During the sermon we remind everyone that keys to spiritual growth are:
- Begin immediately.
- Spiritual growth is not automatic, and spiritual atrophy is inevitable. You are either growing forward or declining in spiritual maturity.
- The more steps you take, the more progress you make.
There are just a few more things to do to keep the system pretty much running on its own inertia.
8. Embed it in your church ministries.
- Mention it during the services every weekend.
We invite people to the front to meet with a Next Steps Counselor during every service. During our offering time each week, we have prayer partners available at the front of the auditorium. We ask people to come for prayer “big or small, anything at all,” and we say, “And if you’d like to know what your next step in faith is, our Next Steps Counselor is standing in the corner over there and would love to help you determine your next step with Jesus.”
- Teach your spiritual process in your new member’s class.
- Ask your ministries to apply and support it in their contexts. What does it look like for children and teens? How are your small groups, and men’s and women’s ministries, intentionally facilitating spiritual growth?
Now What?
Set aside a chunk of time to do some thinking—or set up a meeting with a couple of good thinkers—to hash out what you have at your church that helps people grow spiritually, and how it fits into a process.
Then put it on the agendas for your next staff and board meetings.
To learn more you may want to get my ebook: Growing Spiritual People or the even more in-depth Monthly PastorMentor Video: Your Spiritual Growth System.
Like Paul, let’s do our best to present everyone mature in Christ.
