When we lean into gratitude day in and day out, we are choosing to be cognizant of God’s ever present work in our life, as well as the abundant blessings He makes available to us. The root of thankfulness is delighting in God and trusting His goodness in all things. Thanksgiving is possible not because everything goes perfectly in our lives, but because the Lord is always present. As we faithfully lean into this practice, we slowly begin to enjoy a soul-level peace which comes from seeing all seasons of our lives through the lens of God’s sovereignty and goodness. 

Oct 29-Nov 4: Create a gratitude box or jar. Have everyone in your household write every few days on a little slip of paper things they are grateful for. On Thanksgiving, pull them out and read them together. 

Nov 5-11: Write a letter of thanks to someone who has touched your life in the past year, the past month, or the past week.

Nov 12-18: Is there a relationship or situation in your life that is making you uncomfortable?  List the positives and negatives. Ponder which list you focus on most. Is there a way to shift your focus to be more thankful for the good things even in hard situations? 

Nov 19-25: Spend some time each night before you fall asleep thanking God for as many things as you can think of about that day. Each night, try to think of a few more than the night before. Throughout the week, try to grow in your ability to find things to be thankful for.  

Serving is an incredible way to reflect the compassionate, caring, and hospitable heart of God to the world. This is where we offer resources, time, treasures, influence, or skills for the care, nurture, and benefit of others. It puts hands to the second greatest commandment which says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  True service is rooted in seeing others the way God does. Believers are meant to be the very presence of God to others. When we serve, we become God’s vehicle of blessing to a broken world.

Learn More About This Practice:

• “Serving: A Practical Guide.” - Article by Adele Calhoun

Oct 1-7: Each morning this week, ask yourself: “Who can I serve today?” Look for the Lord to bring up opportunities to practice tiny acts of service to all those you encounter throughout this week. 

Oct 8-14: Here at River Valley, each of our campuses will be offering a “Fall Family Festival” outreach either on or before Halloween night as a way to love on the families in our community. This week, sign up to serve at the outreach your campus will be offering.

Oct 15-21: Think through the gifts and talents God has given you to build His Kingdom. Prayerfully consider how you can use those to serve your church campus for one hour a month. Afterwards, talk with God about what this is like for you. 

Oct 22-28: Visit rivervalleycc.org/local-outreach, and identify the various ways you can serve in the community. Prayerfully volunteer with your spouse, life group, or a friend.

Spiritual transformation and life with Jesus is not a solo event. Our spiritual journey is meant to be traveled with a community of trusted friends. We are meant to do life together, and live in fellowship the same way the Trinity does. Jesus taught his followers that they were part of the family of God, and this family was meant to be the “show and tell” to the world of what true love and belonging looks like. Life together can be practiced in a variety of ways, whether it be organic friendships, discipleship/mentorship, serving together, a life group, support group, church family.. Etc. Whatever it may be, it is vital to find a circle of friendships to encourage, pray, and grow together in Christ. As a baseline for this monthly practice, we strongly encourage joining a Life Group, Speciality Life Group, or a serving team if you are not already in one.

Sept 3-9: Ask a friend to take a walk, or out to coffee/lunch.  Share a fear or a longing with them and ask them to pray for you.

Sept 10-16: Look up a few of the “one another’” verses in the Bible - (“love one another”, “serve one another”, “pray for one another”, “forgive one another”). Practice living one particular “one another” every day this week.

Sept 17-23: Ask someone to tell you their story. Listen to the story as attentively as you can, and thank them. Share yours if they ask. Ponder how their story gives you a deeper understanding of your friend, or of God himself.

Sept 24-30: Do you have a mentor?  Could you be a mentor?  Do you have someone you trust to share your doubts, fears, concerns and joys with?  If not, pray and ask God for a person like this and also to BE a person like this.

Sabbath is God’s gift to us. God made the world in beautiful rhythms of day and night, waking and sleeping, working and resting. Responding to these rhythms is a way of honoring God and honoring our humanity. He did not intend for life to be all effort, but to have times of rest and renewal. We need to take time to remember what life is about, and who it is for. God’s gift of Sabbath calls us to trust that the Creator of the world is the Lord of our time and will keep the world spinning if we take the day off, trusting in him and settling into his rest.

Learn More About This Practice:

• Subversive Sabbath by AJ Swaboda

• Sabbath As Resistance by Walter Bruggemann

• Sabbath Sermon Series - Bridgetown Church in Portland, OR

August 6-12: Schedule 4 “sabbath” time blocks in your calendar, once a week for this month, ideally an entire day, but you could also do a half day, or a 1-3 hour time block. Do what works best  and then protect that time with your life! On your first sabbath day or block of time, don’t plan anything. Just do whatever comes into your mind and heart in the moment. Sleep in, go with the flow, even be bored. Boredom leads to creativity.

August 13-19: This week, do something not pertaining to your job, but something that takes some skill and expertise that is life-giving for you. Some people play sports or music, some people bake or cook, some people wood-work, some people paint.

August 20-26: Do something you enjoy for recreation. Float the river, take a hike, watch a movie, go camping, garden, read a book, go for a drive, have a pic-nic.

August 27-Sept 2: Take a day to enjoy and nurture relationships, especially those closest to you that perhaps have been neglected. Go on a date, call an old friend, extroverts: throw a party. Prioritize being at the church this weekend too. Spend some extra time with God.  

There is a great deal of freedom on the other side of silence and solitude. It is here where we are released from the demands and noise of daily life. Our normal course of day-to-day human interaction and routine locks us into patterns of feeling, thought, and action that are not usually everything that God intends for us. Leaning into solitude and silence, we choose to separate from a noise-polluted world to create space to observe where our hearts and minds are at. We can process what we are dwelling on, lay those things before the Lord and ask Him for fresh perspective. 

Although at first, silence and solitude might feel awkward and uncomfortable, this is when we are completely and safely present to God - fully loved in His presence. In this time alone with God, we can better distinguish His voice from other voices, be reminded of our truest identity, and receive loving support and wisdom for the tasks ahead. 

July 9-15: A few days this week, spend 10-15 minutes in silence, alone with God. Begin your time by reading Psalm 46:10. As you sit, remember there is nothing to accomplish, just be present in silence to God. Afterwards, journal about it. What was that like for you?

July 16-22: While doing tasks this week (such as driving, jogging, cleaning), try to turn off any background noise - such as podcasts, music, and TV. Be in the moment, doing so with a listening, present ear to God in the midst of your tasks. 

July 23-29: Block out a few meal times to eat alone and in silence. Thank God for the food and enjoy it in His presence. Notice how the silence and solitude feels. Does it feel refreshing or uncomfortable? What would change in your life if you spent more time in this way?

July 30-Aug 6: Try to find a chunk of time in your schedule this week (either a morning or an afternoon) take your Bible and journal down to the river, turn off your phone, find a beautiful space and just be with the Lord. Read if you want, journal if you want, pray, listen, and relax in God’s love.

Prayer is more than a one-dimensional activity or experience. Prayer is a whole life orientation to God, where we continually interact and align ourselves in con­ver­sa­tion with Him. To think that the Creator of the Universe wants us to share our thoughts, desires, concerns and everyday experiences with Him is an amazing thing. As a child of God, we don’t have to jump through a bunch of hoops to pray. God wants us to boldly approach him as we would our closest friends. Prayer isn’t just talking, it’s also about listening, engaging, or just simply being present with the Father who deeply loves us.

Learn More About This Practice:

• ”A Praying Life” by Paul Miller

• “Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God” by Tim Keller

• “Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home” by Richard Foster

• “Understanding Prayer” // Article by Renovere

June 4-10: Practice morning, midday, and evening prayer each day this week. In the morning, invite God into your day. Sometime around noon, ask God to continue giving you stamina to work and love those around you. In the evening, reflect on and thank the Lord for the blessings of the day. 

June 11-17: Each morning this week before you begin your day, pray through the fruit of the spirit.  (Galatians 5:22-23). At the end of the day, confess the ways you fell short and receive God’s grace.  Pray that the Holy Spirit may grow His character through you this week. 

June 18-24: Find a short little phrase of scripture to pray throughout the day (i.e “Lord, Grant me wisdom”, or “Lord help me trust you”, or “You are welcome here Jesus.”) Pray and repeat this phrase in the spaces and margins of your day, such as when you are waiting, when you are worried or anxious, when you are interacting with others, when you are driving, etc. 

June 25-July 1: Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind a few people who need prayer (consider a different person each day this week). Intercede on their behalf. Don’t feel you need to pray long, wordy prayers, rather, just voice their need before the Lord and hand their burden over to him. 

We serve a generous God. We want to reflect that generosity by having generous hearts that give freely to the needs we see around us. Many of us have been taught to "look out for number 1" or are better at taking than giving. We want to practice being generous until it becomes a natural response. As we trust God to meet our present and future needs, we can give freely of what we have right now.

Learn More About This Practice:

• The Treasure Principle // Book by Randy Alcorn

April 30-May 6: Sign up for Serve GP with a friend, family, or your life group. Pray about the project ahead of time, asking God to allow the site to be blessed by your service. 

May 7-13: Pray about three different people this week you could bless with a gift of generosity. Perhaps it’s as simple as bringing them a coffee, buying a useful gift or treating them to a delicious meal. 

May 14-20: Be generous with your time and talents (skills). Ask God to show you someone that has a need that you can practically meet this week.

May 21-27: Spend time with the most generous person you know. Ask them questions about how they became that way, and how they decide where their money, time and attention goes.

May 28-June 3: Give an anonymous donation or gift to someone who really needs it. Don’t tell anyone about it.

As the world around us gets more frantic and hectic, simplicity and slowing may be more and more necessary for our spiritual, mental and emotional health. Jesus did not rush around, feeling like he had to accomplish just “one more thing.” He knew what he needed to do to please his father and how to love and engage the people around him. The goal of simplicity and slowing is to be able to live with a quiet heart, at peace with God and those around us, engaged fully in each moment.

Learn More About This Practice:

• The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry // Book by John Mark Comer

• The Common Rule // Book by Justin Early

• The Power of Place // Book by Daniel Grothe

April 2-8: Pick one space in your home to simplify; a specific room, closet, or junk drawer. Keep only the things that are often useful or bring you joy.  Consider blessing others by giving the things away that you have not used in a while.  

April 9-15: Build margin into your activities (i.e. schedule 15-30 minutes of extra time for plans).  Don't rush. Drive the speed limit, walk slowly and contemplate the beauty around you.  Arrive early to appointments and sit quietly. Learn to live each day relaxed.

April 16-22: Find an hour this week to “do nothing”.  Find a beautiful place, turn off your phone, and just sit quietly in God’s presence.  If this is too difficult, ask God to help you think through how you normally spend your time each day.  Is it how He wants you to live?  Is it how you want to live? What can you let go of?

April 23-29: Pay attention to your evening rituals.  Are they bringing you life and restoring your body and soul?  Are you taking time to unwind? Are you slowing down to rest?  What can you do differently to simplify and slow down your evenings?

Fasting is the voluntary denial of a normal function or enjoyment in life (usually food) for spiritual purposes. We do this so that in our deprivation and discomfort, we may experience God and his kingdom in a greater way. In fasting, we're reminded that God is more than enough for us, and that we're dependent on him for everything.

Fasting tells us a lot about ourselves too, revealing that which so easily controls us. This discipline can also provide balance and perspective in a believer's life regarding priorities and non-essentials.

March 5-11: Turn off your computer and put your phone on “do not disturb” for 24 hours (or each evening this week). Every time you want to reach for your phone, pray a short prayer instead. (Try “Lord, help me love you more, or “Help me trust You more,” or ”Lord, may I be satisfied by You alone.”)

March 12-18: Abstain from your favorite “indulgence” this week (sugar, alcohol, chips, coffee, tea, etc.) Ask God to help you delight more completely in His presence and love.

March 19-25: Fast from 1-3 meals one day this week.  Pray that God would teach you how to live each day filled with His Spirit.

March 26-April 1: Fast from unnecessary speech this week (venting, long stories, extra talk, negative, critical, or cynical speech). Instead, pray to have a quiet heart, mind, and mouth this week (Read Psalm 131).

This month we practice savoring small portions of God's Word in ways that nourish and satisfy our souls. There are so many beautiful truths in Scripture that sometimes we fly over too quickly and don't take the time to fully meditate upon, letting them sink deeply into our souls and shape us. Do not rush these practices. Savor them like a fine meal with good friends.

If you’re already on a Bible reading plan that you are enjoying, feel free to supplement that plan with any of these practices, but please don’t feel obligated. 

Feb 5-11: Read a short psalm every day slowly, aloud, and at least 2x. As you meditate on it, turn a line or two into a prayer for the day.

Feb 12-18: Read a different experience in the life of Jesus each day. (i.e, read ahead in Book of John, or a moment in Luke 4-19). Close your eyes and take a few minutes imagining yourself in the story. Talk to God about what you imagine, feel, and wonder about. 

Feb 19-26: Ask God to give you a life-changing verse, or use one that has been meaningful to you lately. Write it on your bathroom mirror and/or on a sticky note.  Put the verse in your car, hang it on your fridge.  Meditate on it, pray about it, memorize it.  Ask God to work it into your very being.

Feb 27-Mar 5: Read the first chapter in Ephesians (or 1 Peter, or Romans 12) every day in a different translation. (CSB, NIV, NLT, The Message, etc.)  Write down the different things that stand out to you each day and look them over at the end of the week.  Write down what you learned.