The first thing I want to do is simply state what our discipleship process will look like and then I will come back and defend each one later as needed. I believe that in keeping with what God wants (Matthew 28:19-20 – making disciples) that we must structure the ministry in such a way that this happens – a mature disciple assembly line if you will.
The first step in the process is Worship. When someone comes into our fellowship as a believer or as just a curious observer we plug them into our weekly worship service. Our weekly worship service is a focused event each week where the body gathers corporately to celebrate their relationship with God and each other as believers and to be encouraged by the preaching of God’s word. New believers and non-believers can be introduced to life in the body in the most non threatening environment available and begin their discipleship journey with something they can actually handle.
Before we go to the next step, I think it is important to address how the worship service will benefit a non believer. Even though the weekly worship service is designed for believers of all levels of spiritual maturity, it also gives the curious observer an opportunity to see that Christians are really not the weirdoes that the world makes us out to be. They will come curious and they will be presented with opportunities to have their questions answered. Our goal is to share Christ’s love with them while they are here and point them towards a relationship with Him. Hopefully the unchurched that visit with us are here because you have invited them from a circle in which you have come to know them. You would then also be a tool to be used of God to answer the questions they might have.
