The Formation Church profile is based on the Formation emphasis within the Encourager LIFE framework. Formation Churches often demonstrate a strong commitment to Scripture, discipleship, spiritual practices, prayer, worship, and growth in Christlike maturity.
As a Formation Church, you are often energized by helping people become more deeply rooted in Christ. You value biblical teaching, spiritual depth, intentional discipleship, and practices that shape people over time.
Formation Churches frequently become places where believers are strengthened, renewed, and equipped to live faithfully with Jesus in everyday life.
How LIFE Shapes This Expression
Encourager LIFE is built around four emphases of church flourishing: Leadership, Influence, Formation, and Engagement. The Formation Church expression emphasizes biblical formation, spiritual practices, and helping people grow in the character and ways of Christ.
Common Strengths
- Values Scripture, prayer, and spiritual depth
- Helps people grow in Christlike maturity
- Creates intentional discipleship pathways
- Encourages spiritual practices and daily faithfulness
- Provides strong biblical teaching and theological grounding
- Helps people connect faith with everyday life
- Encourages reflection, repentance, obedience, and growth
- Often develops spiritually grounded leaders and members
Potential Growth Areas
- May become more inward-focused than mission-focused
- Can value depth without creating clear pathways for new people
- May emphasize learning more than active participation
- Can struggle to translate formation into outward witness
- May need stronger systems for leadership development
- Can become hesitant to innovate or change familiar rhythms
- Needs to connect spiritual maturity with service and mission
Formation Themes Often Associated with This Profile
Recommended Next Steps
Practices and opportunities that often help Formation Churches flourish include:
Biblical Examples
The Jerusalem Church
Scripture: Acts 2:42–47
The early church devoted itself to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer. Their shared life reflected deep formation and visible faithfulness.
Timothy
Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:5–7; 2 Timothy 3:14–17
Timothy was shaped through Scripture, faithful teaching, spiritual encouragement, and generational discipleship. His life reminds us that formation often happens over time through faithful investment.
Mary of Bethany
Scripture: Luke 10:38–42; John 12:1–8
Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, listened to His word, and responded with devotion. Her example reminds the church that ministry must flow from attentiveness to Christ.
LIFE in Church Ministry
The Formation Church profile does not suggest that discipleship is more important than the other LIFE emphases. Rather, it reflects the primary way this church often contributes to the Kingdom.
Healthy Formation Churches recognize that spiritual depth is meant to produce faithful witness, loving service, generous participation, and Christlike engagement with the world.
Biblical Formation and Maturity
Key Verse: Colossians 1:28
“He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.”
The calling of a Formation Church is to help people grow toward maturity in Christ through Scripture, wisdom, prayer, practice, and faithful discipleship.
As Formation Churches mature, teaching becomes transformation, practices become rhythms of grace, and discipleship becomes a shared life of following Jesus together.