Cultivate Communities that Discern the Will of God

Many Christian communities long for deeper spiritual growth but find themselves stuck, not knowing how to move forward together. If you are a leader seeking to guide your community toward genuine, God-centered transformation, this book provides the vision and tools you need.

In Leading a Transforming Community, spiritual formation expert Ruth Haley Barton shares insights from over twenty-five years of guiding leaders through the Transforming Center. She casts a compelling vision for what is possible when a community gathers around the presence of Christ with the shared goal of spiritual transformation.

This seminal work is an essential resource for pastors, small group leaders, and leaders of all Christian communities who believe that change and transformation should be the norm, not the exception.

Leading a Transforming Community will equip you and your team with



- Biblical and theological foundations for spiritual transformation in community;

- Shared attitudes, practices, and experiences to do together as a group;

- Real-life examples and stories from fellow leaders; and

- Practical, intentional strategies for opening to God as a community.



This book shows how spiritual transformation is central to the message of the gospel and the mission of the church. With Leading a Transforming Community, learn to cultivate a community of spiritual transformation that discerns and does the will of God together, and in turn empowers others to do the same.



Ruth Haley Barton (DD, Northern Seminary) is founder of the Transforming Center, a ministry dedicated to strengthening the souls of pastors, leaders, and the communities they serve. Trained at the Shalem Institute and the Loyola University ChicagoInstitute of Pastoral Studies, she is a seasoned spiritual director, teacher, and retreat leader who has served on the pastoral staff of several churches. Ruth is the author of numerous books on the spiritual life, including Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership, Invitation to Solitude and Silence, Sacred Rhythms, and Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest.



1. Longing for More in Community



Part 1: Foundations: From Desire to Intention

2. Arranging Our Lives Together for Spiritual Transformation

3. Beliefs that Shape the Soul: Biblical and Theological Foundations

4. Christ Formed in Us: Love in a Cruciform Shape



Part 2: Solitude: Our Life Hidden with Christ in God

5. Solitude at the Heart of Transforming Community

6. With God in Our Bodies



Part 3: Community:Sustaining Us in the Mystery

7. Choosing to Walk Together

8. Transforming Worship: Opening to God Together

9. Working with Stages of Faith in the Family of God



Part 4: Mission: In God for the World

10. For the Sake of Others: Generosity and Giving

11. Practicing Forbearance and Forgiveness

12. Justice: Learning to Love what God Loves



Conclusion: Discerning a Transforming Way of Life in Community

Epilogue: The Questions We'reWilling to Ask Ourselves

Appendix A: Biblical Framework for Honoring the Body as a Spiritual Practice

Appendix B: On the Road to Becoming a Transforming Community: Church Readiness Assessment

Appendix C: Transforming Center Values and Practices