going Full Circle
Becoming the Disciple Maker God Intended...
Step 2 - Connect
Those at the Child or Connect stage are shifting from a focus on self to a focus on God. Many believers are able to jump into the Bible and learn on their own as the Holy Spirit is guiding them.
Connecting with others is primary though at this stage. Learning the value of growing with others and being accountable is a huge step. The journey of spiritual growth will take off as we learn to share, grow, and minister together. We truly begin to discover our purpose.
Continue with any steps or studies you are currently following in the Share stage. When you are ready, begin investigating the sections below on your own. As well, connect with you Connection Group leader, mentor, and group friends. Look into resources you find in Right Now Media / Pursue God / Got Questions. Truths from God’s word and from these great tools will guide you as you journey this path with other believers. You will find yourself connecting deeper with God and growing closer to God’s family. Pursue God website is best navigated with a mentor. They will help you find appropriate topics and studies and help keep you accountable to new growth.
In this phase, Ask yourself - God what are you trying to teach me about connecting to you, others, and to my world? (HEAD) How are you changing me as I make these new connections? (HEART) and How can I begin to serve and help others who need to know you? (HANDS)
At your own pace and your choosing do some exploring and continue your journey on this discipleship path. You do not have to complete every study below but we do encourage you to grow in God and each of these will help you to do this.
Connecting with others is primary though at this stage. Learning the value of growing with others and being accountable is a huge step. The journey of spiritual growth will take off as we learn to share, grow, and minister together. We truly begin to discover our purpose.
Continue with any steps or studies you are currently following in the Share stage. When you are ready, begin investigating the sections below on your own. As well, connect with you Connection Group leader, mentor, and group friends. Look into resources you find in Right Now Media / Pursue God / Got Questions. Truths from God’s word and from these great tools will guide you as you journey this path with other believers. You will find yourself connecting deeper with God and growing closer to God’s family. Pursue God website is best navigated with a mentor. They will help you find appropriate topics and studies and help keep you accountable to new growth.
In this phase, Ask yourself - God what are you trying to teach me about connecting to you, others, and to my world? (HEAD) How are you changing me as I make these new connections? (HEART) and How can I begin to serve and help others who need to know you? (HANDS)
At your own pace and your choosing do some exploring and continue your journey on this discipleship path. You do not have to complete every study below but we do encourage you to grow in God and each of these will help you to do this.
Connecting to God
Bottom Line - You cannot help others to have a deep relationship with God if you don’t have one yourself. So let’s answer a couple of questions together:
If you have taken the Growth Finder assessment - we would encourage you to look over your results and see how you scored in Share, Connect, Minister, and Disciple phases. Look at the suggested helps and begin working on those to grow closer to God. As well, share with a mentor or friend where you need some help. Below you will find some suggested studies to help you Connect to God. You should naturally see growth in the first stage at this point.
Your Story / His Story - Max Lucado
Knowing God - Tony Evans
Prayer - How to Talk to God / Conversational Relationship with God /
Bible - Understanding the Books. / The Bible / Basics of Studying
Worship - Pathway of Praise / Heart of Worship
Devotions - www.bible.com
- What are the strengths of your relationship with God?
- What areas of your relationship could be improved?
If you have taken the Growth Finder assessment - we would encourage you to look over your results and see how you scored in Share, Connect, Minister, and Disciple phases. Look at the suggested helps and begin working on those to grow closer to God. As well, share with a mentor or friend where you need some help. Below you will find some suggested studies to help you Connect to God. You should naturally see growth in the first stage at this point.
Your Story / His Story - Max Lucado
Knowing God - Tony Evans
Prayer - How to Talk to God / Conversational Relationship with God /
Bible - Understanding the Books. / The Bible / Basics of Studying
Worship - Pathway of Praise / Heart of Worship
Devotions - www.bible.com
Connecting to the Church
You hopefully completed Discovering Membership and you have a strong understanding of JIBC and our approach to ministry and discipleship. As a result of that time together we strongly suggest spending time growing in new friendships with those who have the same Purpose Driven desire that you have as well. If you have not joined a Connection Group then that is your next step.
You don’t have to go Full Circle before you become an active participant and servant in the church. In fact, you really won’t learn to be more like Jesus until you are becoming a servant just as he was. So begin to find ways that you are comfortable giving back. We have many great ministry teams that are entry level and will give you a chance to build relationships, grow with others, and make new friends. You will transition quickly from being attender in the crowd to being a fully devoted church member.
Interested in jumping in to a particular ministry - please connect with one of our staff members about your desire to serve.
Understanding The Church - Big Church
Committed - Not a Fan / Covenant Community
Serving - Serving God
You don’t have to go Full Circle before you become an active participant and servant in the church. In fact, you really won’t learn to be more like Jesus until you are becoming a servant just as he was. So begin to find ways that you are comfortable giving back. We have many great ministry teams that are entry level and will give you a chance to build relationships, grow with others, and make new friends. You will transition quickly from being attender in the crowd to being a fully devoted church member.
Interested in jumping in to a particular ministry - please connect with one of our staff members about your desire to serve.
Understanding The Church - Big Church
Committed - Not a Fan / Covenant Community
Serving - Serving God
Connecting to Your World
This might be the easiest part of the Connect phase. It is simple you just be the new you that you are becoming and look for opportunities where God is working and jump right in to share your story. We will equip you with the tools to succeed in this area and it will help you to quickly transition into the next phase of Ministry.
Living in the World and Not of it - Part 1 / Part 2 (Tony Evans)
Biblical WorldView
Living Out loud - Francis Chan - Book of James / Counter Culture
Discovering Purpose - Driven by Purpose /. Rick Warren - Small Group Study
Living in the World and Not of it - Part 1 / Part 2 (Tony Evans)
Biblical WorldView
Living Out loud - Francis Chan - Book of James / Counter Culture
Discovering Purpose - Driven by Purpose /. Rick Warren - Small Group Study
Discovering Maturity - It is your next spiritual marker. Before jumping from Discovering Membership straight into Discovering Maturity, we want to ask you to spend some time with some of the studies above and regularly attend a Connection Group. We would love for you to go ahead and get involved with a ministry team as well. All of these experiences will help you to grow closer to God and to others. Once you have completed Discovering Maturity the next step is to give you some personal direction on how God has shaped you to serve. If you have any questions about connecting to a group or a ministry team please reach out to our Assoc Pastor - Scott.