WESTMONT NEWS
Encouraging Christians to Grow Up in Christ
Why are Christians failing to develop spiritually and morally? Westmont’s Martin Institute for Christianity and Culture raised this question at its inaugural Christian formation workshop on campus in May.
More than 120 Christian scholars and leaders attended the colloquium, “A Crisis Among Us: The Problem of Christian Immaturity.” Steve Porter, Martin Institute senior research fellow and executive director, and Rebecca DeYoung, Martin Institute senior fellow and Calvin University professor of philosophy, organized the event.
The workshop sought to build trusted partnerships between scholars and ministry leaders focused on both education and application. “The deepening maturity of God’s people lies at the heart of the Gospel and Christian witness to the world,” Porter says. “This Spirit-led effort aimed to accurately diagnose and help remedy the problem of Christian immaturity.”
Nijay Gupta, a New Testament theologian from Northern Seminary, spoke about his paper, “To Be a Christian Grownup: Formation as a Goal, Not Just a Practice,” which examines the threat posed by Christian immaturity. “The sobering reality is that we, American evangelicals, have too often made Christianity into a status: Are you saved? Are you born again? Do you go to church? Are you going to heaven?” he said. “If faith is just a circle of inclusion, ‘Are you in or are you out?’ then growth is just a buzz word without real meaning or purpose. Scripture’s focus is not just on getting saved, but on growing up into a final, tangible form, namely the model of Jesus Christ.”
“If faith is just a circle of inclusion, ‘Are you in or are you out?”
“It’s hard to think of a more urgently needed assignment than gathering the best church thinkers to work on the greatest wisdom for spiritual and character formation available,” said author and pastor John Ortberg. “The Martin Institute’s Christian Formation Workshop took the most effective step in that direction I know. The world and the church would benefit enormously if it can grow and deepen.”
“Words are inadequate to express the timely importance and success of the workshop,” said Miriam Dixon, member of the Renovaré Board of Directors and teacher for the Renovaré Institute. “The gathering featured the thoughtful insight of prominent scholars who endeavored to explore both how we got to where we are and how best to respond. When the workshop concluded, the pastors and ministry leaders left for home encouraged and eager to apply what they received.”
Six follow-up grants will allow workshop participants to continue the collaborative spirit and further the goal of refining and applying knowledge of spiritual change to promote Christian formation and witness. Next year’s workshop addresses the theme “Theories of Divine Transformation: Understanding How God Changes Lives.”
The Martin Institute and the Dallas Willard Research Center honored Michael Stewart Robb for his book “The Kingdom Among Us: The Gospel According to Dallas Willard.” Robb accepted the 2023 book award and spoke in chapel in September. The previous day, he discussed key themes from the book in a Provost’s Lecture, “Dallas Willard and Rational Spirituality: Claiming the Depth and Power of Protestant Spiritual Life.” A Christian educator, theologian and founding director of Sanctus: A European Institute for Theology and Spiritual Formation, Robb canceled his talk in February 2024 when a large storm triggered evacuation alerts and school closures in Santa Barbara County.
Brandon Rickabaugh and J.P. Moreland won the 2024 Willard book award for “The Substance of Consciousness: A Comprehensive Defense of Contemporary Substance Dualism.” They both spoke about the book on campus January 15, 2025.