Spiritual Practices in Community - by Diana Shiflett (Paperback)

About the Book

Diana Shiflett walks us through a wide array of practices-from communal silence to corporate discernment. This resource will show you how spiritual practices can become life-giving resources in your ministry setting for years to come.

Book Synopsis

Diana Shiflett has spent years leading groups of all descriptions in spiritual practices, and in this personal, hands-on guide, she walks us through a wide array-from communal silence and Scripture meditation to active prayer and corporate discernment. Offering step-by-step instructions, this resource will show you how spiritual practices can become life-giving resources in your ministry setting for years to come.

Review Quotes

"Spiritual Practices in Community is a gift to leaders and to the church. With conversational, practical, and down-to-earth wisdom, Diana Shiflett provides a guide for facilitating the practice of ancient and contemporary spiritual disciplines, inviting us to drink deeply from the well of living water together. An experienced leader and pastor, Diana is passionate about helping ministry leaders attend to their own walk with God so they are better equipped to provide space for others to encounter him. I'm grateful for this refreshing and creative spiritual formation resource!"

"Spiritual Practices in Community is a gift to leaders and to the church. With conversational, practical, and down-to-earth wisdom, Diana Shiflett provides a guide for facilitating the practice of ancient and contemporary spiritual disciplines, inviting us to drink deeply from the well of living water together. An experienced leader and pastor, Diana is passionate about helping ministry leaders attend to their own walk with God so they are better equipped to provide space for others to encounter him. I'm grateful for this refreshing and creative spiritual formation resource!"

--Sharon Garlough Brown, retreat speaker, author of the Sensible Shoes series

"Spiritual Practices in Community is an excellent tool for every Christian leader who wants to see people grow in Christ. Pastor Diana Shiflett not only offers engaging experiences to use but also provides the practical guidelines tempered with the voice of wisdom and experience to guide the user. I found this book to be an exciting resource that I can't wait to use and to recommend to other leaders. But I also found it to be a surprising source of spiritual nurture that prompted me to look more closely at my own spiritual practices and challenged me to bring variety to the daily disciplines of my life."

"Spiritual Practices in Community is an excellent tool for every Christian leader who wants to see people grow in Christ. Pastor Diana Shiflett not only offers engaging experiences to use but also provides the practical guidelines tempered with the voice of wisdom and experience to guide the user. I found this book to be an exciting resource that I can't wait to use and to recommend to other leaders. But I also found it to be a surprising source of spiritual nurture that prompted me to look more closely at my own spiritual practices and challenged me to bring variety to the daily disciplines of my life."

--Meagan S. Gillan, director of women ministries, Make and Deepen Disciples Team of the Evangelical Covenant Church

"Spiritual Practices in Community takes you on a journey to consider the profound simplicity of being with God. This book will guide you through new experiences to awaken your soul to the presence of God and transform the way you engage with him. There are dozens of simple and refreshing spiritual practices that will help usher you and the community you serve into an intimate experience with God."

"Spiritual Practices in Community takes you on a journey to consider the profound simplicity of being with God. This book will guide you through new experiences to awaken your soul to the presence of God and transform the way you engage with him. There are dozens of simple and refreshing spiritual practices that will help usher you and the community you serve into an intimate experience with God."

--Lisa Jarot, vice president for student life, Judson University

"As an introvert, I'm constantly amazed at how doing spiritual practices in community is so transforming and so rarely offered. Thank you, Diana, for your excellent coaching and practical ideas!"

"Christian growth is not a solo occupation. It is a partnership between the body of Christ (that's you and me) and the Spirit of Christ. The strength of that partnership develops with practice. And this practice, like other practices, can be a team effort. Shiflett highlights how disciplines practiced in community with conversation, questioning, listening, and reflection shape our relationship to God, self, and others. Shiflett is a trustworthy and practical guide. Working from hands-on experience she provides step by step ways to practice spiritual transformation with others."

"Christian growth is not a solo occupation. It is a partnership between the body of Christ (that's you and me) and the Spirit of Christ. The strength of that partnership develops with practice. And this practice, like other practices, can be a team effort. Shiflett highlights how disciplines practiced in community with conversation, questioning, listening, and reflection shape our relationship to God, self, and others. Shiflett is a trustworthy and practical guide. Working from hands-on experience she provides step by step ways to practice spiritual transformation with others."

--Adele Calhoun, copastor of spiritual formation, Highrock, Arlington

"Over the years we've learned that spiritual development happens best in relationship-in communion with God together in community. So the focus of this book about encountering God together is exactly what we need in our day. We believe God is inviting leaders to live in divine fullness and others to enjoy this abundant refreshment together. We hope you'll let her very practical book guide you on that very fruitful journey."

"This is the best how-to resource I know for those who are responsible for guiding others into a deeper experience of the Christian life. The author gives practical step by step instructions on how to lead others (and even yourself) in over thirty spiritual practices in multiple settings and age groups. The book can be used in board meetings, staff meetings, worship services, small groups, children's, youth, and intergenerational ministries, camps, conferences, personal devotions, or even around the dinner table!"

About the Author

Diana Shiflett is ordained in the Evangelical Covenant church. She is an adjunct professor of youth ministry at North Park University, and a certified spiritual director. She has a master's degree in clinical psychology from Wheaton College.