2023 Evangel Gathering - Friendship and Flourishing for Missions

74 • 2023 E vangel G athering • S acred R oots T hriving in M inistry : F riendship and F lourishing for M issions

A ppendix 4 Glossary of Terms for Sacred Roots Evangel Gathering

1. Scripture Engagement. Scripture Engagement is the process whereby people are connected with the Bible such that they have meaningful encounters with Jesus Christ and their lives are progressively transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit. 2. Soul Work. “Soul work” is the personal work of watering, weeding, pruning, and fertilizing the garden of one’s own soul. Jesus often used metaphors from the medical and agricultural professions when describing this “soul work” to which he called his disciples. 3. Soul Care. Soul care is the pastoral work of nurturing growth in another’s friendship with God. Like a doctor for souls, or a farmer caring for an orchard of fruit trees, congregational leaders can learn much about caring for souls by apprenticing ourselves to the wisdom of the great doctors of the church from previous generations. 4. Apprenticeship. Apprenticeship provides a system for training a new generation of practitioners in a trade or profession with on-the job training and often includes accompanying study (cohort work and reading). 5. Sacred Roots Study Group. A Sacred Roots Study Group is a group of students who work through a curriculum together to achieve particular learning objectives together. Study groups provide a richness to the learning process due to the multiple perspectives offered by the participants. A Sacred Roots Study Group consists of congregational leaders who are learning together under the guidance of a local mentor, a contemporary mentor, and an ancient mentor. 6. Spiritual Classic. A spiritual classic is a non-canonical text that has proven helpful in addressing perennial pastoral problems (i.e. helpful for “curing souls”) across many cultures and over many centuries. 7. Sacred Roots Spiritual Classics. The Sacred Roots Spiritual Classics (SRSC) are a collection of sixteen spiritual classics divided into four subject areas: Biblical Studies, Theology and Ethics, Christian Ministry, and Global Mission. 8. Historical Mentor. Every generation of the church has produced gifted leaders, but some leaders have influenced not only their own generation, but every generation that has come after them. Christian leaders have continued to find these wise practitioners to be helpful mentors for soul work and soul care across many generations.