The Name
The Way of Life Spiritual Development Center gets its name from the following scripture: Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one come to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).
Jesus is the answer, He is the way. When you know Jesus (the truth) you really have life. We believe Jesus is the way to a more meaningful life. Learning to be fruitful is one of the main goals of The Way of Life Spiritual Development Center.
Notice that the name is NOT "A" Way of Life. It is "The" Way of Life. There is a difference. "A" way could be any way, but "The" way is the only way.
The Dates
The Way of Life Spiritual Development Center met for the first time as a Christian community of faith on Tuesday, March 4, 1997 at 7:00 p.m. with 23 people in attendance. Additional classes, workshops, Bible study, small group sessions, seminars, retreats, prayer breakfasts, and worship services have been added since then.
The Place
The Way of Life Spiritual Development Center began meeting at The Virginia Inn, 5701 Chamberlayne Road, Richmond, VA 23227 until August 1998. The ministry moved into its own facility at The Batte Building, 3122 W. Marshall Street, Suite 217, Richmond, VA 23230 until March 2001. Then it moved into a bigger location in the same area at 2930 W. Broad Street, Suite 49, Richmond, VA 23230. On January 12, The Way of Life moved again to 3122 W. Marshall Street to an even bigger space in Suite 13.
The Polity
The Way of Life Spiritual Development Center is an ecumenical autonomous body of Christ.
The Purpose
The Way of Life Spiritual Development Center aims not to lure members from their own local churches but to enhance their knowledge of God and God's word. The Way of Life provides training beyond what is offered in the local churches.
The Way of Life is not focused on religion but on a personal ongoing relationship with God. The ministry has been carefully designed . . .
- To teach and to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ according to the Great Commission.
- To share Christ with as many people as possible as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit.
- To motivate all participants to experience a growing knowledge of God and community.
- To focus on helping individuals find their purpose for which they were created.
- To provide teaching and training activities for increased knowledge of the Bible.
- To teach, train, activate and encourage participants to use their spiritual gifts to glorify God and to edify others.
- To encourage personal intimacy with God.
- To motivate participants to have a personal involvement in helping to evangelize the world.
- To offer different avenues of becoming aware of God's presence such as contemplative prayer, journaling, life mapping, and sharing.
The Founder and Director
The Lord gave the idea of The Way of Life Spiritual Development Center at least three decades before it was actually founded by Rev. Margaret Minnicks. While in seminary, Rev. Minnicks designed the organization on paper during a directed study. All the details had to be finalized before the official birthday of March 4, 1997.
The Mission
The mission of The Way of Life Spiritual Development Center is to create a safe and loving environment where individuals will be able to learn the word of God in creative ways that will motivate them to become more intentional about living "The Way of Life" that God has planned for them.
The Vision
The vision of The Way of Life Spiritual Development Center is to accomplish its mission through the following avenues:
- A living Christian education program
- A dynamic evangelism focus
- A vibrant worship experience
- A meaningful sense of mission
- A bonding of participants and building of community through small group participation.
The Overview
The Way of Life Spiritual Development Center is an ecumenical autonomous body of believers who focus on Christian education as a means of enabling individuals to grow spiritually through the knowledge of the Bible, small group participation, contemplative prayer, journaling, life mapping, and sharing.
The Way of Life Spiritual Development Center shall not be considered "traditional." The format of the ministry lends itself to more contemporary methods of training. The music, worship, programs and activities center around individuals' needs more so than falling into a traditional pattern of rituals.
The Way of Live Spiritual Development Center is a vehicle to help people become empowered by having a personal relationship with God through small groups, personal prayer, Bible study, praise, singing and worship.
The Resources
The Way of Life Spiritual Development Center is to provide services and resources to help individuals grow and develop spiritually through the aid of printed materials and audio-visual aids. Individuals are encouraged to participate in the classes, workshops, seminars, and retreats.
The Way of Life Spiritual Development Center has a full-size library that serves as a resource center for the church and community. The library is equipped with printed and audio-visual resources. The books include commentaries, different versions of the Bible, preaching and teaching materials, small group printed guides and children and youth resources.
The Way of Life Spiritual Development Center has its own book ministry. Spiritual development books and tapes are available for purchase or rental at reasonable prices.
The Programs
The general goal of all programs and activities is to motivate individuals to be transformed by knowing God and being aware of God's presence as they become more intentional about their spiritual development.
The special goal of The Way of Life Spiritual Development Center is to provide workshops and seminars to make available to members and the public additional avenues to help with their spiritual development. Correspondence courses are available for those who have are unable to attend the on-site classes.
The Target Audience
The Way of Life Spiritual Development Center offers Christian education, training programs and activities for everyone including men, women, youth and children. The churched and the unchurched will benefit from this ministry. The following are some of the primary goals of The Way of Life Spiritual Development Center:
- To reach the unchurched
- To teach disenchanted church members
- To offer classes for Sunday School teachers and other educators
- To provide biblical courses for lay persons who prefer not to attend seminary
- To facilitate small groups to help individuals gain support while being accountable to others
- To establish a safe and loving environment where individuals will be able to gain biblical knowledge
- To provides classes for single adults
- To offer training to children and youth in the area of building self-esteem and personal effectiveness
- To offer parenting classes for teenage mothers
- To educate through various models of teaching without relying on traditional methods
- To motivate participants by using all models of teaching
- To put God first in our lives by taking care of our bodies by participating in Christian aerobics
The Beliefs - The Bible.The Bible is the inspired word of God's revelation by humankind.
- The Trinity. The Eternal Godhead is revealed as one God existing in three persons: God the Father, God, the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
- The Fall of Humankind.The creation, test and fall of humans as recorded in Genesis 1:26-27; one's total spiritual depravity and inability to attain divine righteousness.
- The Salvation of Humankind. Salvation of sinners is by grace, through repentance and faith in the perfect and sufficient work of the death of Jesus on the cross by which we have obtained remission of sins.
- The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. His Virgin Birth. His Sinless Life. His Miracles. His Substitutionary Death on the Cross. His Bodily Resurrection from the Dead. His Ascension to the Right Hand of God.
- The Ordinances of the Church. Water Baptism. Baptism is by immersion in water in order to fulfill the commandment of Jesus. Holy Communion. The Lord's Supper, consisting of the elements (bread and the fruit of the vine) is the symbolic expression of a memorial to the suffering and death of Jesus.
- The Baptism of the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is an experience subsequent to salvation.
- Spiritual Gifts. The operation of the gifts of the Spirit as enumerated in I Corinthians 12-14 and I Peter 4:10.
- Eternal Life. Eternal life (heaven) for believers and eternal punishment (hell) for unbelievers.
For more information, contact Rev. Margaret Minnicks at REVMJM@aol.com
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