Christian Formation

Abide

Abide means to dwell, to live with. By grace through faith in Jesus Christ, we are inseparably united with Christ and called to a life-long journey of growing in Him.

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

Christian Formation

Christian formation cultivates an abiding life in Christ by participating in the work of God’s free grace. It is the path of discipleship whereby we are renewed in our whole person—heart, mind, body, and soul—to become more like Jesus Christ, the true image of God, and are empowered to turn more and more away from sin, and live more fully to the glory of God. The work of Christian formation in the life of the church is built on the conviction that all of God’s people are called to abide in Christ and to bear fruit in lives characterized by maturing faith, hope, and love.

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (2 Peter 3:18)

Christian Formation Vision

Our hope for the people of Park Cities Presbyterian Church is that through their time in this community their lives will abide more deeply in Christ, so that their minds are filled with the truth and beauty of Christ, their hearts are captivated by the love of God, and their lives joyfully extend, in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, the transforming presence of the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ in Dallas and to the world.

Essential Paths to Christian Formation

Believing
We seek to know and love God by growing in understanding of the Bible and truths for life collected in faithful doctrine.

Bible | Doctrine

Praying
We seek to receive and rest in Christ alone, listening and speaking to God as beloved children, by the help of His Spirit, captivated by the love of God, turning away from sin and turning to life in Jesus.

Prayer | Renewal

Extending
We seek to cultivate a spirit of glad generosity, extending the transforming presence of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ in word and way of life.

Generosity | Evangelism

Courses

Courses engage in the essential paths to Christian Formation through large group lectures, personal study, and reflection.

Bible
Learn to understand the Bible with Christ at the center, growing in love for God, with the desire to know, trust, and keep His Word.

Doctrine
Grow in faith, hope, and love by studying the living faith passed on from one generation to another, collected in enduring truths rooted in the Word of God.

Prayer
Cultivate a practice of listening and speaking with God as a beloved child, learning to pray as Jesus taught us to pray.

Renewal
Experience the transforming power of the Gospel, discerning destructive patterns of thinking, acting, and feeling and turning to the life-giving presence of Christ.

Generosity
Enrich the qualities of generosity grounded in the grace of God, building habits of love for serving Christ and His Kingdom with gratitude and joy.

Evangelism
Deepen a knowledge of the Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, building confidence and winsomeness to demonstrate and tell the saving power of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Cohorts

“Cohort” comes from the word “co,” meaning with or together, and the Latin “hortus,” meaning garden. The Christian Formation Cohort seeks to become a kind of communal “garden” for the transforming presence of Jesus to extend deep into the heart and wide into the world.

Content
The cohort follows a consistent and focused path of study, instruction, and practice over the course of 9 months to cultivate an abiding life in Christ. The content consists of the essential paths to Christian Formation in the context of a learning community.

Who is it for?
The Christian Formation Cohort is for any Christian with a willingness to learn and to commit to the formative practices for the duration of the program.

Distinctives
- A consistent and focused curriculum of essential paths to Christian formation
- A small community of committed persons growing in Christian friendship
- Weekly teaching from PCPC pastors and teachers
- Regular cohort-based conversation on readings and reflection
- Engagement with life-giving practices
- A spiritual retreat for prayer and personal renewal
- Access to personal mentoring and care with pastors, elders, and maturing Christians