Discipleship – Verge Church – Welcoming Faith Community in Trappe, PA

Verge Discipleship

The purpose of our church is to glorify God by making disciples who exalt God, edify other believers, and extend disciple-making to all the world.

Discipleship was the lifeline for every follower of Jesus in the first century. It is the same for us today. There are many words in the Christian vocabulary that have different meanings from one person to the next. Some view discipleship as Bible knowledge, while others see it as a process that unfolds over time, often through regular church attendance. It is imperative for us to define what it is and how we engage in it to fulfill our calling as a Christ-centered people.

Jesus saw a disciple as one who becomes a follower, who is taught and nurtured in the faith, who in turn goes out to make disciples, who are then taught and nurtured in the faith, and who then, in turn, go out. This practice is a staple in the lives of followers. It never gets old and outdated. We are always looking to establish discipleship relationships with individuals, regardless of how developed we are in our faith journey. We are all on a lifelong journey of learning to follow. When Christ gave the church its final directive in Matthew 28:19, there was no question but that this command was to be given top priority. We are on a discipleship mission.

Follow Groups - creating discipleship relationships.

The purpose of every activity is to give people opportunities to be in discipleship relationships. It is an intentional relationship in which a coach seeks to empower someone to grow in Christlikeness. Discipleship practices guide a community in living and growing together as followers of Jesus Christ. Spiritual growth is not about attaining knowledge about Jesus, but rather it's about becoming like Jesus. Through daily reading, Scripture memorization, prayer, and listening to the Holy Spirit, He leads us on this journey of seeing the attributes of Jesus change our lives.

So, what do “follow” groups look like?

1) Groups are assembled by those who have been participants in a previous group and gone through spiritual coach training.

2) Anyone can join a group. They are assembled and launched on a regular basis at Verge. Sometimes announced and other times assembled through relationships.

3) They are groups of 3-4 participants that meet weekly for a specified period.

4) Using a resource, each participant reads the Bible, a devotion, works on a scripture memory, and takes notes daily. The group then meets weekly to share what they have learned, encourage one another, and pray for each other.

5) Groups meet in an agreed-upon location and time weekly.

Spiritual Coaching - learning to lead Follow Groups

A spiritual coach is someone who intentionally comes alongside another person to help him or her learn to follow Jesus. It’s a grace-filled relationship built on encouragement, listening, and support. Follow groups are led by spiritual coaches who realize that we are not teachers, counselors, or mentors. We are walking side by side in the journey of following Jesus.

So, what are spiritual coaches learning?

1) How to Build Spiritual Coaching Groups and Relationships

2) How to Guide the Coaching Groups and Conversations

3) How to Listen Deeply

4) How to Ask Powerful Questions

5) How to Coach with Assessments

6) How to Empower Others to Start Discipleship Relationships

Join a Follow Group

We are becoming mature, fully developed followers of Christ as we grow together.

Groups are launched on a regular basis, and you can be a part of one today, or if you

have a few people who want to launch a group, we can help get that off the ground

right now.

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Learn to Lead a Follow Group

A spiritual coach is someone who intentionally comes alongside another person to help them learn to follow Jesus.

Coaches learn best by doing. The first step before learning to coach is to join a group, then meet with a coach who has been through training. We can help you take that next step.

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