We want to be a church where our members do not simply show up on Sunday mornings and disappear for a week. Rather, we want to be passionate and deliberate about our helping one another to follow Jesus more faithfully, and we believe that is accomplished through Christians living life together in intentional, loving relationships where we seek to do good to one another spiritually.
That is the essence of discipling -- proactively and intentionally coming alongside of another Christian to help him or her grow more into the image of Jesus. Understood this way, we believe discipling is a basic responsibility and privilege for all followers of Jesus. It is not primarily a program or special event in the life of the church, but an ordinary part of being a Christian.
Our church has different structures and vehicles for promoting discipling among our members, but our deepest desire is for a culture of discipling to flourish more and more...a culture where it's normal for younger Christians to discuss spiritual matters over meals with older Christians, or for younger Christians to spend time in older Christians’ homes to see them apply their faith to every area of life. A culture where a pair of working professionals meet up early for breakfast to read through a Christian book together, or where mothers with young children meet up to discuss what they've been reading that week in Scripture while the kids play, or where a handful of members get lunch after the worship service and apply the sermon to each other's lives.
Click here for some quick tips on how to get started in discipling other Christians, or talk to a pastor to learn how you can get connected in our Body through loving relationships aimed at helping one another to follow Jesus more faithfully. While this kind of relational initiative may stretch some of us more than others, we believe that the intentional, purposeful, humble and joyful pursuit of others' spiritual well-being is a vital way in which all Christians seek to love others as we have been loved in Christ.