In August of 2008, the makers of The Dunamis Course–that is, PRMI (Presbyterian Reformed Ministries International)–granted Church of the Servant CRC special permission to offer the video portion of the course on our church website on a trial basis. This would be a concession to make watching the video possible for members of our congregation who are already committed in service and would otherwise be unable to attend the video portion of the course. Of course, to be given the privilege of testing this new format for the course is a great honor, and we hope that doing so will prove fruitful to the ministry, both within our congregation and elsewhere around the world.
The reason it is possible to allow people to watch the videos on their own without significantly affecting the impact of the course is because the video portion of the course only constitutes part of the actual course. Think of the videos, supplemented by the course’s participant-manual, as the lessons, or the lecture portion, of the course. In addition to this, there is homework, or application.
The key to growing in the course’s topic-matter: of understanding and experiencing the person and work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, is to debrief, discuss, pray through, and thoroughly apply the material to our life and faith–and to do so with others. For this reason, the application process takes place in the context of a small group, in community, with mentoring, accountability, and mutual support.
Thus, the way the Dunamis course is actually offered at COS is in two parts.
One part is the video, which will still be shown on Sundays, but can now also be watched by participants on their own over the internet. The other part of the course is the discussion-prayer group portion (participants are encouraged to commit to all 10 weeks of the small-group meeting times, and expected to attend at least 7-8 of these). The mid-week meeting times tend to happen on either Monday or Tuesday, in the afternoon or evening, at church or in a home.* The groups review the material covered in the video, and move into prayer for each other, so that participants can grow together in sensitivity and submission to the Holy Spirit and become more committed to witnessing to and serving Jesus Christ in their ever-day lives.
If you are or have been a participant in one of the Dunamis courses being offered at COS, you may request passwords so that the following links will lead you to each individual lesson, allowing you to watch the videos alongside of the small-group participation you’ve committed yourself to…
Dunamis 1: Experiencing the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
(In many ways, this course covers familiar theological themes around the Holy Spirit, also providing structure and organization while encouraging us to ask whether we truly believe what we confess. In this way, it challenges our worldview, and is helpful in developing our sensitivity to the person and work of the Holy Spirit around us and within us, while also feeding our desire to cooperate with him in witness and service to Jesus Christ.)
Lesson 1: The Holy Spirit and the Great Commission
Lesson 2: Introduction to Worldview – Seeing with Biblical Eyes
Lesson 3: The Personhood of the Holy Spirit and the Trinity
Lesson 4: Expanding Worldview to Embrace the Power of God
Lesson 5: The Work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament
Lesson 6: Jesus Chrst and the Holy Spirit
Lesson 7: The Four Basic Works of the Holy Spirit
Lesson 8: Being Filled with the Holy Spirit
Lesson 9: Is there a Baptism with the Holy Spirit?
Lesson 10: Growing in Receiving the Power of the Holy Spirit
Dunamis 2: In the Spirit’s Power: The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
(This course continues where the first one ends, refocusing our purpose on becoming Christ’s ambassadors and servants in a world much in need. The goal of the course is to help participants grow in maturity, giving practical answers and guidance around the questions that the manifestational gifts of the Holy Spirit raise, and encouraging participants to step out in faith by attempting simple exercises that help reveal how the Holy Spirit is already present and seeks to grow in manifesting himself within and around us.)
Lesson 1: Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God
Lesson 2: Gifts of the Holy Spirit for Life in the “Between the Times”
Lesson 3: Dynamics of Cooperating with the Holy Spirit
Lesson 4: Receiving Guidance from the Holy Spirit
Lesson 5: Discernment: Is this really from God?
Lesson 6: Words of Wisdom and Knowledge
Lesson 7: Faith, Healing, and Miracles
Lesson 8: Prophecy and Discernment
Lesson 9: Tongues and Interpretation
Lesson 10: The Church Doing Jesus Ministry through the Holy Spirit
Lesson 11: Discovering Your Motivational Gifts
Dunamis 3: The Power of Prayer: Prayer that Shapes the Future
(Intercessory prayer, accompanied by meditation and action, is at the heart of God’s transforming call on our lives as Christians. This course takes us leaps and bounds further in recognizing the importance of prayer to the renewal of the church and its impact in the world.)
Lesson 1: Introducing Prayer that Shapes the Future
Lesson 2: The Basic Ingredients of Prayer
Lesson 3: Prayer and the Holy Spirit
Lesson 4: Asking in the Name of Jesus Christ
Lesson 5: How God Answers Prayer
Lesson 6: Into the Wilderness: Growing in Friendship With God
Lesson 7: Into the Gap: The Call to Intercession
Lesson 8: The Work of Intercession
Lesson 9: Nurturing Prayer in the Local Church
Lesson 10: Vision and Prayer
In actuality, there are six Dunamis Courses which cover the scope of the resources PRMI offers churches in the area of Congregational Renewal. Only the above three are available in DVD/video/other formats which can be used in a church setting. All six courses can be experienced as a 3-4 day instructor-led retreat. They are generally offered one at a time, in order, though the first course is usually also offered alongside of the later ones in a condensed format during the afternoons of the retreat.
The nearest place to Grand Rapids that these retreats are currently being offered is at Camp Geneva (the dates for these retreats tend to be in October and May of each year). The topics of the final three courses are: Course 4 (scheduled for late October 2008): “The Healing Ministry of Jesus,” Course 5: “Spiritual Warfare,” and Course 6: “Mission and Evangelism.” Each one attempts to take participants a step further in learning to be discerning about God’s work around us, and growing in submission and obedience to Him so that we are increasingly instrumental in his hands for the building up of Christ’s church and the expansion of His Kingdom. If you are interested in learning more about these retreats please contact Rev. Naji Umran, or, to learn more about Dunamis yourself, or to financially support the faith based ministry of PRMI, please don’t hesitate to contact them directly (Click here to navigate to the homepage of PRMI).
*NOTE: One other important characteristic of the small-groups portion of the Dunamis classes at COS not mentioned above is that they are facilitated by one member, or preferably two members, of COS who has/have each already completed at least two of the Dunamis courses. This insures that there are people present who are familiar with both basic and advanced material, who have grown in their own understanding of Jesus Christ’s Lordship in their lives through the Holy Spirit, and who are developing in the areas of practice and witnessing and service. It also insures that groups have at least one intercessory-prayer-person present asking God to guide and bless discussion times and protect participants.