Synergy Resources

When someone comes to faith in Jesus Christ, it’s a cause for celebration. But as important as the initial commitment to Christ is, the question quickly becomes, "What comes next?" As believers grow in their faith, it's essential to guide them through the process of spiritual maturity, from starting as a new believer to eventually becoming a spiritual leader.

Below are key steps for discipling someone who has recently come to faith, helping them grow in godliness, and showing them how to engage in the life of the Church.

1. Encourage Engagement in a Local Church Community

The first essential step for a new believer is to get connected to a community of faith. The local church is where discipleship occurs, where both encouragement and accountability are provided, and where new believers can grow in their understanding of the Christian faith. This includes attending worship services, participating in classes, and joining small groups. Hebrews 3:12–13 emphasizes the importance of daily encouragement, which is best done in the context of a local church. New believers should be invited to attend services, classes, and small groups and to actively participate.

2. Baptism and Church Membership

Another foundational step for any new believer is baptism, as it signifies the believer's identification with the death and resurrection of Christ. Brand-new believers should be immersed in water to demonstrate that they have left their old life and publicly declare their commitment to follow Jesus. Church membership is also crucial, as it provides an official commitment to be overseen in their discipleship journey and to serve others within the church. This is aligned with the Great Commission in Matthew 28, where believers are called to be baptized and taught to observe all that Jesus commanded them.

3. Equip Them To Share the Gospel

New believers often have non-Christian friends and family members who need to hear the Gospel. As they grow in their faith, it is important to equip them to share the message of Jesus with those around them. Romans 10:14–17 reminds us that faith comes by hearing the Word of Christ, so new believers should be prepared to share the Gospel effectively and with conviction, offering hope to others who have not yet heard.

4. Get Them Into the Bible

A vital part of discipleship is encouraging new believers to spend time in the Bible. As they learn to read, study, meditate on, and engage with Scripture, they will begin to understand God’s will for their lives. Psalm 1 emphasizes the significance of meditating on God's Word day and night. Regular engagement with the Bible is transformative as the new believer learns to apply its teachings to their life.

5. Connect Them With Other Believers for Accountability

A strong Christian community is vital for spiritual growth. New believers need the support and accountability of other Christians to help them walk faithfully before God, especially as they will likely wander back towards sin patterns and habits. This can be done through relationships with others in their church, including regular meetings with discipleship groups or mentors. Accountability helps ensure that they don’t return to old patterns of sin but continue to grow in their walk with Christ.

6. Catechism

Catechism, or instruction about the Christian faith, is an excellent way to ground new believers in the core beliefs of Christianity. One helpful tool for this is the New City Catechism, an accessible (and free) app that walks believers through key Christian truths. New believers need to understand the basics of their faith, including what they believe about God, sin, salvation, and the Church. This understanding is foundational for their spiritual growth and their ability to communicate their faith.

7. Embody the Habits of Grace: Scripture and Prayer

To grow in godliness, new believers need to develop habits of grace, especially the practices of prayer and Bible study. These habits create pathways for God’s grace to work in their lives in powerful ways. As they engage with Scripture and learn to pray regularly, new believers will grow deeper in their relationships with God. It’s important to model these habits by being a Bible-saturated person and teaching them what it means to repent of sin and grow in character.

8. Encourage Service and Ministry to Others

A key part of growing as a disciple is to serve others in accordance with the gifts that God has given them. Encourage new believers to use their spiritual gifts to serve within the church and to begin discipling others. Ministry to others helps new believers grow in their faith and apply what they’ve learned. Additionally, as they teach others, they reinforce their own understanding of the Gospel.

9. God’s Glory as the Ultimate Purpose

Finally, it’s essential to help new believers embrace the reality that their life is not about themselves but about the glory of God. They were created for the purpose of glorifying God, showing how great, majestic, glorious, holy, and awesome He is. True life is found in living for His glory. This perspective shift is key to living a life of joy and fulfillment, as it aligns their purpose with God’s greater purpose.

Action Steps

1. Join in the work of helping others find and follow Jesus.
2. Immerse yourself in your local communities and get to know people who don’t know Jesus.
3. Help unbelievers know that they are called to believe in Jesus as the only pathway of salvation, regardless of their varying occupations or age.
4. Engage in the work that God has called you to with a generous, joyful heart for His glory.

The combination of the Word of God and the people of God with a godly teacher is unbelievably powerful. Steward your responsibility to teach the Word of God with joy and purpose, watching as transformation takes place in the lives of those you lead.

Dr. Jeremy Kimble, Professor of Theology and Director of the Synergy Initiative at Cedarville University, is passionate about teaching college and graduate students the truth of God’s Word. He is committed to teaching in the classroom, mentoring students, and speaking in church, camp, and conference settings. He served in pastoral ministry for eight years and is currently an active member and minister at University Baptist Church in Beavercreek, Ohio. Dr. Kimble's academic interests include biblical and systematic theology, ecclesiology, preaching and teaching, and the mission of the Church.

Synergy is the combined power of a group working together that is greater than the power of individuals working separately. The Synergy Initiative aims to help students plan strategically to graduate from Cedarville, go together with others from this place, and invest their energies, talents, and efforts in planting, revitalizing, and multiplying churches. As Cedarville graduates join up with other church members who are equipped to do the work of ministry, the combined effect of their efforts will accomplish, by God’s grace, abundantly more than only a couple of pastors in a church doing all of the work on their own. Thus, the goal is to equip students to leave Cedarville University ready to help establish and strengthen local churches throughout the nation and around the world.