God created us and loves us completely, deeply, and abundantly. God is always pursuing us and inviting us into relationship. As we learn more about God, we are introduced to Jesus. When God wanted people to know what God was like, Jesus came to live among people to be “God with us.” As we come to know Jesus, many of us make the decision to follow Jesus as a disciple/a learner. As we learn more about following Jesus, many people make the decision to believe that Jesus is who he claims to be. After the decision is made to follow Jesus, our lives begin to change to reflect our desire to be more and more like Jesus. As we learn to live as God has created us, we are transformed into deeply devoted followers of Jesus. As we walk this journey of faith, everyone also experiences times of doubt and questions their faith.
This spiritual journey is marked by stages. At St. John’s, we want to help people discover where they are on this journey. This is called your “home stage.” After identifying your home stage, we encourage everyone to participate in opportunities that will help them grow and learn. Use the questionnaire below to help you identify your “home stage.” Then, click the link to discover more about that stage and your opportunities for growth in that stage.
Come and See
A person might be in this stage if these questions about faith, life, and Jesus are true for you:
-Who is Jesus?
-Are you seeking something more?
-Are you exploring your faith?
-Are you curious about Jesus?
If this sounds like where you are in your spiritual journey, click HERE to find out more about Come and See.
Follow
A person might be in this stage if these questions about faith, life, and Jesus are true for you:
-Why follow Jesus?
-Are you interested in growing and serving?
-Are you eager to learn to pray or read the bible?
-Are you interested in discovering your spiritual gifts?
If this sounds like where you are in your spiritual journey, click HERE to find out more about Follow.
Come and Be
A person might be in this stage if these questions about faith, life and Jesus are true for you:
-How do I spend more time with Jesus?
-Are you connecting to God daily through spiritual disciplines?
-Are you interested in learning to use your spiritual gifts?
-Are you beginning to apply scripture to your daily life?
If this sounds like where you are in your spiritual journey, click HERE to find out more about Come and Be.
Abide and Bear Fruit
A person might be in this stage if these questions about faith, life and Jesus are true for you:
-What am I holding back from Jesus?
-Are you taking full responsibility for your spiritual growth?
-Are you mentoring someone in the faith?
-Are you relying on God daily?
If this sounds like where you are in your spiritual journey, click HERE to find out more about Abide and Bear Fruit.
The Wall
A person might be in this stage if these questions about faith, life and Jesus are true for you:
-Where is God?
-Are you feeling stuck in your faith?
-Are you feeling distant from God?
-Are you frustrated and have doubts?
If this sounds like where you are in your spiritual journey, click HERE to find out more about The Wall.
Come and See
People in this stage of their spiritual journey are not yet believers in Jesus Christ. They might be curious about who Jesus is. They are drawn to authentic Christians and interested in discovering who Jesus is. The invitation to these curious people is “Come and See.” This is the invitation that Jesus gave to the first disciples in John 1:35-39 (NRSV). The…
Follow
People in this stage have declared their belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Lord of their Life. Now, people are learning how to follow Jesus. When Jesus gathered his disciples around him, he had to teach them about who he was and how to be a disciple. They learned just like we learn. Jesus invited the disciples to…
Come and Be
People in this stage are shifting from DOING things to learning to BE in the presence of God. This is a stage of more intimacy with God–a sharing of our self with God and learning to let go of relying on ourselves. In this stage, we begin to allow God to shape our thoughts and actions. We are becoming more and more…
Abide and Bear Fruit
People in this stage are working on completely relying on God in all circumstances and fully surrendering their life to Christ. In this stage, people are trying to discover how they can serve God with their spiritual gifts and talents and joining God in God’s work in the world. People are paying attention to their motives and trying to be more Christ-centered…
The Wall
There are times in our spiritual journey when we are filled with doubts and questions about God, our life of faith, or how we are to follow Christ. There are life events that call into question where God is at work. God seems absent. People at this stage can become confused, disillusioned, discouraged or stuck in their faith. Not to worry–this is…