Spirituality for the 21st Century
|
Understanding and Experiencing Life in the Spirit
|
| Most Christians today have an under-developed understanding of the
role and function of the Holy Spirit. So therefore, the journey of
faith can become shallow and mechanical. Spiritual formation (the
process in which Christ-likeness is formed in us) is best understood
and experienced when we learn how to live, walk, and be led by the
Spirit. The Christian life becomes vibrant, deeper and dynamic as we
learn to live in the "slip stream of the God's Spirit." |
| Through the use of instruction, group discussion, and personal
practices such as journal-keeping and contemplation, course
participants will discover at least three characteristics and
consequences of the Holy Spirit; practical disciplines to sensitize
our experience to the Holy Spirit, and useful understanding on how
to discern "the Spirit's work." |
Who should take this class:
|
| People who are "hungry" and who are at the
stage of their journey where they realize they have a shallow
"practical theology" of the Spirit are perfect for this
class. And since we live in a highly spiritually sensitized culture,
a seeker may find this class interesting as well. |
About the Teachers
|
|
Russ Ikeda was born and raised in
Hawaii. He graduated with a Bachelors degree from the University of
Hawaii (1973), a Masters of Divinity from Fuller Theological
Seminary (1977), and a Doctorate in Spiritual Formation from the
Graduate School of Theology, Azusa Pacific University (2002). He has
been married for 27 years to Linda (who is a licensed Marriage,
Family Therapist) and the father of two sons (Ryan, 26 and Tyler
23). |
| He served as Associate Pastor at Saratoga Federated
Church for twenty-one years. In the initial thirteen years, his call
was to pastor youth and their families, while in the latter eight
years, he served as Pastor for Adult Education, Small Groups and
Assimilation. |
| Russ now serves as Director of Emmaus Ministries of
Silicon Valley, which he launched in July of 1999. This is a
relational marketplace ministry of coming alongside people on their
spiritual journey and providing pastoral counsel and spiritual
direction. He also is an adjunct professor at William Jessup
University (extension program), Cohort mentor with Fuller Seminary,
consultant to Willow Equities Land Development Company of San Jose
and the chaplain for the Los Gatos/Monte Sereno Police Department. |