Welcome to your new life in Christ!
You've just made the most important decision of your life, and we're thrilled for you. Naturally, you have some questions about what's next. We've identified five characteristics of a fully-devoted follower of Jesus that will help you discover your next steps on this exciting new stage of your spiritual journey.
AvidWorshiper
To know God is to love God. When Jesus declared that God is looking for "true worshipers (who) will worship the Father in spirit and truth" (John 4: 23), He forever established worship as a fundamental aspect of walking in the Way of Jesus. Engaging in a weekly worship experience is a powerful way to both experience God's love and show God our love. Another time-tested form of worship is the daily study of God's Word, the Bible. In the Bible, we encounter the very words of God spoken through human authors and given to "teach us what is true and make us realize what is wrong in our lives. (Scripture) corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip (us) to do every good work" (2 Timothy 3: 16 - 17). As we read and reflect on Scripture, we grow in our knowledge of and love for God and are shaped into the likeness of His Son, Jesus. The easiest way to engage with the Bible is to find a reading plan and a partner to join you. Click here to find a reading plan.
LoyalFriend
To make progress on your new journey with Christ, you will need some traveling companions. When God created Adam, God quickly noted, "It is not good for [people] to be alone" (Genesis 2: 18). We were created to do life together. Each of us needs a safe place to ask our questions, make new friends, and grow in our faith. To assist in this endeavor, we offer a seminar entitled "First Friends". In addition, we also offer a variety of groups to meet you wherever you are on your spiritual journey, from spiritual explorer to maturing believer. We also offer groups for those struggling with challenging life experiences such as the loss of a loved one. For a current list of groups and classes, please follow the links provided or for further guidance feel free to contact Pastor Renner about which group/class may best meet your needs.
Spirit-GiftedServant
As a new follower of Jesus, you gain a new identity. Jesus said to His disciples, "I am among you as one who serves" (Luke 22: 7). Jesus invited each of His followers to see themselves the way He saw Himself--as a servant. As one who serves, you intentionally look for ways to offer Christ's love to others. When you accept Jesus as Forgiver and Leader, God gives you one or more spiritual gifts to advance Christ's work. Through the "Network" seminar, you can learn to identify your spiritual gift(s). You can then deploy and develop your God-given gifts to unleash the compassion of Christ through service. Check out a list of serving opportunities here.
ChristianWitness
A witness is one who tells others about he/she has experienced. Just before His ascension, Jesus said, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be My witnesses, telling people about Me everywhere..." (Acts 1: 8). People share with others what is meaningful in their lives. Your new relationship with God is no different. But how? Through the "Becoming A Contagious Christian" seminar, you can learn to identify your God-given evangelism style and various ways to clearly share with a friend how they can enter into relationship with Jesus too.
GenerousGiver
In addition to the four characteristics above, this fifth and final characteristic is also vital in a Christian's life--stewardship. Our God is a generous giver, so it stands to reason that His followers (having been recipients of God's generosity) should be generous stewards in response. In the Parable of the Talents, Jesus taught about the importance of believers using their resource to accomplish God's business and desire in our world. Being a good steward of our time, energy, and finances is important. However, people today spend more than they earn and find themselves in debt. "Financial Peace University" gives people the tools needed to get out of debt and enjoy the freedom that comes from being debt free. "Generation Change" is designed for youth to avoid getting into financial difficulty so the can enjoy financial freedom. These seminars is an excellent starting point toward being able to be the generous giver that we desire to be.