How Love’s Greatest Joy Came to Be

I have spent much of my ministry life teaching.  God has given me that ability and amazingly people seem to be blessed when I teach.  I take no credit for that, for I know that it is a spiritual gift.  For many years, my role as a Pastor of Spiritual Formation gave me the privilege of leading hundreds of people through discipleship classes in which I sought to help people to Worship Christ, Walk with Christ and Work for Christ.  I also taught several semesters of Systematic Theology at our Bible Institute.  What I discovered is that many Christians, who have been believers for years and years have never been taught how to have a devotional life that draws them into the sweet presence of God.  I also discovered that many people had gaps in their understanding of what God has done for them and how He wants them to live.  These gaps were theological in nature.  I have come to believe that what people understand about God as revealed in Jesus Christ has a huge impact on what motivates them and how they live.

So, I found myself teaching theology in discipleship classes.  I also found myself having to model how to enter into the presence of God through the use of scripture, prayer, reflection and worship.   I was often surprised at what an difference such simple things made to people. When I enrolled in the Doctor of Ministry program at Tyndale, our Director Dr. Paul Bramer, sensed my passion and urged me to pursue writing this book as a Doctoral project.  And so this book has not been written as most books are.  It has been a product of a very systematic Action Research project wherein 19 people in two groups volunteered to be research participants and entered with me into a collaborative process in which we tested, revised, refined and experienced the material together.  

I have been truly amazed at the impact that reading the book and doing the study guide exercises had on the participants.  It was truly remarkable.  To see just a few of the impact statements, click on “Testimonials”  in the banner at the top of this page.

I am so grateful for those 19 people who took the time to read, mark up, discuss, and do the spiritual exercises that are in this book.  Their testimonies and experience has made this journey a joyful one.  Through it all each one discovered Loves’s Greatest Joy.  I pray that you do as well.  May God bless you.

Dr. Les Galicinski