Our Mental Model

By Angela Raley

Our Mental Model

The mental model* below reflects our understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Said in different words, it reflects what we believe it means to live a fully human, fully alive life. There are three elements in the mental model:

  • A follower of Jesus is committed to living a life of radical obedience and alignment to the Jesus way. We believe that the way of Jesus results in our living a life on mission with God.
  • A follower of Jesus is committed to participating in an authentic community that develops around and sustains a shared vision. We learn best in community with others.
  • A follower of Jesus is committed to living a reflective life that develops intimacy with God, so that his or her word increasingly co-creates with God the world that God intends. Intentional reflection is a key to experiencing God.

Notice that each of these elements is interconnected. None of them is independent from the others. None of them is more important than the others. They all interact and create a wholeness that is greater than the parts. You will find this mental model reflected throughout the Faithwalking process.

*According to author and lecturer Peter M. Senge, mental models are conceptual frameworks consisting of generalizations and assumptions from which we understand the world and take action in it. 

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