Next Steps
As we choose to follow the teachings of Jesus, sometimes it is hard to determine what our next steps should be, and what areas of our life should be included. The Discipleship Pathway is a series of “next steps” in five areas of spiritual life:
- Worship
- Learning in Small Groups
- Serving Others in Need
- Volunteering in the Church
- Generosity
The Pathway then provides Vestavia Methodist’s best opportunities to expand on these areas when we are:
- new to the church or faith (Discovering),
- looking for a deeper and more committed opportunities (Engaging), and
- ready to give significantly from our lives to God and others (Transforming).
There is no magic formula for who is at what stage in their journey, and some parts of our journey may progress more deeply and rapidly than others. But persons can explore below the best opportunities for their journey.
Discover
As persons first attend or engage in a church, it is often hard to know where to start. The Discovering step is the place to find an easy first experience. Many of these recommended options have a minimal time commitment and are friendly for both adults and children, so entire families may participate together.
Engage
Once a person has connected with the church, there is often a desire to engage more deeply with God and others. The options in this step have longer term commitments, and help develop long lasting relationships through serving in the church and serving others in need.
Transform
As persons grow deeper in faith, there is a point that they give increasingly more of their time, talents, and resources for God’s purposeses. The opportunities in this step require deeper commitments, but can lead to a deeper relationship with God.
The Spiritual Story of the Discipleship Pathway
The Pathway crosses these five areas of faith with three broad steps in spiritual development, based on the theology of John and Charles Wesley. Click here to read the full story.