Chris has spent his life bearing witness to the possibility of hope in a world that has legitimate reasons to question God’s goodness. Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, Chris studied at Asbury University in Kentucky before moving to India where he was mentored by Mother Teresa for three years. While living in India, he helped launch South Asia’s first pediatric AIDS care home–creating a safe haven for children impacted by the global pandemic. A forerunner in the New Friar movement, Chris and his wife Phileena served with the Word Made Flesh community for nearly 20 years, working for women and children victimized by human traffickers in the commercial sex industry. His vocation has taken him to over 70 countries working among the most vulnerable of the world’s poor. In 2012 Phileena and Chris launched Gravity, a Center for Contemplative Activism.
You can find Chris on:
Or check out his work at chrisheuertz.com, gravitycenter.com, and sacredenneagram.org.
Resources
The Sacred Enneagram by Chris Heuertz
Simple Spirituality by Chris Heuertz
Spiritual Rhythms for the Enneagram by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, Doug Calhoun, Clare Loughrige, and Scott Loughrige
Episode Audio:
Chapter 1 - Discovering the Enneagram through Missions
The Enneagram has really become popular over the last few years. And a lot of Christians want to know, "Can I use this for spiritual growth, or is it something to be avoided?" Today we're talking with Chris Heuertz, author of The Sacred Enneagram. His story of finding the Enneagram and discovering his type says a lot about what this tool is and how it can be used for discovering who you are in Christ.
Chapter 2 - An Introduction to the Enneagram Types
In case you haven't heard, there's a way of understanding who we are as people that's really starting to gain traction. The Enneagram consists of nine different types that describe the way we interact with the world around us. And, most importantly for Daily Growth Discipleship, it gives us another tool to use as we pursue daily transformation into the image of Jesus Christ. Chris' book, The Sacred Enneagram, he describes much more than just a personality profile. Understanding your type can open ways to understand who you are and what God is doing in your life. In today's chapter, Chris gives us a brief introduction to each of the nine types. But before you get wrapped up in trying to identify your type, take Chris' advice from the last episode to heart and spend some time exploring this with another person.
Chapter 3 - Processing Childhood Wounds
Chris Heuertz's approach to the Enneagram looks at childhood wounds as a way of understanding the way your type experiences the world. These childhood wounds are often tell-tale signs that you have been disconnected from your essence, the person God created you to be. The good news is that these wounds are not fatal. Once you know your childhood wound, you can begin the journey of finding wholeness and healing in the person God created you to be.
Chapter 4 - How Not to Use the Enneagram
Tools were meant to be used in certain ways. You can use a saw to try to hammer in a nail, but it probably won't work correctly. Like all tools, the Enneagram has its limits, and you can use it in ways it was never meant to be used. In this chapter, Chris talks about the most important things to remember when using the Enneagram when it comes to your own spiritual growth and formation.