Helping New Christians Grow

a resource to help you help others begin their life with Christ

What is a Disciple? A disciple is simply someone who chooses to follow another for the purpose of becoming like them in every part of life. In the Christian’s case, we are disciples of Jesus Christ. We want to follow Him, learn from Him, and become like Him in every aspect of life. What is Discipleship? Discipleship is the process of coming alongside another believer for the purpose of helping them become more like Jesus. We do this in cooperation with the Holy Spirit who is at work in the person’s life and is the only one that can truly transform them (2 Corinthians 3:18, Philippians 1:6). Discipleship often works both ways as the one who is “discipling” also becomes more like Jesus through the process. Why is Discipleship Important? We are called to be disciples and commanded by Jesus to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). Therefore the work of discipleship is of the utmost importance to every Christian – it is our “Great Commission”.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Pre-Conversion Discipleship Jesus was known as a “friend of sinners” (Matt 11:19, Luke 7:33-35) and in reading the gospels we see that he very often began “discipling” His disciples before they really even understood his mission. Jesus knew that he must be intentionally relational with people from the start. Relationship is essential to discipleship. Effective discipleship begins with evangelism that is rooted in relationship. “Pre-conversion discipleship” or “friendship evangelism” is simply developing an authentic friendship with someone who has not yet decided to follow Jesus and lovingly leading them into the kingdom, which then naturally leads to relational discipleship. In today’s world, many people want to know that they belong before they will believe. And in a world that is often skeptical towards Christianity, many people need to first have a relationship with a Christian before they will be open to hearing the Gospel. Often, the most effective tool for sharing the Gospel is your own life that has been transformed by God. Non-Christians can best see our lives when we intentionally develop relationships with them. Unfortunately, statistics show that the longer a person is a Christian the less they have regular contact with people who are not Christians. Therefore, in order to continue in the Great Commission to make disciples of all people, Christians need to be intentional about developing relationships with non-Christians. This means that we must step outside of our comfort zones and purposefully get into the lives of non-Christians. If we hope to impact the world and see people come to Christ we must, as Jesus said, be in the world (John 17:18). Step by Step An important aspect of pre-conversion discipleship is to understand that everyone is in a different place in the journey to Jesus. Effective pre-conversion discipleship requires us to identify where a person is when it comes to faith in God and meeting them where they are. It can be helpful to view a person’s spiritual journey in the following way (based on the Engle Scale of Evangelism):

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 Negative five represents being far from God and for the most part uninterested in Christianity. Zero is the point in life when a person decides to turn from their old way and follow Jesus. Positive five is a person who is mature and leading others in the faith. Very rarely will a person go from –5 to 0 in an instant and neither will a person go from 0 to +5 overnight. People move along the scale step by step. When it comes to “pre-conversion discipleship” we are focusing on helping a person move from the negative side to zero – “the point of decision”. What we must remember is that this is a process and it takes time. We cannot get discouraged if a person does not jump from -3 to 0 the first time we tell them about the gospel.

Studies show that many people are presented with the gospel several times before they make a decision to follow Christ. Now, this does not mean that we beat people over the head until they choose Jesus! It means that we work alongside the Holy Spirit in the persons life; softening their hearts by being a living example of God’s transforming power and love and when the time is right presenting them with the message of salvation through Jesus (see John 10:9, Acts 4:12, Romans 3:23-24, 5:10, 6:23, 10:9). Evangelism and Discipleship are like two sides to the same coin. The goal of each is to see people put their faith in and follow Jesus, and then learning to live in the Kingdom of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. The purpose of “pre-conversion discipleship” is to enter a person life (friendship) and partner with the Holy Spirit in the work of bringing that person up the negative side of the scale. The authentic relationship that is formed before a person commits themselves to Christ serves as the foundation for continued effective discipleship.

Suggestions • Join a community group with the intent purpose of developing a

friendship with a non-Christian • Invite a non-Christian co-worker or neighbor to your house for

dinner / game night • Find a way to use your hobby as a way of connecting with a non-

Christian

New Believer Care

Once a person gets to the “zero” point on the scale and becomes a Christian a new life has begun! This is a great time of celebration. It is also a point in that person’s life that they vitally need someone to come alongside them and teach them this new way of life in God’s Kingdom. A new Christian is just like a newborn baby. They need care, love, and attention. Just as we would never expect a newborn child to function on their own, we cannot expect a new Christian to instantly be able to live the new life without the help of a mature Christian to show them the way. One of the greatest tragedies in the Church is when a person comes to Jesus but is left to fend for them self. It is the responsibility of every Christian to bring a new believer “under their wing” as they begin this new life. A person who gives their life to Christ on Sunday goes to the same job on Monday, to the same family, the same friends. Without a mature Christian to guide them they will feel the strong pull to return to life as “normal”. The Devil wants to snatch away that new believer and bring them back into his grip, and that is what often happens when there is no one there for the new Christian.

Love is the Key The key ingredient to “parenting” a new Christian is love. We don’t need to be an expert in the Bible or have a perfect life in order to effectively lead a new Christian. If we will love the new Christian with the love of God, we won’t go wrong for “love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8). Yes, it is important that the Christian be mature and actively seeking a deeper walk with Christ, but we must never let our fear of failure because we don’t “know enough” prevent us from doing the work God has commanded us to do. If we will commit to coming alongside a new believer with a heart of love and openness to the Holy Spirit, God will respond to our obedience and guide us as we guide them. A Few Essentials Every new Christian is different. People have different backgrounds, different lifestyles, different worldviews. Therefore, it is essential to be led by the Holy Spirit and be flexible to the differing needs of a new believer. However, there are some basic elements that every new Christian should be taught:

• Prayer – new Christians will most likely need to be taught how to pray. Prayer is not meant to be complicated, it is meant to be simple conversation with God. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray He gave them the Lords Prayer as a model (Matthew 6:9-13). The important thing to teach them is that God wants us to talk to Him about everything going on in our life. Take time to pray with them and teach them by example.

• Bible – a new Christian’s knowledge of and experience with the Bible will

probably be limited or even distorted. It is important to begin to teach them how to read the Bible in a way that allows it to shape their life, not just give them information. Help them to see that it is not a rule book nor is it a boring book, but rather it is the exciting, living, relevant, life-changing Word of God. It is often best to have a new Christian begin reading in the New Testament – preferably the gospels. Take time to read it with them, discuss it, and help them to apply it.

“Teach them…” Part of the “Great Commission” of Jesus is to “teach them everything I have commanded you”. The context of relationship provides the opportunity to lovingly teach a new believer the ways of Jesus. Whenever the opportunity arises to teach a new believer the following process will be helpful: For an example we will consider teaching a new believer about Bible reading

• Tell them – Rather than simply telling a new Christian to read the Bible “just because”, explain to them why it is important to their spiritual growth.

• Show them – they watch, you do. Take a portion of Scripture and read it together. Show them how to go about studying it and meditating on it.

• Do it with them – You both do it together. Share the responsibility of studying and applying the Scripture. Ask questions to help them think about the Scriptures.

• Let them go – They do, you watch. Give them an “assignment” and then come back together to discuss what you’ve found. Or read together, but allow them to take the lead this time.

It is important to let the Holy Spirit guide you in knowing when to teach and the best approach for teaching a new Christian. Everyone learns differently and the Holy Spirit knows the unique personality of every Christian, so He will be able to lead us in effectively teaching a new believer. “Everything I have commanded you…” Jesus told us to teach what we have been taught. We cannot pass on something that we do not have. It is important that as maturing Christians, we are constantly growing in the “grace and knowledge of Jesus” (2 Peter 3:18). We must be growing in our own life if we hope to help a new Christian grow.

Recommended Resources for Discipling a New Believer

• The New Believer’s Handbook (gospelpublishing.com) • The New Believer’s Friend Handbook (gospelpublishing.com) • Training with Jesus: Essential Spiritual Training for Beginning the Journey

(lulu.com)

More… The Alpha Course – this is a 12 week practical introduction to Christianity. This course will not only help new believers learn the basics of the faith, but it also gives them an opportunity to develop friendships through small group discussion and a shared meal. The Alpha Course has been taken by over 19 million people around the world. The course is also great for people who have not yet decided to follow Jesus, but would like to learn more about Christianity in a casual, friendly environment. For more info visit www.alpha.org Calvary Assembly of God currently offers the Alpha Course. You can visit www.calvarydover.org to find out when the next course will be offered.

Suggestions • Schedule a regular time to get together with the new Christian –

show them you care by making it a priority. • In addition to the scheduled time, connect with them at random

times with an occasional phone call or by having an impromptu lunch together.

• Develop the relationship by doing fun things together. • At church, sit with them in service or attend a Sunday school class

with them and introduce them to people. • Commit to praying for them on a daily basis.

Doing Life Together With Jesus

Discipleship is all about doing life together with Jesus. When a person becomes a Christian they are brought into the family of God. They become our brothers and sisters. A natural progression after caring for a new believer is to simply “do life together with Jesus” as fellow disciples. At first, a new Christian needs a “mentor” or “parent” type of person in their life. As they grow, connect with other believers, and mature, what they will need more is people who are doing life right alongside them. Now, having a spiritual mentor is a good thing to have no matter what our maturity. But in thinking about the process of discipling a new believer, our role will most likely shift into one that is more of a “side by side” role. As the newer Christian grows we will see this happen naturally, and we should rejoice in the growth that is taking place! This does not mean that we are no longer available to them, it just means that the roles have changed. At this point in the new believer’ growth, they will have developed friendships with other Christians, will have a growing and active prayer life, will be actively learning from what they read in Scripture, and you will be able to see a difference in the way they live their daily life. So now…

• Connect with your friend and discover where they are in their journey to Christ (pre-discipleship or ready to follow Jesus)

• Build a relationship with them. Have lunch, coffee, or just spend time together. Get to know them and their life. God is interested in them, you be too!

• If they’ve taken a step of faith to become a Christian, ask them if they’d like to meet regularly to learn how to be a follower of Jesus.

• Use the resources available, but don’t forget the most valuable resource: Your own life that is continually being transformed by God. Lead by example

For more help and further equipping on how to effectively disciple,

please contact Calvary’s Discipleship Pastor, Paul Bowman at pbowman@calvarydover.org or 302-697-7776 x123