Living Hope – Equipping Track

Personal Growth Review

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." Philippians 3:12

NAME:

DATE:

Introduction

All of us need to grow. Personal growth is a life-long process that never stops. All too often, however, people get ‘stuck', bogged down by a particular problem or set of circumstances, or reach the limit of their current understanding. This Personal Growth Review aims to help you assess your life, set some goals, and begin to move forward. It is based on the belief that all personal growth is spiritual growth. Therefore, it is not just concerned with church activities or developing spiritual disciplines, but touches all areas of life. It is God's desire to see each of us grow and develop to our fullest potential ("I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" John 10:10).

So how can we grow? By knowing where we have come from, by seeing where we are now, and by seeing where we need to develop. Growth can also be measured by ‘becoming responsible' in any particular area of life.

Please complete this review in your own time, then inform your Cell Leader so he or she can schedule a visit to go through the material with you. Please note: The Personal Growth Review always remains your property and should not be given or lent to anyone else. Complete as much of it as you can. If you do not wish to answer any particular question, simply leave it blank.

Section 1 – Equipping Track Progress

Enter the month and year you completed each section:

Month and Year	Section
	E3 Finding Life (A Study in John's Gospel)
	E4 Beginning with Christ
	E5 Following Christ (Key Principles for Christian Living)
	E6 Reaching Out
	E7 Knowing Christ (Key Christian Beliefs)
	E8 Leading a Cell Group
	E9 Coaching Cell Group Leaders

Section 2 – Basic Spiritual Habits

This section looks at your present progress in developing positive spiritual habits. God uses these habits to build Christ-like character within us. Answer the questions honestly, marking the option you achieve most consistently. Numbered options are progressive – higher numbers can give you some new goals to aim for.

(a) Praying

(i) How often do you pray?

(ii) How long do you spend in prayer on each occasion?

(b) Bible Reading and Study

(i) How often do you read the Bible?

(ii) How often do you study the Bible?

(iii) Do you ever make a special effort to apply the teachings of God's word to your own life?

Note: Fasting, giving up food for a time, helps us to seek God's will, to humble ourselves before him, and to seek special answers to prayer.

(i) Do you ever fast?

(ii) How long does your typical fast last?

(iii) What was your longest fast since your last Review?

(d) Fellowship

(i) How often do you spend time with fellow believers? (Not including members of your own family)

(e) Giving

(i) How often do you give?

(ii) In what ways do you give? (Check all that apply)

(f) Ministry – Service – Good Works

(i) In what ways are you involved in serving others? (Check all that apply)

(g) Outreach

(i) In what ways are you involved in reaching out to others with the gospel of Christ? (Check all that apply)

Section 3 – My Spiritual History

Use this section to record spiritually significant experience since your last Personal Growth Review. Include things like any ministry/service you've been involved in, any positions you've held within your group or church, any special training received, any life-events that have been of special significance to you (e.g. marriage, birth of children, deaths, new job, house move, major health issue, a special difficulty faced etc.). Include dates or time periods if you can, e.g. Prayer leader in cell group from May 2011. Continue on a separate sheet if necessary.

If this is your first Personal Growth Review, try to outline the major highlights of your spiritual history up till now. Include things like:

Reflection

In 1 or 2 sentences describe how you feel about what you've written above. How do you currently feel towards God?

Section 4 – Relationships

Relationships are the foundation of life. Relationships with one another, and relationship with God. The quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives. The whole point of the gospel message is reconciliation through Christ, first between man and God, then between man and man (see Colossians 1:19-20; Ephesians 2:14-16).

For the gospel message to be any advantage to us at all, we must apply it to our relationships. God's principles for relationships, even when they seem the very opposite of our natural thinking, are the ones that work – he is the designer of life; he is the Creator. This section looks at your relationships in the light of some of these principles.

Close Relationships

Some of God's Principles for Effective Relationships

Other Relationships

Section 5 – Christ-like Character

Character could be defined as your collection of personal qualities, based on the values you believe in, that define the way you habitually behave. Character can be described as ‘good' or ‘bad' and it can grow, becoming better or worse over time. Character growth is strongly influenced by the company we keep and the values we hold to. The Bible refers to character growth in various ways: Being conformed to the likeness of Christ; growing in godliness; being made holy. Whichever way we describe it, being transformed into the likeness of Christ is one of God's key purposes for every believer.

"…put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:24)

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory…" (2 Corinthians 3:18)

"…train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."

Instructions: Rate yourself from 1 to 10 for each character trait,

1 = very poor, 10 = excellent. Get a trusted friend to rate you independently. Cover up each other's ratings so you don't influence each other.

The Character of Jesus

…is honest and truthful, a man of integrity. (John 18:37; Matthew 22:16; Revelation 3:7)

Section 6 – Work

From the very beginning God designed mankind to work (Genesis 2:15). Work forms a major part of our lives. And God, in his word, has provided guidance to help us in our approach to work.

Section 7 – My Goals

Having assessed your spiritual habits, recent history, relationships, character development and work situation, the next step is to set some development goals. Ask the Lord to guide you through this process. Your answers in the previous sections will give you some pointers.