discipleship pathway

Our Discipleship Pathway is a tool that connects us in community through God's abundant love to transform lives and the world by serving and growing together. A disciple is a follower of Jesus whose life is growing in love for God and for others.

First Methodist strives to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. To fulfill our mission, we offer high-quality, Christ-centered learning experiences that help people understand Scripture, faith, and their lives as they support one other. Our Discipleship Hour at 10:45am on Sundays consists of classes that help you to take the next step on your Discipleship Pathway.

The online Discipleship Pathway contains a wealth of information. We hope you will continue reading below to learn about its various pieces and discover the many ways you can move through your faith and discipleship journey.

At the beginning or top of each branch is a “heart” where you can read an introduction or explanation of that branch of the Pathway.

Each branch of the tree represents a branch of our Pathway. The apples on the branches are labeled for the levels of each branch of the Pathway: Prayer, Presence, Gifts, Witness, and Service. You can read about the apples/levels within each particular branch. Many of the individual sections have hyperlinks within them that will take you to other areas within the website or elsewhere corresponding to what that point is discussing.

One of the first things Jesus did at the start of his ministry was to gather a group of people – his disciples – to teach and grow and work with him in ministry (Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 3:16-20; Luke 5:1-11). We are meant to be present to and with one another as we grow as followers of Jesus. We support one another as we learn, serve, grow, and go out into the world to serve. We bring our many and varied gifts, graces, and talents to the church to make up the Body of Christ in the world (Romans 12:4-5). In this way, we are able to fulfill our baptismal vows to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves. We fortify ourselves through worshipping and serving together. We hold one another accountable through participation in small groups. Our presence in community strengthens the entire Body of Christ.

Step 1

• Visit the church occasionally or with some regularity

• Attend fellowship meetings (e.g., Wednesday night dinners or similar all-church events, prayer walks, church lunches, days of service)

• Consider what draws you to attend church now?

  • Consider which aspects of the church service especially appeal to you and why

  • What do you have questions about?

• Receive communion

Step 2

• Attend church services regularly

• Explore other opportunities for involvement through our faith community

  • Visit and/or occasionally attend a Discipleship hour class

  • Inquire about visiting a small group

  • Participate in a service opportunity

• Attend a non-Sunday special worship service (e.g., Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, Blue Christmas, Christmas Eve)

• Think about / consider joining the church as a member

• Reflect on the values / vows of the United Methodist Church (ask if you’re uncertain what they are)

• Attend or visit a new members class

• Participate in the unison prayers & liturgy during worship services

• Receive communion regularly

Step 3

• Become a member of the church

• Join in congregational singing during service; consider the words of the hymns or praise songs

  • What do the words mean to you?

  • How do the hymns/songs and their words relate to the rest of the service?

• Prepare for services through prayer, reading the Bible, or other centering activities

• Learn more about and observe Christian holidays and holy days, such as Pentecost, Advent, Ascension, Lent, All Saints

  • Consider the reason for these feast days/holidays, their biblical contexts, and their meaning to you

• Regularly attend a Discipleship hour class and/or join a small group

Step 4

• Participate in a worship service as an usher, a scripture reader, communion server, or member of the tech team; or join the choir or the Common Ground Band

• Lead a Discipleship hour class or a small group

• Engage in a practice related to a special holiday, such as fasting for Lent (particular foods or practices, or whatever stands between you and God) or taking up a practice for Lent; or using an Advent wreath with devotions

Step 5

• Regularly participate in church-sponsored activities, celebrations, projects, and service opportunities

• Propose and start a new Discipleship hour class, a Bible study group, or a small group

• Serve in church leadership according to your gifts, graces, and talents

• Reflect on how your continuing engagement and presence may be deepening your faith

There’s a popular sentiment that states, “we are the average of the top 5 people we spend time with.” In essence, who we invest our time with has resounding influence in our lives — for better or for worse! By spending time in prayer, scripture meditation, and other spiritual disciplines, we grow more like Jesus and deepen our relationship with God. Even Jesus, with all he was doing, set aside time to pray. These formational practices root us in not only who we are, but ultimately in Whose we are — deepening our own awareness that God is always with us and for us. Out of this rootedness, in time, our prayer life actualizes into a lived life — where everything we do and everyone we encounter is an opportunity to see and experience Christ.

Step 1

• Become curious and open to exploring spiritual matters and prayer

  • Think about, consider, and reflect on your faith journey

  • What ideas have you had in the past or now about prayer?

  • How could your current ideas about prayer become more meaningful to you?

• Participate in congregational prayers

• How might these elements of worship bring you more in touch with God?

• Learn the Lord’s Prayer: This was Jesus’s prayer when the disciples asked “Lord, teach us to pray”

Step 2

• Spontaneously pray “thank you, help, and wow” prayers

  • When you experience joys, fears, challenges, beauty, or discovery, say a quick prayer to God at that moment

• Pray at meals as a means of giving thanks to God

• Set a time for daily prayer

  • Develop a relationship with God by regarding prayer as time together (as with any other relationship)

  • Increase your awareness of God and Jesus in your life

• Explore different forms of prayer

  • Examples to try:

    • ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication)

    • 5 Finger Prayer: Pray this prayer by yourself or with children

      • Thumb is closest to you, so pray for those who are closest to you

      • Pointer finger to pray for those who point you to God

      • Middle finger is longest, so pray for leaders

      • Ring finger is weakest, so pray for those who are weak and in need

      • Little finger is smallest and represents you, so pray for your needs

    • Talk to God in everyday language

Step 3

• Lead a prayer in your small group, a committee, or other group setting

• Explore a wider variety of prayer practices, for example:

  • breath prayer (e.g., “Jesus, have mercy” repeated gently several times)

  • walk the labyrinth

  • pray with beads

  • go on a prayer walk

  • try a different prayer posture or position

• Consider how additional prayer practices expand your ideas about prayer

Step 4

• Explore Contemplative Prayer

  • Centering prayer is to be silent and open to God, to rest in God’s presence

• Join a prayer team; pray for others in the church, the community, and the world

• Reflect upon how your prayer life is continuing to deepen your relationship with God

Step 5

• Lead others in spoken prayer

• Add a regular rhythm for scripture reading to your prayer practices

  • Choose a scripture reading plan (this may be simply opening your Bible at random)

  • Reflect on scripture with Wesley’s three tools: church tradition, reason, and experience

  • Explore the ancient, Christian prayerful meditation of scripture known as Lectio Divina:

    • 1) Say a prayer, select a scripture passage, read it aloud slowly; read it a second and third time slowly until a word or phrase touches your heart, then stop

    • 2) Say the word or phrase aloud and reflect on it: why did it touch your heart? how is it pertinent to your life?

    • 3) Respond to the word or phrase in prayer, tell God your feelings

    • 4) Rest in God in silence

• Consider how your entire life is a continuous prayer with God.

Jesus showed the ultimate example of living a life of service when he bent down to wash his disciples’ feet (John 13:13-15) saying, “I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.” God’s love, seen through Jesus, is tangible. It’s not merely words or fuzzy feelings — it’s service in action. As disciples and through our baptisms, we have each been gifted and called to be the hands and feet of Jesus to one another, in our community, and for greater world. Sharing and offering ourselves in service not only creates impact for the greater good; but through it, we can encounter God in the most unexpected ways.

Step 1

• Reflect on your interests and/or passions. What breaks your heart when you look at the world?

• Learn about service opportunities in the church such as:

  • Helping with church-sponsored community activities, the Wednesday Pantry food distribution program, Golden Living Nursing care Christmas gift project, summer gardening program, or any of the monthly missions the church sponsors

  • Serving on the greeting or ushering crew, assisting in a children’s or adult Sunday School classroom, volunteering in the church office, helping with church gardening, working with the audio/video tech staff, helping with church music programs, participating in outreach committee activities, helping with the Caring Ministries team which communicates with ill or bereaved members of the congregation

Step 2

• Take the spiritual gifts inventory  

  • What are your top three spiritual gifts?

  • Did anything surprise you?

  • Are you currently using your spiritual gifts? If so, how?

• Volunteer/sign up for a one-time event, such as:

  • Children’s or youth activity, volunteer work days such as the MLK Day of Service, special events at church or parks, donation to gift or clothing drives, writing notes or cards to congregation members

Step 3

• Begin serving regularly

• Attend a leadership training workshop or class

• Serve as a Sunday School co-teacher for children or youth, assist with a youth group activity, or help with a Discipleship hour activity or class

• Consider how serving in this way can impact your faith community?

Step 4

• Join the leadership team of an existing group, or co-chair/ lead a small activity within a larger project

• Mentor people new to a group

• Serve on a church administration committee or task force, such as Nominations Committee, Stewardship Committee, or Trustees

• Assume the leadership of an existing group, such as:

  • Small group leader/facilitator, Discipleship hour leader, Committee task force

• Reflect upon how your service can or does impact your life

Step 5

• Mentor members of a group to be leaders

• Lead an ongoing group to the next level of possibilities, change, or permanency, for example:

  • Shalom Center (Beacon), Wednesday Food Pantry, Common Ground Worship Service or Band, or Wesley Conventicle

• Launch a new service initiative that connects your gifts to the needs of the church and/or community

• Reflect upon how God is continuing to invite you to serve in deeper ways

When we have good news, we naturally want to share it with others. We want others to participate in the good things, the good experiences, the good encounters that we have had, so we invite them to try what we already tried. Sharing good news is evangelism, whether we’ve used that term or not. Jesus gave his disciples directions to “go” and make more disciples; to share the good news he had taught them (Matthew 28:18-20). The damage that’s been done to the term “evangelism” shouldn’t stop us from sharing the good news of Jesus with others. We’re able to share good news about restaurants, movies, and consumer goods. How much more important is it to share the good news of how Jesus works in our lives – the best news ever – with others? And even better, Jesus has promised to be with us in this work (Matthew 28:20).

Step 1

• Introduce yourself to others in worship, small group, and service project(s)

• Think about / consider / reflect upon your life and faith

  • How is God working in your life?

  • What difference does it make?

  • What have you seen, heard, experienced with Jesus in (or not in) your life?

  • What brought you to this point in your life and faith? What have been the high and/or low points?

  • Who are people who have been especially important in your life? In your faith?

• Set up time to talk with another person from church over coffee or tea, outside church – ask them about their faith journey

Step 2

• Develop your faith story (use what you’ve thought about / considered / reflected upon in Step 1)

  • What’s the “6-Word” version? The 6-minute version? 10-minute? What’s the 30-minute version? (It’s your story: no one can tell it better than you)

• Share your faith stories with one another in your small group

  • Listen to each other & ask questions

• Tell another person within your small group why you attend First Methodist; practice with one another

• “Like” and share social media posts from First Methodist about services & events on your own social media accounts (if you’re on social media)

Step 3

• Share your faith story with a member or members of your family

• Share your faith story with a co-worker(s) or neighbor

• Tell a co-worker or neighbor why you decided to attend First Methodist

• Invite a family member, a co-worker, or another person who doesn’t attend First Methodist to “come and see” (to attend a worship service, a small group meeting, or a service project)

• Regularly welcome and introduce yourself to persons you don’t know in worship, in small groups, at service projects

Step 4

• Reach out to non-members/non-attenders, friends, and others to invite them to “come and see” (to attend worship services, small group meetings, service projects, other church-sponsored events)

• Share your faith story publicly (e.g., to a group, to a new member class, to a Discipleship hour class, etc.)

• Facilitate/co-facilitate a Discipleship hour class

Step 5

• Share your faith story in worship

• Freely and comfortably acknowledge and share Christ’s work in your life and your faith story (as appropriate) in regular, ordinary conversation (i.e., as part of your routine, normal conversation)

• Routinely invite others to “come and see” (to First Methodist worship, events, small group meetings, etc.)

• Mentor others in how to develop their faith as disciples of Jesus; help them consider their own faith stories

• Mentor a confirmand

• Reflect upon how sharing your faith with others continues to grow and deepen your own faith and relationship with God

John Wesley is well known for challenging early Methodists to “gain all you can…save all you can…and give all you can,” as an essential spiritual practice of the Christ-centered life. A biblical understanding of the relationship between our money and faith begins not in what we do, but in who God is. With abundant provision and generous grace, Jesus tells us not to worry, promising to provide what we need just as God cares for the sparrow. As we grow in awareness of God’s constant provision, we are free to be generous to others, the church, and world, recognizing that we are simply stewards of these resources. Financial generosity is an act of faith, returning to God the first-fruits of this provision, resulting in and springing from a deepening joy and freedom.

Step 1

• Consider what giving financially might mean to you

• Reflect: What is your relationship with money?

  • Who helped shape or influence this viewpoint?

  • How has this contributed towards an abundant or scarcity mindset?

• Give (one-time or impromptu) to a cause that resonates with you personally

  • Reflect on your gift or contribution: How did giving make you feel?

    • What was the impact of your gift? To others? In you?

Step 2

• Consider giving financially to the church periodically

  • Reflect: Do you see a connection between your relationship with money and your relationship with God? If so, in what ways?

  • If not, what role does God play in your understanding of finances and opportunities to earn?

  • What role does gratitude play in your life? In what ways is it expressed?

• Donate in regular intervals to a cause or organization that connects with you personally (maybe annually or biannually).

  • Reflect: How does it feel to be a consistent contributor to a cause that is close to your heart?

    • What actions and attitudes contribute to these feelings?

    • In what ways does financial sharing shift your relationship and attitude with money?

    • How is God inviting you to steward your financial resources in even greater ways?

Step 3

• Consider moving towards regular giving or tithing practice at First Methodist

  • Make a financial plan that includes regular donations to the church

  • Give financially at an interval (and amount) that fits your budget

  • Sign the stewardship/pledge card with the Stewardship Campaign

  • Reflect: How does including a regular giving practice to this church impact your feelings of connection to it? To the greater work of the church in the world?

• Consider a practice of gratitude in your daily life (i.e., journaling blessings, spoken thanksgiving, etc.)

  • Reflect: How does the practice of gratitude reorient you in life? 

    • What greater impact (if any) do you notice in how you relate to others and yourself?

Step 4

• Commit to a regular tithing practice with First Methodist

  • Regularly give with additional support for church projects and missions

  • Consider a tithing goal of 10% of income or move in increments towards that mark as you are financially able

• Share a story with someone else of how financial gratitude and generous giving has impacted your life

• Reflect: How has this practice of regular contribution changed your perspective on abundance vs. scarcity mindset? 

  • How has your faith been impacted by your giving?

Step 5

• Live a life of abundant generosity and joy, trusting in God’s provision

• Freely and comfortably share your resources with others and the church, recognizing that all that we have is God’s to steward

• Increase your pledge, and/or sponsor church projects or extravagant giving needs

• Learn about the First Methodist Foundation and consider a planned gift or bequest

• Reflect: How has your example of cheerful generosity encouraged others to give?

  • What are other ways you are being invited to offer what you’ve been given by God to lavishly support others in need?

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