Rule of Life
In a world of autonomy, apprenticeship
A Rule of Life refers to a set of rhythms that a community abides by in order to form habits and grow more into conformity with Christ.
We seek to cultivate our four core values—Presence, Belonging, Apprenticeship, and Participation—corporately through shared habits and spaces. We also strive to see more of these things manifested in our lives by maintaining a personal Rule of Life.
Before You Begin
Below is an accessible way of approaching a personal Rule of Life. We encourage an iterative approach: you may not address every area of your life the first time you create a Rule—that’s okay!
Two tips to keep in mind as you consider your rule:
Keep it simple: pick one habit for each area of your Rule. The goal is sustainable change over time, not instant perfection.
No Rule lasts forever: as our lives change, we need to adapt and conform. A good rhythm is to consider updating your Rule as each new season of the Church calendar approaches.
Crafting a Personal Rule of Life
Begin by asking:
“Given my current season of life and the things God has called me to be faithful to, what are the rhythms I need in order to cultivate each value?”
As a frame of reference, it may be helpful to think through the lens of embracing and abstaining. In each of these areas, what is one thing that I can add or subtract in each space?
Here is an example Rule of Life that you might abide by:
Ready to draft your own? Here’s a template to get started!
The Rockford Mission is a plant of Cornerstone Tulsa. We are a part of Churches for the Sake of Others (C4SO), which is built on five key values: Kingdom, Spirit, Formation, Mission, and Sacrament.