Welcome to the Disciple-Making Portal!
This page is intended to be a resource database for those who want to come alongside others to encourage them in their spiritual growth, no matter where they are at. You'll find ideas, training videos, and suggested reading in the links below. Feel free to peruse this portal so that you know what is available, and if you need anything else, please be sure to reach out to pastortim@faithjanesville.org
What is discipleship?
Discipleship is a fancy word that means we are to follow the example of Jesus and do what He did. He has asked us to go and build relationships people so that they could experience the love of God through us - one person at a time. It is our desire and prayer that every person at Faith would have access to someone who will intentionally build into their lives with encouragement to pursue the will of God with all their heart. The end goal is to make disciples who make disciples until we reach the ends of the earth - literally!
At Faith, we are encouraging everyone to "D.I.E." to themselves as Jesus did. What we mean by this is that we are called to DO what Jesus did, IMITATE His character, and ENJOY His presence - D.I.E. Our theme verse for this comes from Galatians 2:20 where the Apostle Paul says, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." We are choosing to die to our own plans so that we can live out God's plan for our lives.
If you want to learn more about what it can look like to come alongside of someone to help them grow in their faith but don't know how, we encourage you to take some time to look at each of the videos in the online mentoring section below. This is a great way to get your conversation off to a good start!
Are you ready to join in?
As someone who wants to invest your life into helping others, where do you start? Well, first it's good to identify someone who is eager to connect and grow. We've found that it's best when it happens naturally. Do you have a friend that you can build into? Is there someone that you connect well with? Perhaps this will be someone who has some commons interests. Pray about who God might want you to come alongside of for a period of time for the purpose of spiritual growth.
Once you've identified a person that is ready to learn, it’s a good idea to make a general assessment of where your friend is at in their spiritual growth journey. What do they need most right now? A listening ear? Bible knowledge? Accountability to make better choices? What can you do to help them to take their next step in God’s plan for their life? We have an assessment that you can fill out or you can ask them to fill out to get an idea about what God has been doing in their life. Click on the link for the Spiritual Growth Assessment tool. You might work through it for them, you could have them fill it out, or it might be best to work through it together. Feel free to fill it out for yourself and share your findings with each other. It can be a great way to break the ice! When you have a good idea of what they need most, take a look at some of the suggested ideas below.
Once you've identified a person that is ready to learn, it’s a good idea to make a general assessment of where your friend is at in their spiritual growth journey. What do they need most right now? A listening ear? Bible knowledge? Accountability to make better choices? What can you do to help them to take their next step in God’s plan for their life? We have an assessment that you can fill out or you can ask them to fill out to get an idea about what God has been doing in their life. Click on the link for the Spiritual Growth Assessment tool. You might work through it for them, you could have them fill it out, or it might be best to work through it together. Feel free to fill it out for yourself and share your findings with each other. It can be a great way to break the ice! When you have a good idea of what they need most, take a look at some of the suggested ideas below.
Where do you think they are they at, spiritually?
After taking time to assess where your friend is at spiritually, take a look at the options below and choose the most appropriate option. Feel free to look at the other resources as well in case any of them might come in handy.
