Can you imagine running a race without knowing where the finish line is? How about participating in a boxing match with no opponent? Sounds rather silly, doesn’t it? Yet, this is exactly what many of us do when it comes to spiritual growth. We want to grow spiritually but we have no clear goals and objectives in mind. Oh, we know there are certain things we’re supposed to do like pray and read the Bible but most of us don’t get much further than that. To make matters worse, we have absolutely no idea where the finish line is. After all, how is spiritual growth measured?
The Apostle Paul warned against this haphazard approach to spiritual growth. Paul insisted that we must be intentional about growing spiritually. In 1 Corinthians 9:26, Paul wrote, “Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.” Paul was intentional about his spiritual growth and he wants us to be as well.
In one sense, IGNITE is deceptively simple. It is nothing more than an outgrowth of the classic spiritual disciplines. For centuries, Christians have discovered that if they make certain disciplines (or habits) part of their daily routine (things like prayer, Bible reading, and stewardship), it helps them to grow in their faith. That’s all the spiritual disciplines are! Habits that help one grow closer to Jesus. And IGNITE is simply a way to approach the disciplines in a logical and progressive manner.
IGNITE consists of four levels or categories: Spark, Flame, Blaze, and Wildfire. IGNITE shows you what areas you’re strong in and what areas you need to focus on in order to grow spiritually.
A great place to start if you are early on in your faith, new to the spiritual disciplines, or just need to ease yourself into developing a regular pattern of growth.
Has your spiritual spark grown? Feel like your faith is burning a little brighter? Embrace spiritual disciplines a bit more as part of your regular faith-growth to keep that beginning flame going.
Once a flame is going it can be kept going and grow even bigger by adding more kindling to the fire. “Blaze” builds on the levels of growth you have already started developing.
Faith which has turned into a “wildfire” is a faith which can spread to those around you. It is contagious because the things you are doing to grow on the inside truly show on the outside!
Download the “Ignite Category Guide”. Go through the four categories checking all the boxes that apply to you. This will show you where you are strong and what your growth areas are. You might be surprised to find out that you have and are already growing in a number of the Ignite categories.
Prayerfully choose ONE discipline to focus on for the next weeks/months.
Prayerfully consider what measurable and reasonable goals you can make for yourself in regards to this discipline.
Ask yourself what support would be helpful for you as you seek to achieve your goals (e.g. someone to pray for you, someone to get together with for breakfast once a week/month, someone to ask how you’re doing occasionally, etc.).
Team up with one or more persons. Tell them how they can support you (#3) and ask how you can support them. (After all, we can’t grow spiritually all by ourselves).
Follow the links below for some IGNITE Resources to help you on your journey.
As you enter into this exciting, new model of spiritual growth, there are some important points to keep in mind:
1. Don’t feel bad about where you stand currently. The point of the survey is not so much to tell you where you’re falling short as to get you headed in the right direction. In other words, it doesn’t matter nearly so much where you fall on the spectrum as the direction you’re moving in.
2. IGNITE is not a competition. The point is not to compare your score with others but to enable you to develop a personalized strategy for moving ahead.
3. Don’t try to rush through IGNITE. Remember that spiritual growth is a process not an event. One of the things that the Church Fathers were unanimous on is the fact that church growth cannot be rushed. Indeed, it’s a lifetime process. We anticipate that you’ll want to spend a year or more in each category. Focus on developing habits not checking off boxes in the “Ignite Guide”.
Begin IGNITE prayerfully and expectantly. Believe that God is going to honour the commitment you’re making to spiritual growth. There are many people praying that this will be a life-transforming experience for you. You are at the beginning of a path that many spiritual giants have walked before you. As with anything, there will be peaks and valleys. Like Christian in John Bunyan’s novel, The Pilgrim’s Progress, the most important thing is just to keep walking.
