The mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. When our congregations are intentional in disciple-making, they are more likely to reach those who have not connected with the church and to grow them through whatever stage of faith they occupy. This means both helping move persons from no faith to faith, beginning a life of following Jesus, and helping persons who already have faith to grow and serve. To be effective, this intentional system of making disciples should be prayerfully crafted, providing clear and tangible ways of engaging in the life of a disciple.

Knowing the Stages of Discipleship Development

The stages of discipleship are searching, exploring, beginning, growing and maturing. A successful disciple-making system creates opportunities for persons to mature from one stage to another.

Developmental Tasks

The developmental tasks – worship, community, spiritual practices, generosity and service, and being Christ-like – are the necessary elements of a maturing disciple. An effective disciple-making system provides opportunities to perform these tasks for people at each stage of discipleship.