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The StepUp Discipleship Pathway
StepUp is one way our church is organizing our effort to make disciples. Discipleship is a concept that comes from the Bible. The book of Matthew closes with an important statement from Jesus called "The Great Commission".
Then Jesus came to them. He said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. So you must go and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.'
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At CWC, we take "go and make disciples" really seriously. Not only did Jesus make disciples, He called us to do the same thing. StepUp is a process we use at CWC to help us in our disciple making effort. The StepUp book has 29 chapters beginning with “Who Is God?” and ending with “Baptism”. Click on some of these samples you're curious...
    Discipleship is not just information, though. It's way more than just a book. As Jesus walked with His disciples, He invited them into conversations and experiences that proved to be transforming in their lives. God’s desire for the Christian disciple is not just information but transformation. God is not just teaching us new things, He is making us new people! Over the course of this book, you will be introduced to a lot of new content organized into lessons. It would be easy to study the information and call the process of learning “discipleship”.
Discipleship is more than a book. It's not just information, it’s transformation. For this reason, this “Step Up” book includes an element in every chapter called “Transformation Conversation”. In this section, you will be given a list of questions or prompts to choose from. These questions and prompts have been gathered from a variety of sources both old and new. Quite a few of them are borrowed from John Wesley who used them regularly with his “holy club”. They are intended to spur a heart-felt discussion about the development of our faith. Be open and honest. Lean in with vulnerability. Information without transformation is not discipleship. God wants to transform our hearts as we follow Jesus every day. The Holy Spirit will help you during these Transformation Conversations. Be obedient and go deep! |
Just a note: you can get a StepUp book cheaper if you buy through the church. However, if you're not in the area and want one mailed to you, try Amazon.
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So how do we get started?
Step #1: Accept Jesus' example and commission to "Go and Make Disciples". Just as Jesus walked with his disciples and shaped them in their faith, he has called us to repeat his example. His words "go and make disciples" in Matthew 28 are not just a suggestion, they are a serious instruction. He showed us how to do it and then called us to step up.
Step #2: Prayerfully identify and invite someone into a transformational relationship. Discipleship is a "transformational relationship" which means you need at least one person to meet with. Jesus had twelve, but, he's Jesus. Let's start with one. We recommend meeting either 1 on 1, 1 on 2 or 2 on 2. The point: keep it personal.
Step #3: Pick up a "StepUp" book. Discipleship is not a book, but books can serve as tools, guides or aides. The StepUp book is the tool that our church uses to facilitate a transformational relationship. You can grab one at the back of the sanctuary or order one online.
Step #4: Agree on a weekly time and location that is free from distractions. Pick something that's regular. Preferably weekly. Try and plan for an hour at minimum. Do your best to remove distractions so that you can focus on the soul work that needs to happen. Put phones away. Kids to bed. Etc. Make this time a sacred time.
Step #5: Keep it deep, consistent and honest. We all have a tendency to gravitate toward small talk or avoid getting into the heavy stuff. Discipleship can be heavy. It's about the soul and the maturing of our faith. Try beginning with the "Faith Journey Pathway" chart. Talk through it. Figure out where each of you are right now. Tell the story of different moments in life where you were at one of the other stages. This conversation can help set the direction of your time together and get the ball rolling.
Step #1: Accept Jesus' example and commission to "Go and Make Disciples". Just as Jesus walked with his disciples and shaped them in their faith, he has called us to repeat his example. His words "go and make disciples" in Matthew 28 are not just a suggestion, they are a serious instruction. He showed us how to do it and then called us to step up.
Step #2: Prayerfully identify and invite someone into a transformational relationship. Discipleship is a "transformational relationship" which means you need at least one person to meet with. Jesus had twelve, but, he's Jesus. Let's start with one. We recommend meeting either 1 on 1, 1 on 2 or 2 on 2. The point: keep it personal.
Step #3: Pick up a "StepUp" book. Discipleship is not a book, but books can serve as tools, guides or aides. The StepUp book is the tool that our church uses to facilitate a transformational relationship. You can grab one at the back of the sanctuary or order one online.
Step #4: Agree on a weekly time and location that is free from distractions. Pick something that's regular. Preferably weekly. Try and plan for an hour at minimum. Do your best to remove distractions so that you can focus on the soul work that needs to happen. Put phones away. Kids to bed. Etc. Make this time a sacred time.
Step #5: Keep it deep, consistent and honest. We all have a tendency to gravitate toward small talk or avoid getting into the heavy stuff. Discipleship can be heavy. It's about the soul and the maturing of our faith. Try beginning with the "Faith Journey Pathway" chart. Talk through it. Figure out where each of you are right now. Tell the story of different moments in life where you were at one of the other stages. This conversation can help set the direction of your time together and get the ball rolling.
