Calvary Byesville Logo
Calvary Baptist Church

Next Steps

At Calvary we strongly believe that the purpose of the church is to bring glory to God through lives changed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  This process of life-change is called “discipleship”.  It begins with repenting of your sin and trusting Jesus Christ alone as your Lord and Savior, BUT it doesn’t end there.  Through the ministry of the Spirit of God, the Word of God, and the people of God, the life of the disciple is continually changed to become more like Jesus.

If you are not sure how to begin this journey or if you know Christ but you are not sure exactly how to grow or what to do next, we offer some helpful “steps” to keep you moving in the right direction.

KNOW CHRIST & His People

  1. Follow Jesus!  Respond to the Gospel in repentance and faith.
  2. Attend Church!  Worship and learn about God in a Bible believing church.
  3. Join a Connect Group!  Fellowship with other Jesus followers and encourage one another toward Christ-likeness. Smaller groups give you the opportunity to live out the “one another commands”, practice forgiveness, be accountable, pray and grow together.

GROW IN CHRIST

  1. Be Baptized!  Identify with Gods people as a member in a local church.
  2. Journal Every Day! Spend time with the Lord through daily Bible reading and prayer.
  3. Examine Yourself!  Examine your life for sinful patterns (gossip, temper, addictions, etc.) and secret sins. Develop an accountability relationship with another Jesus follower.

GO FOR CHRIST

  1. Serve in a Ministry!  Invest in the spiritual development of others.  Give generously, regularly, and joyfully of your time, talents, and treasure.
  2. Share Your Faith! Cultivate relationships with non-Christians and share your faith with them.  Regularly invite your unchurched friends to church.
  3. Disciple Others!  Part of following Jesus is helping other people follow Jesus.  Consider mentoring and discipling another Jesus follower.

Gone through all the steps?  Great, START OVER!  The process of discipleship never ends and we should grow in Christ-likeness as long as we live.  If you have finished the steps, start again but now at a DEEPER level.  Seek to know Jesus more deeply, give greater attention to your church attendance, consider leading a connect group.  Now that you are a member, in what ways could your commitment to the local church be stronger?  What could you do for your daily quiet time to be richer and more meaningful? Ask Pastor to recommend a good Christian book to aid your study and continue to deal rigorously with the sin in your life.

Now that you are serving Christ in the local church consider if there are additional ways to serve or greater responsibilities you should consider.  Think of new people to share your faith with, and participate in outreach planning at church.  Now work to not only disciple new Jesus followers but coach them also as they disciple others!

Following Jesus is a lifelong journey, take your next step at Calvary!