The Upper Room

The Companions in Christ series for adults begins with the foundational 28-week resource. This resource guides participants through the original Companions in Christ small group experience.  Additional resources in the series build on the foundational resource.  The foundational Companions experience takes groups through a journey of five parts.  Each part is five to six weeks in length. Participants follow the same pattern each week—a weekly reading and five daily exercises followed by a two-hour group meeting. During the meeting, participants share their insights from the past week’s daily exercises, and then engage in a deeper exploration together.

 

The foundational 28-week resource includes a Leader’s Guide, a Participant’s Book, and a Journal for recording insights. The Participant’s Book comes in two forms—a single volume or five individual volumes.

 

The Companions in Christ 28-week journey

 

• Preparatory Meeting (1 week)

 

• Embracing the Journey: The Way of Christ (5 weeks) 
- An exploration of spiritual formation as a journey toward wholeness and holiness, individually and in community, through the grace of God.

 

• Feeding on the Word: The Mind of Christ (5 weeks) -
 An introduction to several ways of meditating and praying with scripture.

 

• Deepening Our Prayer: The Heart of Christ (6 weeks) 
- A guided experience of various classic forms and styles of prayer.

 

• Responding to Our Call: The Work of Christ (5 weeks) - 
A presentation of gifts and call, giving ourselves to God in willing obedience, and receiving the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit.

 

• Exploring Spiritual Guidance: The Spirit of Christ (5 weeks) 
An overview of different ways of giving and receiving spiritual guidance from one-on-one relationships with a spiritual guide, to spiritual growth groups, to guidance in congregational life.

 

• Closing Retreat: Developing a Rule of Life (final week)