2011 Sunday School Emphasis:

Teach...Emphasis on teaching spiritual disciplines - including prayer, fasting, stewardship, meditation and the Word

The method of delivering your Sunday School emphases through "Strategic Discipleship Methods and Ideas" has been created to give small and large churches flexibility in those methods and ideas most applicable to their local church. You will find dates and a general theme for each semi-annual emphasis, but the weekly focus will be of your choosing. The Strategic Discipleship Methods and Ideas are divided into ten categories, each of which could be a weekly focus for the current emphasis. If you have ideas to add to these categories, please Email them to sdmi@nazarene.org.

The upcoming emphasis - "Teach...Emphasis on Teaching Spiritual Disciplines" - is scheduled for March 13-April 17, 2011. Weekly emphases to consider include prayer, fasting, stewardship, meditation, and focusing on the Word.

Physical fitness is essential for a healthy body, yet there is a myriad of workout routines to consider. Do you want a cardio workout? What about toning your muscles? How about agility? The type of exercise regimen you choose will determine the outcome. If this is true of physical fitness, how much more essential is it to find habits that exercise the inner spirit?

Each spiritual discipline has specific outcomes for the soul, yet they all serve a common purpose. As Richard Foster says, "The purpose of the Disciplines is liberation from the stifling slavery to self-interest and fear. When the inner spirit is liberated from all that weighs it down, it can hardly be described as dull drudgery." Practicing spiritual disciplines is an invitation to embrace spiritual health and will nurture a life of joy!