The Christian Life Program (CLP) What is the CLP of CFC Singles for Christ?

What is the Christian Life Program (CLP)?

The CLP is an integrated course intended to lead the program participants into a renewed understanding of God's call to them as Christians. It runs for a total of 13 separate sessions, usually held once a wee . !ost sessions consist of three "asic ingredients# a teaching, a group discussion, and a time for fellowship. $ach session would normally last for a"out % 1&% hours.

What are the goals of the CLP?

The CLP has two "asic purposes# e'angelism and spiritual renewal. To e'angeli(e is to ta e the "asic message of Christianity and to proclaim it anew so that those who hear it can ma e a renewed commitment to the Lord in a way which will allow them to recei'e a fuller e)perience of the wor of the *oly +pirit in their li'es. +piritual renewal wor s in three ways# 1. ,or the indi'idual, it "rings a person into a stronger relationship with God "y disco'ering and li'ing more fully the power and gifts he or she recei'ed through the *oly +pirit. %. ,or the family, it "rings singles to a renewed commitment to Christian family Life. 3. ,or the Church, it "rings young men and women within a particular parish to a fuller e)perience of life in the +pirit. Conse-uently it strengthens and re'itali(es community life in the parish.

What is the content of the CLP?

The CLP runs for a total of 13 consecuti'e sessions usually held wee ly, di'ided into an orientation session and then 3 modules of . sessions each. The topics of the 1% sessions are# !odule /o. 1# T*$ 01+IC T23T*+ 1043T C*2I+TI1/IT5 1. %. 3. .. God's Lo'e 6ho is 7esus Christ8 6hat it means to "e a Christian 2epentance and ,aith

!odule /o. %# T*$ 13T*$/TIC C*2I+TI1/ LI,$ 9. The Christian Ideal# Lo'ing God :. Lo'ing 5our /eigh"or

;. The Christian ,amily <. Life in the *oly +pirit !odule /o. 3# LI=I/G 1 +PI2IT>,ILL$? C*2I+TI1/ LI,$ @. 2ecei'ing the Power of the *oly +pirit 1A. Growing in the +pirit 11. The Life and !ission of the Couples of Christ 1%. Transformation in Christ

What is the content of each of the above teachings?

GOD S LO!"# spea s a"out God's wanting to "ring us out of the confusion and disorder that is "eing e)perienced in the modern world, and to "ring us all "ac to *imself, to restore our fellowship and intimacy with *im. There is something seriously wrong with the situation of the world today, and "ehind most of the disorder and e'il is +atan. 4nly God can "ring us out of this, and *e has done it "y sending *is own +on, 7esus Christ, into the world to suffer and die for us. +al'ation has come to us in 7esus. 2eali(ing the a"solute importance of this person 7esus Christ in our sal'ation from sin and +atan and our return to God, we naturally would want to now more a"out *im. 1nd so we as the -uestion, $W%O &S '"S(S C%)&ST?$. 0eing Christians, we Bust naturally ta e for granted our con'iction that 7esus is the +on of God. 0ut is he really worth paying attention to8 +houldn't he "e on the same le'el as 0uddha, Confucius, !ohammed, +ocrates, or other wise men or moral teachers8 7esus was uni-ue and has had a greater impact on the course of human e'ents more than any other person. 0ut what really set him apart was his claim to "e God, which none of the other founders of great world religions e'er claimed. 6ith this claim, we can only loo upon him as either a liar, a lunatic or in fact the Lord. If we come away with the con'iction that 7esus is indeed Lord, then we are confronted with his life and his words which demand a response from us. If we as Christians are to carry his name, then we need to li'e in a way that ac nowledges his lordship o'er us. 1nd so we want to learn W%*T &T +"*,S TO -" * C%)&ST&*,# . This tal first dispels misconceptions or wrong notions a"out Christianity. It points out what it is not. Then it shows that the essence of Christianity is union with God, made possi"le through the death and resurrection of 7esus Christ. 6hat ma es us Christian is our lo'ing, personal relationship with God, and our whole life "ecomes an e)pression of this relationship. God has lo'ed us. God sent *is +on to die for us. *e has gathered us unto *imself as *is people. Christianity is something that God has initiated, unilaterally and unreser'edly. In the light of all these, our proper response is )"P",T*,C" *,D F*&T%#. 1nd this is a dou"le>action response. 2epentance and faith go together. 2epentance in'ol'es a turning away from sin, wrongdoing and running our own li'es, and a turning to a life of o"edience to God. ,aith, in turn, is "elief in 7esus as our personal +a'ior. The a"o'e four tal s form the first module of the CLP, and has presented the a"solute "asics of Christian life. It is "asically Christian theology. The ne)t module, consisting of

another four sessions, presents the ind of life that God calls us to. It spells out the personal response in'ol'ed in recei'ing 7esus as Lord and +a'ior and helps couples to ma e a reorientation of their li'es around 7esus. The second module starts out with a tal on T%" C%)&ST&*, &D"*L. LO!&,G GOD#. It is an e)planation of the first and greatest commandment. It e)plains in detail what it really means to lo'e God a"o'e all with all our heart, with all our mind and with all our strength. The ne)t tal deals with LO!&,G /O() ,"&G%-O)#, which, together with lo'ing God, forms the core of the Christian life. The tal contrasts God's lo'e with the world's idea of lo'e. Lo'e is not only ha'ing positi'e feelings, not always saying CyesC, not "eing defensi'e, not self>see ing or manipulati'e. 2ather, Christian lo'e is connected with eeping God's commandments and means a self>sacrificial lo'e, "est e)emplified "y 7esus himself. 4n the practical le'el, Christian lo'e means ser'ice lo'e. It is committed ser'ice to our fellow men. 0eing a family>oriented ministry, we then ha'e a tal on T%" C%)&ST&*, F*+&L/#. *ere the importance of the family in God's plan is stressed. The family is intended "y God to "e the "asic unit of society, and as such, it is to "e a place for teaching and training children and also the place for training leaders. 0ut God's plan for our families is not happening, "ecause God has lost *is central place in the family, "ecause the family itself is losing its importance, "ecause of the fast life, and finally "ecause the family is under attac "y e'il forces. The tal ends with practical ad'ice on what can "e done to "uild up a strong Christian family. ,inally, after learning what this new life that we are called to really means>>lo'e of God, lo'e of neigh"or, "uilding a Christian family>>we loo at the one ingredient that ma es it all possi"le. 1nd that is the power from a"o'e which ena"les us to li'e a L&F" &, T%" %OL/ SP&)&T#. True Christian li'ing is not Bust a matter of human will power "ut a new heart, a new life from God. The *oly +pirit ena"les us to e)perience God, a li'ing relationship with *im and *is action in our li'es. 6ith the *oly +pirit, men again e)perience union with God and gain a new nature, spiritual power and power to ser'e. The third and final module helps the couples to commit their li'es in a serious way to 7esus Christ. 1nd first of all this in'ol'es )"C"&!&,G T%" POW") OF T%" %OL/ SP&)&T#. This first session of the third module is essentially a prayer session where the participants are prayed with for the outpouring of the *oly +pirit in their li'es. +ome would term it the "aptism in the *oly +pirit. Then, recogni(ing that the "aptism in the *oly +pirit is only a "eginning, there is a need to learn more a"out how to grow in the life of the +pirit. Thus the participants are taught the "asic means for G)OW&,G &, T%" SP&)&T#. 1nd the four "asic tools for growth are prayer, study, ser'ice and fellowship. ,ellowship refers to almost e'erything that Christians do together as a "ody. It is the concreti(ation of the spiritual reality that we "elong to the same family. 6e do not "ecome complete Christians "y oursel'es. 1nd here we come to the need for coming together with other committed Christians and their families for mutual support and encouragement. *ere is presented T%" L&F" *,D +&SS&O, OF T%" CFC S&,GL"S FO) C%)&ST#. It gi'es the history of C,C +ingles for Christ D+,CE, its statements of

!ission and Philosophy, and a description of how support for Christian life is carried out. 1n in'itation to consider and pray a"out Boining +,C is issued. ,inally, the last session wraps up the whole Christian Life Program which has started the process of T)*,SFO)+*T&O, &, C%)&ST#. The participants are encouraged to perse'ere and li'e out acti'ely the new life in the power of the *oly +pirit. 1nd though the CLP has come to an end, the new life is Bust "eginning. In order to grow, much more is needed. There is a need to learn more a"out the Christian life. There is a need for the strength and support of others. There is a need for a situation in which single men and women can learn how to ser'e the Lord. Thus the singles are in'ited to Boin C,C +I/GL$+ ,42 C*2I+T. ,or those who ha'e decided to do so, they ma e their commitment to +,C and are welcomed into the "ody.