Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth Richard J. Foster
In a Nutshell: The author addresses twelve spiritual disciplines seen in the 1st century church (including fasting, praying, simplicity, and guidance) that are central to the deepening of the Christian walk. He then gives practical advice on how to best practice these disciplines to maximize spiritual growth.
First Published: 1978 (Edition reviewed: 1998)
The author's premise is a simple one; there are twelve disciplines to the Christian life. These can be subdivided into three groups – the inward disciplines, the outward disciplines and the corporate disciplines.
The inward disciplines include meditation, prayer, fasting and study, and throughout the text, Foster drives home the point that these particular disciplines offer exciting avenues for the examination of self and positive change. The outward disciplines are simplicity, solitude, submission and service. They center on a desire to make the world a better place. The corporate disciplines of confession, worship, guidance, and celebration by their nature are essential in drawing us closer to God and to one another.
Everyone has heard the old story of the Thanksgiving ham with the ends cut off. A young girl asks her mother why she cuts the ends off of the hams before baking it. The mother's reply is that this is how she learned from her mother. The girl decides to ask her grandmother why this was so important in baking a delicious Thanksgiving ham. The grandmother gives the girl the same response as her mother. This is how she learned from her mother.
Now the girl had to know. She went to her great-grandmother and was surprised at what she discovered. Her great-grandmother explained that it had nothing to do with making the ham taste better. She said, "We were so poor we couldn't afford a pan big enough to cook the ham in, so we cut the ends off so it could fit."
On Easter Sunday March 23rd, 2008, the Tampa Bay Church hosted its fourth annual Easter Eggstravaganza at Copeland Park in Tampa, Florida. This year’s event brought out a record number of church members and their families, as well as visitors from the surrounding communities. There were people of different cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds, and nationalities at the event, sharing one common purpose 'to have a great time.'
The day was sunny and clear without a cloud in the sky and the Tampa Bay Church volunteers were busy entertaining curious parents and their children. The participants of the Easter egg hunt eagerly awaited the chance to win the prized egg, and possibly fill their baskets full of candied eggs along the bunny trail. The smell of barbeque grilling filled the air. One by one, everyone lined up at the grill and exchanged meal tickets for hotdogs, hamburgers, chips, and a drink.
A rampant fire is undaunted by the effects of a little rain. It burns up its dampening foe. So it was with the spirit of the Tampa Bay Church on Sunday, April 6th when we held a walk-a-thon to support HOPE Worldwide. You see our fire does not burn for walking. We are not mere exercise enthusiasts! Our fire burns to serve our God and love people! So when we faced the prospect of rain for our walk-a-thon, the church was unwavering in its desire to complete the task. Sure, a little rain fell (maybe even a lot at times!) but the spirit to serve did not diminish in the least. It was so inspiring to see young people and families, with (many) kids in tow, marching the trail at Rowlett Park for this worthy cause.
On a typical Sunday morning in Tampa’s Old Hyde Park Village, women from all over the area are browsing through shops, eating, or enjoying a walk with their dog. On January 27, over 200 women gathered in Hyde Park, not to stroll or shop, but to attend Women’s Day 2008, an event hosted by the Tampa Bay Church encouraging women to seek out a deeper relationship with God.
Everyone has heard the old story of the Thanksgiving ham with the ends cut off. A young girl asks her mother why she cuts the ends off of the hams before baking it. The mother's reply is that this is how she learned from her mother. The girl decides to ask her grandmother why this was so important in baking a delicious Thanksgiving ham. The grandmother gives the girl the same response as her mother. This is how she learned from her mother.
On Easter Sunday March 23rd, 2008, the Tampa Bay Church hosted its fourth annual Easter Eggstravaganza at Copeland Park in Tampa, Florida. This year’s event brought out a record number of church members and their families, as well as visitors from the surrounding communities. There were people of different cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds, and nationalities at the event, sharing one common purpose 'to have a great time.' 
A rampant fire is undaunted by the effects of a little rain. It burns up its dampening foe. So it was with the spirit of the Tampa Bay Church on Sunday, April 6th when we held a walk-a-thon to support 
On a typical Sunday morning in Tampa’s Old Hyde Park Village, women from all over the area are browsing through shops, eating, or enjoying a walk with their dog. On January 27, over 200 women gathered in Hyde Park, not to stroll or shop, but to attend Women’s Day 2008, an event hosted by the Tampa Bay Church encouraging women to seek out a deeper relationship with God. 