If the various church traditions of the world can be thought of as streams in which people swim, understanding those other traditions can help clarify our own. By “streams,” I mean major patterns of how Christians across history have tended to follow Jesus. Compared to the way we worship, serve, and pursue mission, others practice their faith with different emphases and priorities. One writer, Richard Foster, has sought to name and describe these differences, and his work provides a helpful lens for reflection.
In his book Streams of Living Water, Foster shows how the Christian life is nourished by multiple historic streams within the one river of faith in Christ. Rather than treating Christian practice as uniform, he argues that God has given the church diverse pathways of grace, each emphasizing a different aspect of discipleship.
If you are a lifelong Presbyterian, you may be interested in the other streams. If you come from one of those traditions, you may be interested to see how Presbyterians most naturally swim in what Foster calls the “evangelical tradition,” meaning Word-centered. These are not rigid categories, and many Christians see themselves in more than one. Even so, one stream is usually primary.
First Stream – The Contemplative Tradition (Prayer-Filled Life)
This stream emphasizes intimacy with God through silence, prayer, meditation, and attentiveness to his presence. It draws heavily from monastic traditions and the deep interior life of the church.
Traditions often associated with this include the Roman Catholic tradition (especially monastic orders like Benedictines and Carmelites), Eastern Orthodox spirituality, and Quaker traditions.
The following is how the contemplative tradition shapes the church.
- Worship. In this tradition, the emphasis in worship is for quiet, reflective liturgy, and space for silence and prayer.
- Discipleship. In this tradition, spiritual formation happens through contemplative prayer, and spiritual direction.
- Stewardship. In this tradition, people are rooted in simplicity and detachment from materialism.
- Mission. In this tradition, missional action flows from deep listening to God rather than activism alone.
Second Stream – The Holiness Tradition (Virtuous Life)
This stream emphasizes personal holiness, moral transformation, and Spirit-empowered obedience. It emphasizes sanctification and Christlike character.
Traditions often associated with this include the Methodist and Wesleyan traditions, some evangelical holiness movements, and parts of Pentecostalism.
The following is how the holiness tradition shapes the church.
- Worship. The emphasis is on calls to repentance, confession, and renewal.
- Discipleship. Spiritual formation happens through accountability, accountability groups, and an emphasis on sanctification.
- Stewardship. People are called to integrity in finances, time, and lifestyle simplicity.
- Mission. Missional action is seen in a person’s witness through holy living and moral credibility.
Third Stream – The Charismatic Tradition (Spirit-Empowered Life)
This stream highlights the active work of the Holy Spirit—gifts, healing, worship, and spiritual power for ministry. It emphasizes the person and work of the Holy Spirit in and through Christians.
Traditions often associated with this include Pentecostal churches, and charismatic movements across Catholic, Protestant, and independent churches.
The following is how the charismatic tradition shapes the church.
- Worship. The emphasis is on being expressive, participatory, and open to spiritual gifts in worship.
- Discipleship. Spiritual formation happens with the expectation of Spirit baptism, gifting, and empowerment.
- Stewardship. People express stewardship by offering gifts and abilities for ministry use.
- Mission. Missional action is seen through evangelism with power, healing, and spiritual encounter.
Fourth Stream – The Social Justice Tradition (Compassionate Life)
This stream emphasizes that the gospel leads to concrete compassion for those facing forces beyond their control. For Foster, this stream emphasizes God’s heart for justice, the poor, and societal transformation. It sees faith as active love in the public square.
Traditions often associated with this include progressive Reformed and Presbyterian social witness traditions, Roman Catholic social teaching, Anglican social action, and liberation theology streams.
The following is how the social justice tradition shapes the church.
- Worship. The emphasis is on prayers for the world, lament, and intercession for justice.
- Discipleship. Spiritual formation happens through formation in mercy, advocacy, and public ethics.
- Stewardship. People express stewardship by showing generosity toward the poor and through systemic engagement.
- Mission. Missional action is done by addressing injustice, poverty, and oppression in society.
Fifth Stream – The Evangelical Tradition (Word-Centered Life)
This best fits us. This stream emphasizes Scripture, proclamation, conversion, and the authority of the Bible in shaping faith and life. It emphasizes the Word, that is Christ himself (incarnate), Scripture (written), and preaching (proclaimed). Much of church life is there to amplify that Word.
In Foster’s use, “evangelical” simply means Word-centered Christians who place Scripture at the center of faith and life.
Traditions associated with this include Baptists, many Reformed or Presbyterian traditions, and evangelical non-denominational churches.
The following is how the evangelical tradition shapes the church.
- Worship. The emphasis is on preaching-centered services with strong biblical teaching.
- Discipleship. Spiritual formation is done through Bible study, theological grounding, and memorization of Scripture.
- Stewardship. People express stewardship by the faithful use of resources to advance gospel proclamation.
- Mission. Missional action is done by acts of evangelism, church planting, and global missions.
Sixth Stream – The Incarnational (or Sacramental) Tradition (Embodied Life)
I grew up in this one as a Roman Catholic. This stream emphasizes God’s presence in the material world—creation, Sacraments, physical practices, and the sanctification of ordinary life. As Jesus himself is the Incarnation of God, so this stream seeks to be incarnational.
Traditions often associated with this include Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican or Episcopal, and Lutheran traditions.
The following is how the incarnational tradition shapes the church.
- Worship. The emphasis is on the Sacraments (for us Protestants, baptism and the Lord’s Supper), liturgy, and bodily practices like kneeling, laying on hands, or anointing with oil.
- Discipleship: Spiritual formation is done through rhythms, rituals, and embodied habits.
- Stewardship. People express stewardship by care for creation, beauty, and material responsibility.
- Mission. Missional action is done by witness through presence, hospitality, and embodied love in the world.
Bringing the Streams Together
Foster’s main point is that no one stream is sufficient on its own. That is a helpful corrective. A church shaped only by evangelism may lack depth. One shaped only by contemplation may lack engagement. One shaped only by justice may lack spiritual power.
Together, these streams form a fuller expression of life in Christ where worship is rich, discipleship is deep, stewardship is faithful, and mission is both compassionate and bold.
Swimming in Our Stream
With that in view, it is worth asking: what is distinctive about our stream, and why does it matter?
Scripture Comes First
The Westminster Confession of Faith, a great summary of the Christian faith, makes this clear by beginning with Scripture as its first topic. We believe Scripture is not to be worshipped as if Scripture itself is God, but, as Westminster puts it, the Scriptures are “the rule of faith and life” and “the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scripture is the supreme judge by which all controversies of religion are to be determined.”
Scripture Is Sufficient
This does not mean Scripture says everything about everything. It does mean that everything we need to know for salvation, for knowing God, and for faithful living has been given to us. We are not left guessing about who God is or how to follow him. In a world full of competing voices, this anchors us.
Worship Is Shaped by the Word
The flow of our worship each week is not random. It is shaped by the Scripture that is read and preached. As we plan services here, we talk about how all of the elements of worship are to be “a megaphone” to make the Scripture of the day heard clearer. We are called to worship by the Word, we confess in light of the Word, we hear the Word preached, and we are sent out to live the Word. The entire service becomes a kind of conversation in which God speaks and we respond.
Preaching Is Central, Not Incidental
In our stream, the sermon is not one element among many; it is central because we believe God uses the proclamation of his Word to form his people. This is not about personality or performance, but about faithfully opening the Scriptures.
Discipleship Is Word-Formed
Growth happens as lives are shaped by Scripture through study, reflection, and obedience. Small groups, classes, and personal devotion all orbit around the Word.
Mission Is Word-Driven
We go into the world not simply with good intentions, but with good news. Evangelism, church planting, and global mission all flow from confidence that God works through his Word.
A Final Word
Knowing the other streams helps us appreciate the breadth of the body of Christ. It also helps us more clearly understand who we are. Our calling is not to be everything, but to be faithful in what we have been given.
As we do that, we remain open to learning from the other streams, while staying rooted in the Word that anchors us.
by The Rev. Dr. John Fullerton, FPC Senior Pastor