One of the most confusing things for a new believer is understanding the church. And honestly, I get it. Throughout the Bible, the church is talked about as a family, body, flock, army and finally a beautiful bride.
While seasoned believers understand the significance of those terms, many new believers are intimidated. They don’t get what these phrases mean and feel defeated in their knowledge of the church. So how can you as a pastor help them discover who they are in relationship to the church?
In Jaime Loya’s book Discover Who You Are, he addresses three crucial questions every new believer grapples with and subsequent lessons to help them assimilate into the church..
- How does God see me?
- How should I see God?
- How should I see God’s church?
These are three of the most important questions for new believers to be able to answer. Not only do they need to understand their place in the church but they also need to learn about their identity in Christ. Instead of getting hung up on tricky wording, they need a user friendly manual to help them navigate the church.
Pastors who’ve been around church for a while can often forget how strange things sound to those who are embracing Christianity for the first time. Many times new believers will get made fun of by friends for “being different.” While the Gospel calls us to stand out, pastors must also come alongside new Christians and invite them into community.
As Loya explains, the church is meant to be a revelation of who we are and who we were meant to be. It’s in embracing who God created us to be that we find purpose. When new believers start to embrace their identity, they start to walk in power.
This means your church now has this infectious power.
When new believers learn about who they are, they also start to serve the church in huge ways. Their desire to expand God’s kingdom is inspiring. What an incredible thing for new believers to become disciple makers.
You can help new believers start to thrive in their understanding of who they are, who God is, and who the church was designed to be.
