Embrace Timeless Spiritual Disciplines
The Christian Practices Initiative
The Christian Practices Initiative is devoted to recovering and encouraging the historic spiritual rhythms that have shaped Christian life for centuries. Through practices such as prayer, Scripture, silence, community, and faithful stewardship, believers learn to cultivate attentiveness to God and faithfulness in daily life.
These practices are not new techniques or modern inventions. They are part of the shared heritage of the Church and have guided generations of believers in their walk with Christ. The Christian Practices Initiative seeks to make these rhythms accessible for contemporary believers, pastors, and ministry leaders who desire a deeper and more sustainable life of faith.
By integrating historic practices with thoughtful teaching and spiritual formation, the initiative encourages believers to develop habits that nurture spiritual maturity, strengthen leadership, and support faithful service in the world.
A Ministry of Tower of Praise, Inc.
Equipping Believers and Leaders
The Christian Practices Initiative is a ministry of Tower of Praise, Inc., a Christian nonprofit organization committed to equipping believers and ministry leaders through accessible theological education, leadership development, and spiritual formation.
Tower of Praise was founded in South Florida and serves churches and ministry leaders both locally and internationally. Through a variety of programs and initiatives, the organization seeks to support pastors, strengthen churches, and provide resources that help believers grow in their understanding of Scripture and their practice of faith.
Expanding Global Outreach
One of the primary initiatives of Tower of Praise is the Online Bible Institute, a free online program providing biblically grounded theological education and leadership development for believers around the world.
Since its launch in 2014, the Online Bible Institute has grown to include:
• More than 70 courses
• Over 500 active students
• Participants from multiple countries and ministry contexts
By offering accessible, free theological education, the Online Bible Institute seeks to equip pastors, ministry leaders, and believers who may not otherwise have access to formal training.
The Christian Practices Initiative complements this work by emphasizing the spiritual rhythms and practices that sustain lifelong discipleship and leadership.
Integrated Formation Initiatives
The Christian Practices Initiative also supports several related programs that help integrate spiritual practices with leadership formation and ministry development.
These initiatives include:
Online Bible Institute (OBI)
Free online theological education and biblical training.
Church Encourager Initiative (CEI)
Leadership encouragement and mentoring for pastors and ministry leaders.
Virtual Church Spark Initiative (VCS)
A renewal and support pathway designed to help churches rediscover spiritual vitality through coaching, digital resources, and leadership development.
Kingdom Influence Project (KIP)
Small cohort formation groups focused on contemplative prayer and spiritual attentiveness in leadership.
Kingdom Stewardship Initiative (KSI)
Faith-based financial stewardship and vocational discipleship.
Together, these initiatives seek to cultivate leaders who are not only knowledgeable but spiritually formed and attentive to the presence of God in their lives and ministries.
The Christian Practices Initiative continues to develop resources, courses, and formation pathways that help believers cultivate historic rhythms of faith for the challenges of modern life.
Our Journey
There was a season in my life when everything seemed to be in place. I was reading Scripture, praying, leading, and serving. The work was meaningful, and the pace of ministry was full. But beneath all of that, there was a quiet awareness I couldn’t ignore. Something was missing. It wasn’t that I needed to do more. In many ways, I was already doing a lot. What I began to realize was that there is a difference between doing things for God and being with God. And over time, that difference became more and more clear. I began to long for something deeper. Something more steady. Not just moments of connection, but a way of living that would continually bring me back to God’s presence.
That search led me to the Christian Practices.
At first, what drew me in was structure. Practices like the Daily Office offered a rhythm to my day that helped me return to Scripture and prayer in a more consistent way. And that structure was a gift. But over time, I began to understand something even more important. It’s not the structure that changes us. It’s the rhythm. The practices are not about checking boxes or achieving spiritual performance. They are about creating space in our lives to be with God. They help us return, again and again, to relationship.
And that relationship is always the center.
Out of this journey, a number of simple, daily rhythms began to take shape—Daily Psalt Intake, Daily Sage Intake, and Daily Strength Training. These are not meant to add pressure or complexity, but to offer accessible ways to engage Scripture, grow in wisdom, and be formed over time. Christian Practices exists to help you enter into that kind of life. Not a life of striving, but a life of abiding. Not driven by pressure, but shaped by grace. Not centered on doing more, but on being with God.
Wherever you are in your journey, you are welcome here. And if you are sensing that something might be missing…you may already be taking your first step into a deeper rhythm of grace.
The Voice Behind this Journey
This journey is shared by Pastor Steve Lawes, who serves as the lead pastor of Keys Vineyard Church, founder of the Online Bible Institute Network, and leads the Christian Practices initiative through Tower of Praise, Inc. His heart is to help people grow in a steady and authentic relationship with God through simple, accessible rhythms of Scripture, prayer, and spiritual formation.
What is shared here does not come from theory alone, but from a personal journey of learning, adjusting, and being shaped over time. The goal is not to offer a system to master, but a way of life to enter—one that is rooted in grace, formed through rhythm, and centered on relationship with God. Wherever you are in your journey, you are welcome here.