Our Discipleship Pathway Program was developed to ensure that Stafford Seventh-day (SDA) Church establishes and maintains a culture of being missional for the Kingdom of Christ. We believe that each step/milestone on the Discipleship Pathway is a key step of faith that every person who joins us needs to take to live an active life of discipleship with Jesus and be effective for ministry in the community. We look forward to taking these steps together as we create a life-changing movement here at Stafford SDA Church.
Step 1: Come and See (John 1:35-39)
To those that are spiritual seekers, the challenge is to “come and see” Jesus. God is at work; the seeker has a searching or a longing in their heart and mind that brings them to Jesus. To truly see Jesus is to be confronted with our own evil and spiritual deadness and to then see the gracious work of God through Christ. It is only by trusting in Christ’s work that we can be rescued and saved. The curriculum for this step is:
1) Introduction of what it means to be a disciple of Christ
2) The Bible—The Word of God
- Discover how the Bible was translated and tips on choosing a Bible
- Learn how to memorize scripture
Step 2: Follow me (John 1:43; Matthew 4:19)
"Follow me" assumes a commitment to learn and to become like Jesus in His character and priorities. Paul captures the essence of the endeavor in 1 Corinthians 11:1 when he implores the church at Corinth to be imitators of him as he is an imitator of Christ. The curriculum for this step is:
1) The importance of prayer in the life of a disciple and types of prayer
2) Becoming filled with the Holy Spirit
3) Identifying the voice of God
Step 3: Abide in me (John 15:4)
To “abide” is to live, continue, or remain; so, to abide in Christ is to live in Him or remain in Him. The curriculum for this step is:
1) Develop a worship experience with God
2) Understanding Bible prophesy as a biblical view of current/world events
Step 4: Be with Me (Mark 3:14a)
Accepting the call to discipleship means being a fisher of people (or a worker). The person is with Christ in purpose. It means that a person is actively engaged in community focused ministry and helping others to get to know Jesus Christ and to follow Him. The worker is others-oriented and actively participating in the mission of Jesus in the community. The curriculum for this step is:
1) The role of the disciple
2) Understand God’s High Calling
3) Understand Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) concepts of Discipleship
4) Take a spiritual gifts assessment
5) Engage in community-focused ministry
6) Review SDA fundamentals beliefs
Step 5: Sent – Being Missional (Mark 3:14b)
The key to this step is abiding in Christ. The fruit of multiplication flows from a relationship with Christ built on love, trust, obedience, and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The individual is trained on the principles and steps of community engagement and outreach evangelism. The curriculum for this step is:
1) Accepting the call to being missional
2) Understanding the relationship between ministry, community engagement, and multiplication