Our Values - Apprenticeship

In a world of autonomy, Apprenticeship

Left to our own devices we often choose things that are destructive to us in heart, soul, mind, and strength. In cultivating apprenticeship, we long to learn to live as Jesus lived by intentionally imitating him, knowing that as we take on a trellis of rhythms of grace, our abiding will produce fruit.

We make a practice of cultivating Apprenticeship through:

Corporate Life: The Church Historic

Sin has an effect of warping our affections and disorienting our minds. Acknowledging this reality, we long to apprentice ourselves to Jesus, guarding against the fads and blind spots of this present moment by looking to The Church Historic, the core of Christian thought and practice throughout various times and places. The whole of Rockford’s life is lived in reference to the Church Historic: in the seasons of the Church Calendar which shape our Sunday liturgy, and our Sunday sermons, and our Table Group liturgies.

Personal Life: Personal Practices

We encourage each member of our congregation to abide by their own set of personal practices, which we sometimes refer to as a “Rule of Life.” The congregation follows a communal Rule of Life, but the truth is that our corporate habits are not one-size fits all. For example, one person may be greatly benefitted by deleting all of their social media, and someone else may simply need to be careful about how much they consume. We have provided a template for creating your own rule of life, and we also hold workshops on drafting your own Rule of Life.