Renovaré: Exploring the with-God life

Major Gordon Cotterill unpacks the eight core ideas of the spiritual formation organisation Renovaré.

Colossians 3 tells us that, as followers of Jesus, we have been raised with Christ, and our lives are now ‘hidden with Christ in God’ (Colossians 3:3). This reshapes how we live with hearts and minds set on ‘things above’ (Colossians 3:2), not as an escape from life, but as a new way of seeing and living it, shaped by Christ where the Word of Christ comes to dwell richly within us. This is the life we nurture as God’s presence takes root, shaping who we are as we grow in discipleship and maturity.

Renovaré’s eight core ideas offer a wise and balanced way to nurture this faith. They ground formation in the with-God life, not quick results, holding together grace and intentional practice and drawing on the fullness of the Christian tradition. Above all, they affirm that transformation is communal, holistic, and orientated towards God’s work in the world, not merely personal spiritual success.

The necessity of grace and the means of grace

In any garden, life depends on more than careful tending. If the soil cannot participation. As Richard Foster suggests, we are like farmers who cannot make growth happen but can prepare the conditions for it.

Spiritual practices as the means of grace simply place us where grace can be received. Our effort matters, but it does not earn God’s favour, as Dallas Willard reminds us: ‘Grace is not opposed to effort; it is opposed to earning.’ Held together, grace and spiritual practices nurture a discipleship that trusts God to bring growth in Christ.

Life with God and the availability of the Kingdom

Discipleship begins with a simple but profound truth: the with-God life is not just a future hope, but a present reality. God meets us now.

Through Jesus, the Kingdom has drawn near, and our lives are already hidden with Christ in God. We are not reaching out to a distant God but learning to live from a relationship already given. In this light, prayer becomes conversation, obedience becomes participation and the everyday becomes the place where life with God is lived.

Nurturing discipleship, then, is about sustain growth, no amount of effort will help. In the same way, Christian discipleship rests on the necessity of grace, dependent entirely on God’s initiative and generosity. Without grace, discipleship becomes either exhausting striving or quiet despair.

Yet grace does not exclude our helping ourselves and others recognise and trust this nearness. The Kingdom is not something we build for God, but God’s active will at work among us. As we grow in awareness of life with God, we begin to notice his quiet work in ordinary places – in work and relationships, in joy and struggle.

Discipleship is not about making God act, but joining what he is already doing, as the with-God life becomes the everyday soil in which we grow.

A balanced vision of life in Christ and a practical strategy for formation

Healthy growth needs balance. A garden lacking water or light soon becomes affected, and the same is true when discipleship focuses too narrowly on one aspect of the Christian life. A balanced vision holds together prayer, character, openness to the Spirit, care for others, faithfulness to Scripture, and awareness of God in everyday life - forming disciples who are both grounded and outwardly engaged.

Such balance is sustained through intentional practice. Discipleship does not happen by accident; it requires deliberate choice, and the wise use of the means God provides. Disciples grow best in community, where rhythms of prayer, honesty, and shared discernment take shape, supported by a simple rule of life that guides rather than burdens. Together, these form a practical strategy for formation, nurturing a steady and sustainable discipleship over time.

The centrality of Scripture and the value of the Christian tradition

Any kind of growth needs guidance. For us as Christians, that begins with the centrality of Scripture.

The Bible reveals who God is, shapes our imagination and habits, and draws us into faithful living. Read prayerfully, it becomes a living word through which the Spirit continues to form us into Christ’s likeness.

At the same time, Scripture is best held alongside the Christian tradition. We read not in isolation, but within a long history of faithful witness across cultures and generations. This shared inheritance grounds us in humility, reminding us that we are not inventing the Christian life, but joining God’s ongoing work of shaping lives.

Ultimately, Renovaré’s eight core ideas bring us back to seeking what God wants. It is not about quick results or flawless programmes, but about being ‘transformed by the renewing of your mind’ (Romans 12:2).

 Discipleship is not a short-term project but a lifelong journey, patiently lived as we trust God to bring growth in his time. As Andrew Murray writes, ‘the fruit of a life in Christ is a life like Christ’.