What encourages continual transformation within the heart of a believer? Some say it is reading Scripture, while others might say that it is a healthy prayer life. Certainly, these items are vital and they incorporate two core activities of the Christian faith. Yet if you asked those who study neuroscience, it’s likely that they would have another item to add. Co-authored by Jim Wilder and Michel Hendricks, the book The Other Half of Church explores the neuroscience of transformational change and what we in the church can (and probably should) do in order to unlock huge opportunities for our churchgoers’ spiritual growth.
Transformational Change in Your Small Group
1. Transformational change: Our Brain’s Two Halves
For those who remembered their lessons from high school biology, our brain is made up of what our authors refer to as two “processors” (the left and the right), which work together but specialize in different responsibilities. While it is common that the right side of the brain is often associated with art or emotions and the left side of the brain is often associated with logic or problem solving, what may not be as commonly understood is that all of the information that our brain receives will traverse through a pathway that begins on the right side of our brain before it travels to the left side of our brain. As a result, our right brain processes data more quickly than our left brain. According to Wilder, “The right hemisphere process that creates our working identity integrates our reality six times per second. The brain brings together current experience and emotionally important personal memories to create an active sense of who we are in our relationships at that moment.”
