Overview

Shun self-help in favour of spiritual-help and become the other-focussed disciple that Jesus is inviting you to be in this accessible and practical book. In recent years, the Church in the West has witnessed a growing hunger to engage in spiritual disciplines that help us become more like Jesus. And yet, if our practices cause us to look inwards without looking outwards, then we can unwittingly distance ourselves from him instead. Jesus was inherently other-focussed, and in this immensely practical book, Kate Pocklington invites us to explore why being formed by the Spirit is only half of the picture. We are formed by the Spirit, formed through our experiences with others and formed for the sake of God's mission in the world. Together we will see how God - the grand recycler - wants to use every part of our past and personality to shape us into other-focussed people.

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9780281090402

Table of Contents

Reviews

"Using Kate’s illustration of Michelangelo’s statue of David, marble can often be cold, sterile and solid. In contrast, Shaped by the Spirit leads the reader to recognise the Holy Spirit’s work as warm, productive and fluid. Some books on the Spirit’s work can be academic, theoretical and speculative. Here, Kate touches the soul as she considers what it is to be formed and transformed by the Spirit’s work, in often-compartmentalised areas of life. Helpful, reflective and challenging questions are given in Parts 2 and 3. This is a book to be savoured, contemplated and read slowly. -- Revd Richard Coombs, Chair of Belgrave Heights Convention, Melbourne Unlike many authors, Kate does not just theorise. She applies sound principles and invites us to follow her example of submitting to Jesus. Courageously, she repeatedly steps off the ""expert pedestal"" by vulnerably sharing her weaknesses, doubts and failures. -- Dr Omar Djoeandy MBBS, speaker, consultant, author of Redefining Success According to Jesus and former National Director of SIM Australia Spiritual formation lies at the heart of the Christian worldview, yet often becomes the caboose instead of the engine. In this book, Kate provides a thoughtful framework for understanding the pull of the Spirit towards a spirituality that arises from Scripture, life testing and purposeful development. -- Ted Esler PhD, President, Missio Nexus Shaped by the Spirit is a fresh wind blowing into a familiar topic. Forming people into the image of Christ is at the core of the mission of God, and Kate diligently mines Scripture and literature to bring a unique perspective. I was personally challenged and encouraged as I read and reflected. Her questions at the end of each chapter alone are worth the book’s price, but there is much more value in these pages. I highly recommend this book for personal formation as well as for those who are seeking to develop others. -- T. J. MacLeslie, author of Designed for Relationship In an age of great uncertainty and increasingly manic attempts to keep pace, Shaped by the Spirit speaks to us in the midst of the storm with that powerful ""gentle whisper"" (1 Kings 19:12 nlt). The beautifully crafted prose invites us to pause and consider the multifaceted ways we are formed, ultimately for God’s purposes. This is a well-grounded book on spiritual formation, good for individual reflection but even better for helping groups of people understand one another at a much deeper level. With it we can dive into our inner worlds, discover a Spirit-filled image of God there, and take that forth with ever-increasing Christlikeness into the wider world, confident in our collective vision for blessing the nations. -- Dr Jay Matenga, Executive Director, WEA Mission Commission Kate brings a fresh vision of spiritual formation. She weaves together biblical teaching with significant contributions from a broad group of thoughtful scholars and practitioners. Then she consistently illustrates the insights with her own global experiences and those of Jesus’ followers worldwide. Kate models the art of listening to people with sincere respect. Discerning the work of the Spirit through those conversations, she shares the insights to expand our understanding of the nature of being formed. Kate has given us a great resource to help us as outward-focused people. -- Douglas McConnell PhD, Provost Emeritus and Senior Professor of Leadership and Intercultural Studies, Fuller Theological Seminary Kate invites us to pause and ponder, examining how God shapes us – not as a navel-gazing exercise, but one that helps us to be outward focused as we share God’s love with others. Her intertwining of various strands weaves together a Spirit-breathed creation that will challenge and inspire. I pray the Spirit uses her words as he shapes and forms you. -- Amy Boucher Pye, Spiritual Director and author of Transforming Love The Spirit’s work in shaping us into Christlikeness is often perceived as hidden and mysterious. In this compelling and practical book, Kate opens our eyes to see his transformative power so vividly in our distinct life narratives. She vulnerably shares stories and theological insights, and asks thought-provoking questions throughout. I am challenged by the prayerful posture necessary to yield to the Spirit’s work in our continual forming and filling, and for the sake of pouring out again. A must-read for anyone desiring a greater awareness of the Spirit’s work in shaping them for a purpose beyond themselves. -- Kaye Redman, artist and creative educator This is a beautifully written book! It is packed with much-needed, gentle wisdom for all of us who long to be more profoundly shaped by the Spirit. I found myself lingering over each page, feeling alternately encouraged and quietly convicted – at a time when I had been experiencing my own time of spiritual weariness. It was exactly what I needed, perhaps, in no small part, due to Kate’s close walk with Jesus, her love of the word, and her missional heart. May the Lord use this book for all his wonderful, redemptive purposes in the world. -- Naomi Reed, speaker and author of My Seventh Monsoon, Heading Home, Finding Faith and A Time to Hope As leaders engaging with ministers of the gospel who live and serve in some of the most challenging places in the world, one of our aims is to help our gospel workers grow in resilience. The reality is that we very quickly reach the end of our natural talent, reserves, wisdom and strength in ministry at one time or another. We need to know how to tap into the strength and resource that is born of the Spirit. Whether we serve at home or overseas, the journey towards a more empowered spiritual life requires us to experience what it is to walk in the Spirit, pray in the Spirit, be led by the Spirit, and be attentive to the voice of the Spirit. We are formed by the Spirit for God’s mission in the world, and it is transformed people who become a transforming presence in the world. Shaped by the Spirit is a timely reminder of the importance of the Holy Spirit in our faith journey. -- Dr Mark Syn, International Director, Pioneers This book literally sings with the life of someone who delights in and loves Jesus, and continues to be formed in his image. It is not so much an academic writing on spiritual disciplines to deepen your life in Christ; rather, it is a long poem witnessing Kate’s life formed in Christ, and the very clear and helpful ways this formation takes place. Reading the pages of her lived experiences, linked with the sacred Scriptures and searing questions, I am prodded and prompted to deepen my own life in Christ, and to mirror the purity with which she enjoys the blessed Trinity’s presence. What a gift to read such a deeply personal, yet wholly applicable, template for our enduring formation in Jesus and the inevitable call to mission that follows such a depth of personal abandonment in him. -- Revd Dr Gayle Hill, former Mission Catalyst Leader, Baptist Union of Victoria, and Interim Pastor, West Melbourne Baptist Church Please go ahead and read Shaped by the Spirit if you want your world to be redefined by the Spirit. Read it against your lived experience with the anticipation of gaining a new perspective on God’s work in and through your life. Being a friend of Dr Kate Pocklington and serving as Senior Pastor in her home church, I can hear her life speaking aloud through the pages of this book with depth and a sense of God’s presence. May you share in a more profound friendship and fellowship with God the Spirit through reading this book. -- Revd Jun Tan, Senior Pastor, Balwyn Baptist Church In the discipleship of my youth, we were told not to be conformed to this world (Romans 12). Yet no one talked about how we were to be formed. ‘Many of us have not paid nearly enough attention to what has formed and shaped us. In this practical and personal account, Kate guides the reader through various dimensions of how we have been formed, and the ways the gentle grace of God’s Spirit wants to form us anew, for the purposes of God. I recommend this thoughtful and inspiring volume to all those who desire to know the transforming work of God in their lives. -- Jude Tiersma Watson, InnerChange Los Angeles, Senior Associate Professor of Urban Mission at Fuller Theological Seminary I have enjoyed the rich privilege of learning from Kate Pocklington in the journey that has led to this book. Kate’s doctoral research explored the spiritual lives of West African mission leaders, and we sat in awe at the deep prayerfulness of our African sisters and brothers in Christ. Kate has drunk deeply from the spiritual well of world Christianity, and has brought these lessons into her own formation and the formation of others. Shaped by the Spirit blesses us with all that she has learned. We are fruitful in mission only as we abide in the Lord Jesus. -- Revd Dr David Williams, Director of Training and Development at St Andrew’s Hall, CMS Australia Kate Pocklington’s new book, Shaped by the Spirit, is a much needed how-to guide to spiritual formation – not merely for personal growth, but so a person can be equipped on an ongoing basis to fulfil the Great Commission by becoming more Christlike. This book is creative, beautifully written and timely, for in dark days when the world is suffering from war, pestilence, disease and famine, and death is stalking so many lands, this book gives us hope and assurance that God’s yes to life is louder than death’s no. Highly recommended. -- Ben Witherington III, Amos Professor of New Testament for Doctoral Studies, Asbury Theological Seminary"

Author Information

Kate Pocklington is a part of the Pioneers Oceania Regional Leadership team, overseeing Leadership Development and Mission Formation. Prior to this she was the Training and Development Team Leader for Pioneers of Australia, led a cross-cultural training program called Transition Training for Missions Interlink and completed a doctorate, entitled The Role of Prayer in Mission Formation: From Africa to Australia, through Fuller Seminary. Kate grew up in the Philippines, studied in the States, served in India for eight years and now lives in Australia.

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