The Formational Community is a two-year experience designed to deepen your life in God for the sake of others.
What is involved in this experience?
As a participant of this experience, you will gather with 72 men and women on retreat every quarter to learn how to cultivate spiritual rhythms in your everyday, ordinary life. Weekend retreats include engaging lectures from seasoned leaders, conversations around tables with your companion group, and time alone to practice and process God’s personal invitations to you in your spiritual journey.
Each retreat begins with a light meal on Friday evening (6-9pm) and concludes on Saturday afternoon (9am-3pm, lunch included). The retreats are held at Open Door and do not include an overnight stay. Between retreats, you will gather twice with your assigned companion group to share how God has been encountering you in your spiritual journey. Groups are structured around guidelines that encourage spiritual listening to one another and to God.
Our veteran teachers practice what they teach and know what it means to live a life of faith in the world. You will hear stories from their personal lives and their ministries. Their teaching is vulnerable and real and always intersects with ordinary life. It is enhanced by writings from a rich and diverse collection of Christian authors, such as Ruth Haley Barton, Henri Nouwen, David Benner, M. Robert Mulholland, Richard Foster, and Mark Labberton.
Is the Formational Community a good fit for me?
While we encourage everyone to honestly face the commitments involved in this experience, anyone who desires to deepen their life in God is welcome. As a church ministry, we are open to anyone who is committed to intentional spiritual growth. Practically speaking, the commitments for this experience include…
- Retreat Participation: Each participant is expected to attend all eight quarterly retreats in their entirety from Friday evening until Saturday afternoon. You are also encouraged to intentionally and regularly practice the spiritual disciplines taught at each retreat.
- Reading: Participants commit to reading one assigned book between every retreat.
- Companion Group Meetings: Participants are placed in spiritual companion groups that meet monthly between each retreat, in other words, twice between each retreat. The quarterly retreat and companion group meetings mean a monthly commitment for the two-year experience.
What does it cost?
Total cost for the two-year experience is $400, divided as follows: $80 non-refundable (holds your spot upon acceptance) plus $40 per quarter ($320 total over two years) due the Sunday before each retreat regardless of retreat attendance.
Contact: Anne-Marie | (763) 416-5846 ext 1400
Registration for Cohort F (Fall 2019-Summer 2021) is now open!
