Observing the Christian year in the life and worship of the church facilitates spiritual growth and faith formation in the lives of the participants. This article initially speaks briefly about the Christian year and how it provides a framework for recounting the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus—the Gospel story. The Christian year provides an opportunity for presenting the core doctrinal beliefs of the Christian faith. Secondly, drawing from the scriptures, spiritual growth is defined as becoming like Christ—“to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Rom 8:29). Finally, the author presents ways that observing the Christian calendar has provided a means of spiritual growth for the congregation in which the author serves.
