In addition to worship, there are a variety of spiritual disciplines which help us to develop a closer relationship with God, and an understanding of how Christ is working through us. Prayer and study, retreats and gatherings, times of silence and times of activity, are all needed at one time or another in our spiritual development and growth.
United Church of Christ Marriage Encounters are offered regularly in the St. Louis area. It's a chance for couples to get away from jobs, kids, chores, and phones for 44 hours and focus only on each married other. The focus is on building greater depth, growth, and enrichment in your relationship. For on-line information and the national schedule, click on the UCC Marriage Encounter symbol:
Bethel Church provides a variety of devotional materials
for use in private prayer and meditation. These are available at
the entrances to the sanctuary. For an on-line version of today's
Upper Room daily devotional reading, click here: 
A Spiritual Gifts Inventory is a good way to begin or renew the process of exploring how God has gifted every believer. The Inventory is intended to help us discover gifts that bring us personal fulfillment and glorify the One who gifted us. Click here to go to Spiritual Gifts Inventory.
A variety of retreats are offered through Bethel
Church and Illinois South Conference, ranging from silent
contemplative retreats to workshop-style meetings on spiritual
growth issues. Also, the St. Louis area and nearby States have
several outstanding retreat centers
which can accomodate small groups and individuals. Some of these
centers offer spiritual direction, others offer accomodations for
self-directed retreats. Pastor Carol can help you find local
opportunities for retreat or spiritual guidance.
Theological study and reflection are an important
spiritual discipline, which help us to explain what is
experienced firsthand in our corporate and individual
relationships with God. Local opportunities are described below.
Those who want to sample some of the better serious theological offerings on-line might start with the Christian Theology Web Site. Or you may want to check a very comprehensive index of web sites related to the Holy Spirit.
Disappointed with the selection carried by the
Christian bookstore at the mall? Having trouble finding a Bible
other than the few translations carried by commercial bookstores?
There are a couple local alternatives, and an on-line
alternative. Try the Eden Seminary bookstore in Webster Groves or
the Cokesbury bookstore at 11781 Manchester Road in Des Peres. If
you'd rather not drive, try Cokesbury
Bookstore On-Line. You can do an on-line search of their
catalog and order books and materials on line. The Eden Seminary
bookstore will also be going on-line soon.
Cahokia is a short drive from Eden
Seminary in Webster Groves, Missouri. Eden has an outstanding
theological library, and the seminary offers seminars and
workshops for laypersons, church leaders, and pastors.
He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8
Jesus and the prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures are insistent that we observe not only personal righteousness, but that we promote justice and compassion for others in the society at large. Work in this area is truly a spiritual discipline. It is so countercultural and so difficult that we must stay in close relationship with God, to maintain perspective.
Bethel Church provides many opportunities for service and social action. Even more
opportunities are available through missions of the church in the
St. Louis region and of the United Church of Christ nationally.
The UCC denomination has a history of taking its prophetic role
seriously, and raising justice issues
in an uncompromising and straightforward manner. Many members
find their own ways of influencing and molding society, applying
their talents and looking to the church for encouragement and
support.
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