It's a strange and tragic truth that spiritual things can be unlearned.
Art Glasser

People, like trees, must grow or die. There's no standing still.
Joseph Shore

Once you bring a baby into the world, you've got to raise it till it's ready to fend for itself. But what's the best way? There are as many methods as there are child psychologists, from Spock to Dobson and everything in between. Choosing the right approach is one of a parent's biggest responsibilities.

In the same way, once people have been won to Christ, the local church has the responsibility to help them mature. But churches differ in their approaches to meeting this need. Which methods are most effective, and what are the keys to making them work? Dean Merrill, formerly senior editor of Leadership and now editor of Christian Herald magazine, explores three common approaches.

Have you noticed that the most essential parts of a process are often the most complicated?

It is far easier for an architect to sketch a dashing roof line ...

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