Frequently Asked Questions

Disciples on Mission

In every age the Lord calls men and women to follow him, to put aside concern for their own lives, and, trusting fully in his grace, to give themselves generously in his service. We have heard the call of God, a call to serve him and his people in this time, a time of trial and challenge for the Christian people, a time when he is pouring out his Spirit to renew, restore and unify his people.

He has addressed us as “The Sword of the Spirit.” This name signifies our role as a missionary body witnessing to and proclaiming the word of God in this age of spiritual warfare. In response to this call, we have formed an international, ecumenical association so that we might more effectively come together from many nations, cultures and Christian traditions. We are to be covenanted to the Lord and one another in local communities and in an international community of communities so that we might fulfill the mission he has given us.

The Sword of the Spirit stands and works for a number goals:

1. To help people commit their lives fully to Jesus Christ and become mature Christians.

2. To help people experience the presence and power of the Holy Spirit so they may live and serve in a spiritually effective way.

3. To foster love and worship of God and a life that is lived for His glory.

4. To form loving, personal relationships that support an ongoing Christian life.

5. To develop a way of life where the Gospel can be lived fully.

6. To do the work of evangelization—to help other people come to know Jesus Christ.

7. To proclaim and defend the Gospel.

8. To foster Christian unity through collaboration and cooperation among Christians from different traditions.

In addition, The Sword of the Spirit understands that it is called to be a bulwark. The dictionary defines a bulwark as a solid, wall-like structure built for protection and support. By building an International community of communities linked together in a common way of life and engaging a common mission, The Sword of the Spirit is a bulwark: a structure that provides protection, support, and defense in the face of modern challenges to the Christian way of life. By being part of a bulwark, members can better respond to those challenges in unified and life-giving ways.

Sword of the Spirit communities are not churches. Members of Sword of the Spirit communities belong to many different Christian churches. They remain active in their local parish or congregation. They live a common life in community that is complementary to and supportive of church membership. Some Sword of the Spirit communities are ecumenical: members attend churches from different Christian communions. Some Sword of the Spirit communities represent a single church communion. There are a number of Catholic communities in The Sword of the Spirit. There is also an Orthodox community in The Sword of the Spirit.

The word “ecumenical” is a Greek word meaning the whole of creation or the whole family. It is a word that implies all of the Christian people, regardless of the church communion to which they belong. We believe the Lord has called The Sword of the Spirit to be a special witness to ecumenical cooperation. Division and bad relating among Christians has been common for most of the last 2000 years. The issues that divide us are important, but so is the fact that we are brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. Members of The Sword of the Spirit, even members of single-communion communities, work to give witness to the unity that we already share in Jesus Christ.

We actively follow the guidelines given by our respective churches for how we can and should cooperate as brothers and sisters in Christ—while we wait and pray for greater Christian unity. We seek to live our Christian life in a way that will further the unity of God’s people, seeking to find a convergent way of expressing our Christian life in harmony with our church identity. It is encouraging that many leaders of our respective churches have been involved in an ongoing ecumenical dialogue, and have made progress towards greater unity and understanding.

Sword of the Spirit communities have a written document called a covenant that expresses what sort of people we hope to be in relation to the Lord and to one another. Members make a public promise to live out this covenant to the best of their ability. Member communities of The Sword of the Spirit write their own covenant, but each community covenant shares the basic elements of the core Sword of the Spirit covenant.

You may notice some different things about our prayer meetings and gatherings: people raise their hands, pray out loud, pray in a language that you (and they) do not understand, and every so often someone will read a Bible passage or say something he or she believes comes from the Lord. All of these things have been part of Christian worship since the Church was established, but they had, for the most part, fallen into disuse. In recent decades, the Charismatic Renewal has changed this for millions of Christians. Through this renewal, people have come to a more personal and tangible experience of the person, the power, the guiding, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

(For a partial list of the gifts of the Holy Spirit see 1 Corinthians 12:7-9.)

This experience is similar to what happened to the early Christian believers, as we read in Acts 2:1-13: All the believers were gathered in one place...they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to talk in other languages as the Spirit enabled them to speak. The Apostle Peter explained what was happening by quoting an Old Testament prophet:

This is what I will do, says the Lord. I will pour out my Spirit on everyone. Your sons and your daughters will proclaim my message; your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. On My servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit and they will proclaim My message. (Acts 2:17-18)

In The Sword of the Spirit, we actively embrace the work and the gifts of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in our worship. This is what we mean when we say that The Sword of the Spirit is charismatic.

There are some differences between Sword of the Spirit communities, but typically people begin by becoming “affiliate members.” During the affiliate stage, which normally lasts one or two years, people begin participating in community life and receive instruction in Christian living. The affiliate stage is followed by the “underway commitment,” which normally lasts two or three years. Underway members participate fully in community life and receive further instruction in community living.

The affiliate and underway stages provide a time for personal growth in the Christian life and for discernment about future community membership. Those who complete this time of learning and discernment are asked to make a full or “public commitment” to live as a covenanted member of the community. The public commitment is open-ended in that members agree to remain part of the community unless the Lord clearly leads them elsewhere.

Common activities of the community include:

• Communities meet several times each month. Gatherings of the community include worship and praise, Biblical teaching, a time for sharing about what God has done in members’ lives, and fellowship.

• Community members also meet in small men’s and women’s groups. In these small-group meetings, members pray together, talk freely about challenges they are facing, and support one another in living our common way of life.

• Families and singles gather in small groups on Saturday evenings to celebrate the “Lord’s Day.” The Lord’s Day celebration includes prayers to set Sunday aside as a special day to worship God and is followed by a festive meal. Celebrating the Lord’s Day is a common weekly pattern for most families and singles in The Sword of the Spirit.

• Many members work together to help meet the ongoing practical and spiritual needs of community life. This work includes service in areas like: music, public address, recording, children’s programs, and many more. They may also be involved in other small groups that meet for intercessory prayer, study, sports, dealing with common problems, and just to enjoy each other’s company.

• Local communities have outreach programs that bring people to Jesus Christ and help them grow in the Christian life. Many community members are active in leading and serving the needs of these ministries.

• Members of The Sword of the Spirit also receive instruction at community courses, discuss family life and child rearing with other parents, and get together for socializing at community nights.

Many community events are open to guests. Simply contact a community close to you to find out what community events you can visit.

People join Christian community for many different reasons. Some have a strong desire to live a more committed Christian life. Others are attracted by the charismatic spiritual life. Some are looking for the family-like relationships found in the community. Others want to grow as Christians or see The Sword of the Spirit as a good place to love and serve the Lord. The decision to join Christian community is a personal response to the work of the Lord in the life of an individual.

Members receive teaching that is Biblical and practical— that will help them with their day-to-day lives. They receive tangible support to grow in the Christian walk and in Christian maturity. They become part of a loving network of people: brothers and sisters in Christ sharing a common way of life and engaged in a common mission. They can expect the gifts God has given them to be employed to help build the kingdom of God and to reach others for Jesus Christ.

Because members of The Sword of the Spirit belong to several different Christian traditions, we do not have a single, comprehensive statement of faith. However, The Sword of the Spirit adheres to the primary Christian beliefs as they have been held by the mainstream of Christianity through the centuries. Members accept the truths stated in the Apostles and Nicene Creeds and are encouraged to follow their church in matters of doctrine.

Teaching given in The Sword of the Spirit focuses on commonly held Christian truths and on practical Christian living.