Headwaters Discipleship Program

Ages 19-30

Headwaters Discipleship is a two month intensive program focused on creating opportunities for young adults to have burning heart experiences (Luke 24:32) with Jesus, so that they grow in spiritual maturity and learn to remain connected to Him in every season of their lives.

This is an intentional time set apart for young adults to pursue the path of healing and dig deeper into ‘Who God says we are’ and ‘Who we say He is’, within community. As we do this, our ‘headwaters’ begin to change. We shed off the sin that has held us captive and what flows from our source resembles more the fruits of the spirit and an identity rooted in who God intended us to be. Our desire is to walk alongside young adults and help them to grow in connection with God, their own hearts, and in their relationships.

Our program is centred around discipleship. Just as Jesus modelled with his own disciples, we lead through life-on-life interactions with our students. We believe that it is in bringing our every day moments of joy and struggle to our Father in Heaven where we have access to true change. Our desire is to empower our students to grow in friendship with Jesus, to learn how to hear His voice, follow Him and walk in daily awareness of His presence. It is in this practice that our lives are truly transformed by His love.

We believe that our faith and wholeness is best walked out by inviting trusted people to speak into our lives; to offer help and wisdom that we may have a hard time accessing on our own. In our program, we value honesty, humility and vulnerability. Our desire, for everyone in our community, is that they would be willing to receive feedback, ask for help, and lean into the hard work of staying connected to Jesus, in order to grow and mature.

Discipleship at Headwaters is lived out through:

-Weekly sessions with Headwaters Staff and guest teachers -Weekly one-on-ones with Headwaters Staff -Intentional moments digging into scripture, prayer, worship and the practices of spiritual disciplines -Classes that teach different ways of staying connected to God, ourselves and others -Receive practical tools that empower processing of what is in our hearts -Practice identifying and breaking out of unhealthy belief systems -Rhythms of sabbath, silence and solitude; to detach from striving, noise and busyness in order to draw close to Jesus

Discipleship

Community

We have been formed to live a life of connection and integration with those around us. Experiencing healing, celebration, sorrows, and growth all within community is a rich and important process towards wholeness. As a community, we will live, eat, work, rest and worship together. When sharing everything from our joys to sadness, we experience a life so akin to how God created us to live that it will be heaven coming to earth.

Community at Headwaters is lived out through:

-Joining together with other young men and women who are on a similar faith journey and pursuit of wholehearted living -Participating in meals daily around the table together -Learning the basics of cleaning and tending to the land and spaces; as a means to practice ownership, stewardship, servanthood and value -Learning and practicing assertive, restorative and honouring communication -Practicing curious listening, repentance and forgiveness -Participating and being present in community rhythms -Finding a balance between engaging in community and taking moments of solitude

Creativity

As image bearers of a creative God, we believe that we are all inherently creative. Creativity is our birthright and is an act of worship. We will live this out by using creativity as an outlet for expression, vulnerability and processing. This includes things like visual journalling, pottery, painting, gardening and cooking. You DO NOT have to be an artist to attend Headwaters Discipleship. Our hope is that students would grow in their understanding of what it means to live out their creativity in all aspects of their lives. Students will develop daily rhythms that will include a variety of creative endeavours, as well as take part in creativity classes that focus in on a particular craft.

Creativity at Headwaters is lived out through:

-Weekly creative classes with Headwaters staff -Access to studios and creative materials that are available for exploration outside of classes -Growing in understanding how everyone is creative and that creativity can pervade into all aspects of our lives, not just in the arts -A willingness to take creative risks, ask for help, and the bravery of trying something new -Understanding the feeling of co-creating beauty

Creation

We recognize that by being surrounded by the beauty of creation, we cannot help but be inspired to respond in some way. We are filled with gratitude and worship for God as we see the majesty of the mountains. We are spurred on to take part in adventure and delight as we get out on the water or head out for a hike in the wilderness. We give into rest and restoration as we retreat and lean into the rhythms of silence and solitude. Creation draws us out and we are encouraged to remain connected to the vast, detailed God who loves us.

Creation at Headwaters is experienced through:

-Stepping out of our comfort zones because creation is a key arena for God to speak to us, heal us, and bring about heart transformation -Morning ‘word and warmups’ where we are reminded that our spirituality is connected to our bodies -Outdoor experiences that will help students become confident and competent at basic camping skills -Growing in awareness of the beauty of God in new places -Utilizing what we have around us along Kootenay Lake for play and rest -Access to resources and trails that facilitate moments to adventure and delight in nature