Interactive Journaling® The Church proclaims the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the goal that those who come to believe will see their lives transformed spiritually in attitudes, beliefs, and personal lifestyle behavior. And this does take place as individuals place their faith and trust in Christ. However, the reality is believers continue to struggle with their past, their habits, and their old sinful nature. Romans 7:19,25 says, "When I want to do good, I don't; and when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway....So you see how it is; my new life tells me to do right, but the old nature that is still inside me loves to sin." (Living Bible) This is the challenge of discipleship, helping believers in the Church to see change in habits and behaviors through an act of their will and through the power of the Holy Spirit. The scripture in James 1:22 reads, "And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. So don't fool yourselves." (Living Bible) We know there is no shortage of Christian educational materials. However, we've learned the key to changing lives is to go beyond traditional education to help people apply the truth of God's word to their personal circumstances. This process is greatly aided when individuals interact and grapple with truth through written expression of personal thoughts and responses. It is through this kind of personal involvement with the truth of God's word that knowledge is moved from head to heart resulting in change of personal lifestyle and behaviors. That's where the process of Interactive Journaling® can help. Interactive Journaling® is an experiential writing process that motivates and guides participants to internalize the Biblical principles of God's word and move them down the road of discipleship toward positive life change. The power of writing is that the process is immediately personal and relevant. Individuals can map out where they have been, where they are today and where they wish to go. The power of journaling also is that it forces individuals to personalize and act upon the truth rather than just hearing the truth. This innovative process was originally created with the assistance of over 250 professionals in the health and human services field. The design and delivery of Interactive Journaling® has been further improved through end-user feedback, counselor and facilitator reviews, and numerous follow-up studies. Now Sonrise House has brought this process to discipleship materials for the Church. Interactive Journaling® provides bite-sized pieces of information and always poses the question, "What does this mean to you?" and "What action will you take to change your behavior as a result of this information?" The key points of the Interactive Journaling® process are as follows: The use of color attracts the individual's attention and helps increase their retention of information. Studies show 30% increased retention when color copy is used. Bite-sized copy blocks aid in individual comprehension and creates a sense of confidence and accomplishment as the person works through the material. Durable 70 lb. paper helps provide a permanent personal journal that the individual will value for years. Attractive and dynamic graphics are beautiful and pleasing on purpose!.but are primarily used to emphasize and focus on key points for discipleship and life change. First-person examples provide greater understanding of the feelings behind the information. A personalized tool for discipleship growth and change is created by tailoring the information and questions so that the individual will write responses expressing their own personal circumstances and needed life changes. Journals are organized in a modular format that can easily be adapted to a Bible Study group or a Sunday School class format, but still retaining the ability of each individual to respond personally in their own journal concerning their situation and needed life changes. Links: The Change Companies is the leader in Interactive Journals changecompanies.net Dominic Herbst, author of Restoring Relationships is available for speaking bfsf.org