized training, and the sense of excellence it suggests: that becoming Christian should deeply form the spirit, heart, and mind in Christ, and is worthy of great effort and sustained hard work. You might be saying "Well OK, but so far you have been just teaching a few classes. Is there more to this?" Those of you who know me well know that "there is always more to this" in my way of thinking! "Over the years I have grown troubled about how the inhuman pace of life has increasingly dominated our homes and families changing the way we do." The classes we have taught on Christian spirituality, and on marriage are just the beginnings of a much larger vision. Over the years I have grown troubled about how the inhuman pace of life has increasingly dominated our homes and families changing the way we do everything. Our churches are often overburdened with too many needs to address, and too much to do. Therefore, intensive Christian discipleship, especially with young adults suffers. Youth Pastors clearly do a heroic and sometimes thankless job of ministering to these mercurial gifts of God, but by high school, teenagers are masters of doing too much, too fast, all the time. Meeting once a week or even 2-3 times per week just isn't enough to train them to the depth necessary for radical, life-shaping Christian transformation. Now, the normal track for graduating high school seniors is to head off to college or to work. What if they put aside those plans for a year to concentrate on what the Apostle Paul calls "strict (disciplined) training," (lCor. 9:25) or training one¹s self "to be godly." (lTi. 4:7) In other words, to deeply "exercise" the heart, mind, and body in the calling of Christ before readying the gifts for work in the world. To that end, The Klesis Academy for Spiritual Formation in Christ will be an intensive 1-year program for Christian young adults to train them in how to walk in an intimate relationship with the risen and living Lord Jesus Christ, who summons them to think and behave "Christianly" in whatever calling He will put them. Living in community (as they would in college) these fledgling disciples would work every week on 4 necessary areas:
A typical week at the Academy would include: 30 minute worships, 3 times a day; Bible study; solitude and prayer; physical exercise; work; group discussion; and free time. Once a week (or more if needed) each person would meet with a spiritual director or counselor (including vocation). Sunday would beatrue Sabbath day devoted to worship, recreation, and rest. What would it be like to slow down, take a seat, "eat" unhurriedly and let our starving souls feast as they were surely meant? Our souls The distinctiveness of this program is that it places the spiritual life at the center of training teenagers. To listen and pray, to worship, to reflect in quiet, to hear God speak through the Scriptures create a bond with Jesus that affects everything we will do as His disciples. While here, young men and women will learn to recognize and respond to the movement of the Holy Spirit so that Jesus becomes real to them, alive and active in building a relationship unique to each one of them as they are. In other words it is the experience of God that will anchor life at the Academy. Whether we will as a community be working, studying, fellowshipping, praying or worshipping it will be with the growing awareness that Jesus is active among us as our loving Savior and Lord. Obviously, this is a huge undertaking needing God's wisdom, grace, and provision. I have no illusions of grandeur about my ability to do this. I can't do it, but I am willing to fly. I know I'll need a mess of help, and a flood of prayer from lots of people. But, wouldn't it be magnificent to help our kids face the daunting road ahead in a culture adrift by having trained like an athlete for a year in the things of Jesus Christ? I think so. Do you? Let me know. For the near future we will continue to develop and offer classes in Christian spirituality to those He sends. As God enables, we will devote more time to making the Academy a reality. §  When she was a "wee sprite" our youngest daughter, Alyn, could not understand when we went to dine in a real restaurant why the food was not brought to our table as soon as we ordered it. I mean "they do that at McDonald¹s!" She thought it outrageous to have to wait 10 or 15 minutes, and would keep her eye on the waiter or waitress to make sure they knew it. She was not one bit impressed with this restaurant stuff. That got me to thinking about how we have learned to settle for a little fast food to feed our souls, when long, lavish, leisurely meals are what it needs to be supple and strong. We only make a few nunutes in the morning to nibble on the Scriptures across the table from the Lord who wants to "sit a spell" with us. Like stopping at the drive-up window to place our orders for a quick bite, we snatch some prayer in the car on the way to work, or send up a "telegram" when in need. What would it be like to slow down, take a seat, "eat" unhurriedly and let our starving souls feast as they were surely meant? Our souls need to hear God speak, and that takes time. Sure, you can get by eating on the run, but is getting by living life abundantly? Hardly. So, I challenge you to set up soul feasts with the Lord, and soon. Go on an individual retreat; go for prayer walks, find some genuine quiet and listen to Jesus "open the Scriptures"to you. Do it. Whatever it takes. Your soul is not a "snacker" by nature. §  Some of you might have picked up on the fact that I announced a new class schedule for winter/spring. We have pushed back the starting date for those classes until March. Be on the look out for the schedule. §  It has been an exciting year with a lot of new challenges for me. After many years of feeling called by God to pursue studying Spiritual Direction, I finally moved on it. In the fall, I entered a two-year certification program of Spiritual Direction at St. Thomas Seminary. It has been a wonderful process, but also challenging to balance all the hatslwear. Iwill write more in future letters on what Spiritual Direction means. In September, after our family had taken an August vacation, we felt God was telling us to take a sabbatical from doing "Listening in Christ" retreats at the Center for Renewal. We have done so for the last six years with Bob and Barbara Japenga. We all felt God was calling us to stop and reexamine our work here because of the exhaustion we were feeling. We will do 2-3 retreats already committed to, but not accept any new ones. This interesting process of sabbatical brought for both Kit and me a greater rest from the weekend retreats. It also opened time to do more inner healing, spiritual direction and counseling. God has brought to our door many wonderful men and women who are looking to find greater freedom in Christ. They desire to walk in this freedom and truth regarding past hurts in their lives. The power of our identities are held in, and wrapped around these images of hurt, or distortions of who we are. When hurtful memories are not open to the light of Christ's love we have locked them away, yet we still function in their negative truth instead of Christ's loving light and freedom. Jesus is so gentle with us. I have often wept to see His holy love touch a wounded heart. His Holy Spirit desires to draw us closer to the love Jesus has given. We need to know that it is Christ whom we can trust to heal our wounded hearts. Please continue to pray for both Kit and me as God gives us this season of healing for many of His children seeking a whole and love relationship with their living Lord. May God give us the wisdom and discernment to hear His voice! §  About Klesis Ministries: What is the Playmaker Profile?  Would you take a minute to pray for us? Please pray that:
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