Darren Whitehead, teaching pastor and leader of Next Gen Ministries at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, teamed with his fellow Aussie Jon Tyson, lead pastor of Trinity Grace Church in New York City, to discuss spiritual formation–and counter-formation.

Darren is in a suburb at a megachurch; Jon is in a city at a church plant. "If we weren't friends, we'd be blogging against each other." But they've been friends for 20+ years, when they met at a camp in Australia.

Formation and Counter-Formation

The central purpose of the church is to form people into the image of Jesus. If you don't do that, it doesn't matter where you're located. Before you know how to form people, you have to know how the culture is forming people. Every culture forms you in its story. The American gods are the mall, the "temple of worship" at sporting events, and the story of "getting more with comfort." That's the defining narrative: you are special and you have the right to gain material ...