FLOORmation: (flôr-mā’ shn) n. a communal evidence of God’s kingdom coming and God’s will being done in, amongst, and through the relationships of Floor/Apartment/& House-mates at George Fox University… as it is in heaven.
For the last two academic years in the Spi.L. (Spiritual Life) House at George Fox University (GFU) this has become a term we’ve toyed around with. It has now become a vision we’ve shouldered a plow towards in an effort to see a spill-out of holistic renewal from chapel and classrooms to the dorms and rest of our campus life. Even in our second year of this FLOORmation effort we’re seeing growing momentum. Our newly grant funded Living Area Chaplains have ventured out very effectively in recruiting, equipping and supporting more than double the amount of volunteer FLOORmation facilitators from the previous year (now over 55 small group leaders called “Spiritual Life Assistants”). They serve their respective Floor/Apartment/House mates through group spiritual formation efforts (i.e. prayer, Bible studies, worship, retreats, etc.).
These SLAs voluntarily come together every other Friday morning for our FLOORmation class, from which we’ve brainstormed the “whys” and “hows” of cultivating Christ-centered community in the living areas of our campus. Through the class we have utilized a curriculum made up of various helpful resources: Tim Elmore’s Habitudes, James Bryan Smith’s A Good & Beautiful Community, Miller/Pepper’s Finding the Flow. These will continue to be useful for us in the future, as well as other exciting visionary resources like the 12 Marks of a New Monasticism and the new lyfe.org.uk website, loaded with videos and downloadable resources from Renovaré and Bible Society.
I can’t think of a more adventurous and fulfilling effort to be spending our time, talent and treasure than this work—positioning our learning community in the path of one of God’s waves, which might result in a new, 21st century rendition of Acts 2:42-47 (the GFU Version):
They committed themselves to the teaching of the [professors], the life together, the common meal, and the prayers. Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the [staff, student leaders and volunteers]! And all the [Bruins] lived in wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person’s need was met. They followed a daily discipline of worship in the [Chapel] followed by meals at [Bon Apetite], every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.
May God’s kingdom come and will be done at Fox, as it is in heaven.
Article by Rusty St. Cyr, director of spiritual formation
