New Hope Church’s Discipleship Pathway

Discipleship stages can help us see where we are and where others are so we can encourage growing from one stage to the next. We used the stages advocated by Jim Putman in his article The 5 Stages Of Growth Of A Disciple, and listed below is his description of each stage.

Baby

In this stage, “people have accepted Christ, but haven’t moved much past that point. They can be new believers, or they might be stagnant, long-time Christians. Life is generally all about them and their needs.”

Child

In this stage, “people are growing in their relationship with God and are also beginning to grow in their relationship with other Christians. They are applying God’s Word in their life and allowing others to walk beside them in their journey following Christ. However, it’s still mostly about them – their needs, comfort, etc.”

Young Adult

In this stage, “people are making a big shift from being self-centered to more others centered. They’re beginning to understand their role as a giver, rather than a taker – ministering to others, putting others first – being doers of the Word.”

Parent

In this stage, “the Parent has a solid understanding of God’s Word and a deep, abiding relationship with the Father. They are living out God’s Word in their lives daily. They are others-centered and God-dependent. They can reproduce mature disciples of Christ by inviting others to follow them as they follow Christ.”

Knowing

• Understand new identity in Christ
• Authority of God’s Word
• Spiritual disciplines (praying, bible reading, fasting, serving, stewardship)
• How to pray
• How to read the Bible
• Basic doctrines of the faith (16 fundamental truths)
• Holy Spirit and following Him
• Spiritual Gifts
• Obedience to God’s Word
• Understand the New Testament “one another” commands

Doing

• Practice spiritual disciplines (praying, bible reading, fasting, serving, stewardship)
• Obedience to God’s Word
• Increasing victory over sin
• Eagerly seek Holy Spirit baptism

Connecting

• Commit to a local church body
• Contribute to one on one teaching, small groups, prayer, and youth ministry (for youth)
• Be intentional about building relationships with other Christians and others in the local church body

Loving the Church Body

• Practice living out “one another” commands
• Start serving in the local church body

Loving the Community and World

• Participate and contribute to church outreach (food pantry, Washington park, Tuesday cooking for kids, blood drives)

Knowing

• How and be able to defend faith
• Recognize false teaching
• Understand biblical conflict resolution
• How to disciple someone

Doing

• Teaching the Word to others
• Encourage the hurting and struggling
• Share faith with boldness

Connecting

• Pray for all areas in church and the church body
• Be intentional about building relationships with others in local church body

Loving the Church Body

• Serve using your spiritual gifts to build up the body of Christ Protect the local church body from false teachers and teaching
• Meet the needs of the church including visiting the sick, comforting the bereaved, strengthening the weak, and visiting new believers and followers
• Regularly serve and lead the church and/or its ministries as well as mentor others serving in the same areas
• Regularly share your life with others in the local church body outside of church events
• Be an example for others to imitate living out “one another” commands
• Seek others (inside and outside the local church body) to disciple and mentor

Loving the Community and World

• Regularly being the light to those in community and non-believers
• Regularly serve and lead church outreach (food pantry, Washington park, Tuesday cooking for kids, blood drives) to be the light in our community, share about God’s love for them, and demonstrate for others serving in outreach events