Description: God is alive and personal, but he is also spirit. So having a relationship with God is different than having a relationship with any other person. This study will help you discover how you can grow and nurture your relationship with the living God. You'll learn how to study the Bible as you examine and discuss topics such as Encountering God, Knowing God, Being Sure We Know God, Learning about God, Conversing with God, Worshiping God, Following God. Each chapter has three main sections: Group Study (materials for a sixty- to ninety-minute small-group Bible study); Study Resources (notes and comments for use in both group and personal study); Personal Study (a series of reflection questions for use by group members on their own during the week). Extra help is available at the end of the book in the sections The Art of Leadership (tips on how to lead a small group) and Small Group Leader's Guide (notes on each session).
Brief description: Richard Peace, PhD, holds the Robert Boyd Munger Chair as Professor of Evangelism and Spiritual Formation at Fuller Theological Seminary. He is the author of numerous books, including Noticing God.
Review Quotes: "What a gift to have Dick Peace as your trusted guide into the soul's geography of spiritual maturity and transformation. With his small group expertise and pastoral approach to formation, you will be well fed and nurtured as you work your way through each chapter. Let the Spirit empower your steps and be sure to enjoy the journey ahead."
--Stephen A. Macchia, Founder and President of Leadership Transformations, Director of the Pierce Center, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary; Author of Becoming a Healthy Church
"This valuable and practical guide combines Richard Peace's life-long study of how people grow in Christ with his vast experience of the dynamics of small groups. Peace's gentle and wise leadership assists others in discovering the process of transformation, or conformity to Christ, that is possible only through the Holy Spirit. I highly recommend this well-crafted study for any who desire to experience the fullness of the Christian life."
--Tom Schwanda, Associate Professor of Christian Formation and Ministry, Wheaton College
"Spiritual Transformation is the book I have waited for since using Richard Peace's spiritual formation studies with a group that was left longing for more. They needed this final study in the series and it should come with a warning: Danger! Don't read unless you want deep change."
--Paul Jensen, Author of Subversive Spirituality; Affiliate Professor of Christian Spirituality, Fuller Theological Seminary; President and Founder, The Leadership Institute