Captivating

What it is?

Woman of Christ, Captivating is a journey into rediscovering God’s heart for you and your identity in Him as His beloved.

Captivating began as a book written by John and Stasi Eldredge, of Ransomed Heart Ministries (based in Colorado, USA) which seeks to explain a women’s identity in God. It’s main premise is that every woman has a key question she seeks to have answered and three main core desires she longs to have fulfilled.

Ransomed Heart Ministries run Captivating retreats every year; to which three St Philips’ members went, thanks to a generous sponsor, in 2008. This 3 day retreat high in the mountains near Colorado Springs had a major impact on each of these women. During the retreat, they were each met personally by God in a new revelation of His love for them and were convinced of the valuable role Christian women can play in helping each other grow in their relationship with their Saviour Jesus. This, plus a gift from RHM of the “Captivating Heart to Heart” DVD series, inspired them to take Captivating home to Perth.

Each year since 2008 a Captivating course has been run, consisting of a weekend retreat and a series of 5 subsequent weeks (one night a week). Following the course women are encouraged and invited to continue meeting in order to “nurture each others’ hearts”.

How do I get to go?

Read the book, Captivating. We recommend you read it twice as most people have found a much deeper understanding emerges on the second reading. If you are keen to go on a grand adventure with God; to let Him into the places in your heart that have been wounded, and to share this experience with other women, contact Sally Howe (9384 5703).

Does this really fit the St Philip’s vision of UP (with God), IN (with each other) and OUT (to the world)?

Clearly Captivating concerns both our UP and IN relationships. However the aim is for women to step OUT and bring God’s Kingdom to the people they encounter in their lives and their communities and to do this with a renewed assurance of their identity in Jesus and His immense and very personal love for them.. We need to be trained and prepared to rule and reign with God in His Kingdom. We need to be women who live fully out of our God-given identity – knowing that we are romanced by the Lover of our Souls, living the irreplaceable role He has prepared for us and being life-givers through the beauty we offer the world. Captivating prepares us to impact those around us in a very powerful way.

Is this Biblical?

Captivating is biblically based. However it is not a theology course, but an application of Scripture to daily life.

Some of the key Scriptures used are ….

Isaiah 61: 1-3, which Jesus used to refer to himself when he first started his ministry.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,

to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, ? to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning,and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.” (NIV)

Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, it is the wellspring of life.” (NIV)

The key themes of God as Creator, Lover, Saviour, Healer and King in Captivating are all theologically sound.

At St Philips God’s word is our authority. While Captivating is not God’s word, it is a really valuable tool for allowing women to connect with each other and with God more deeply.

How does it happen?

A group of around 10 women spend a weekend away together– this covers the first 5 of the 10 teaching sessions. Teaching comes in the form of a group discussion among women on DVD and this is followed by time for personal reflection and a group discussion. Additionally, film clips are used to highlight teaching points at certain times.

Then over 5 nights in successive weeks, the course teaching is completed.

How does it work?

It works ONLY if God is present.

It works because the women who attend are each personally prayed for during the months leading up to the weekend away, and throughout the course.

It works because the women are ready to go deeper with God and long for Jesus to heal them.

It works because women are relational.

It works because it encourages women to live in the freedom Christ won for us.

It works because the Captivating teaching, while imperfect (man-made), has at its heart the glory of our magnificent God and the genuine healing of His people.

We leave it up to God, and as we seek His face we find that He is faithful and gracious.