What's your next step?
Our mission is to help people LOVE JESUS, LOVE ONE ANOTHER, and LIVE WITH PURPOSE by taking their NEXT STEP with Jesus. Our vision is to help people identify where their next step is in their faith by pointing them to Jesus.
THE DISCIPLESHIP PATHWAY
Our discipleship pathway is designed to help us understand where we are in our faith and identify our next step in following Jesus. We begin as investigators, exploring who Jesus is, and move into believers who are new to the faith. As we grow, we become engagers who actively connect with God and live out our faith, ambassadors who mentor and invest in others, and multipliers who leave a lasting legacy by discipling the next generation. The goal is to help everyone take their next step with Jesus and help others do the same.
WHERE ARE YOU ON THE pathway?
Everyone has a next step. Explore drop down menus to learn more about Scripture and practical actions.
CHARACTERISTICS
In this step, you might be characterized by:
- Skepticism - You don’t believe in God, or you don’t buy into all of what you think Christianity is, but you are open to investigating what Christianity is about.
- Spectating - You aren’t skeptical of God, but you still have questions. You are not opposed to God, and you may even go to church to learn more, but you aren’t all in yet. You might have personal pains that you feel you need to work through before you can fully trust God.
- Seeking - You are very interested in the things of God and Christianity, but you aren’t all in yet. You know that if you trust Jesus, you will have to surrender control of your life to him, and you just aren’t ready yet.
- What you might struggle with or need to overcome: the cynicism of skepticism, personal pains that keep you from exploring Jesus, and a final control or authority over your life.
NEXT STEPS
- Church - Start going to church (or keep coming) and investigate who Jesus actually is.
- Community - Get connected with a Christian who cares about you and ask them questions. You can find a mentor at princetownchurch.com/equip.
- Equip - Complete the 321 Course with a Princetown Church Mentor. Discover Jesus’ vision for faith & life.
- Serve - Help serve one time at a church “big event” or serve day, so you can be connected with other Christians
- Outreach - Learn about the gospel. What is keeping you from trusting Jesus today?
CHARACTERISTICS
In this step, you might be characterized by:
- Gratitude - You are grateful that God has forgiven you.
- Church Worship - Being new to faith. You have started to attend church. You may have just publicly professed faith in Jesus through baptism. You bring joy to the church through your new faith.
- Community - You are looking to connect with other Christians.
- Equip - You don’t know much, but you now know that Jesus is your Savior and you are part of God’s family. You have started reading your Bible or want to get started but need help.
- Serve - You can begin serving regularly in the church.
- Outreach - You don’t know everything about the Bible, but you can share your story of how Jesus rescued you and changed your life.
- Prayer Life -Your prayer life is focused on tangible, physical needs.
- What you might struggle with or need to overcome - Discouragement. You are new to the faith, and you might get discouraged because you are not growing as quickly as you would like. Don’t be discouraged. You are taking your first steps and learning.
NEXT STEPS
- Church Worship - Start or keep attending church. Get baptized.
- Community - Connect with a 2-week Discover Group (learn more about your next steps and meet others in the same place). Get connected with a community group. Find people who can cheer you on when you're discouraged. For more information and to find a group near you, go to princetownchurch.com/groups.
- Equip - Meet with a mentor and/or a group for a 101 Grow Group (learn about growth as a new believer), and a 201 Share Group (learn how to share Jesus as a new believer).
- Serve - Start serving anywhere - princetownchurch.com/serve.
- Outreach - Share your story of trusting Jesus with 1 person who would be excited for you. Share your story with 1 person who needs to hear that Jesus died on the cross for their sins, rose again to give them new life, and that trusting in Him alone as Lord will make them right with God and part of God’s family.
CHARACTERISTICS
In this step, you might be characterized by:
- Growing Godly Discipline - You are starting to anchor yourself in the truth of God’s word. You are overcoming sinful habits by cultivating Godly habits rooted in knowing and abiding with God and His Word. You are not creating Godly disciplines just to discipline yourself, but because you want to trust what God says.
- Church Worship - You don’t just attend church but are engaged in worship. You participate in singing and think through the message to see what applies to your life and how you can grow from those truths.
- Community - You are faithfully engaged in a Christian community where you seek to ABC - Apply the Bible, Build relationships, and Continue to grow as a disciple. Princetown Church uses community groups to accomplish Christian Community.
- Equip - You are growing in Bible reading and are studying the Bible. You are intentionally taking steps to grow as a Christian. You are becoming more emotionally stable because you know you are secure in Christ.
- Serve - You are discovering your spiritual gifts and are actively serving on a serve team in the church.
- Outreach - You understand the gospel and are starting to share your faith with others.
- Prayer Life - Your prayer life has expanded to include Godly needs (such as asking God’s help to overcome sin and to believe the Bible).
- What you might struggle with or need to overcome - Sin Habits. You are growing in your faith and learning to surrender some of your old habits and replace them with new, godly ones. This is challenging because sin habits die hard, emotional trauma lingers, and you feel you can’t break free from the sin habits. Remember, Jesus has given you a new life, which means he will help you take steps.
NEXT STEPS
- Church Worship - Actively participate in church. Sing, not just for yourself, but to encourage others. Take notes. Think through how the Word of God applies to your week.
- Community - Get connected with a community group. Actively participate in the ABCs. Let others into your life and share where you struggle. Give trustworthy people permission to hold you accountable for your sin habits. For more information and to find a group near you, use princetownchurch.com/groups.
- Equip - Meet with a mentor and/or a group for a 301 Serve Group (Discover the gifts God's given you to use). Use a Bible reading or devotional plan (You can find some at the resource center or on the church website). Consider church membership (learn more with our Why Membership document. Pray for God’s help with your struggles with sin. See a Pastor or Christian Counselor if you are still struggling emotionally or with repetitive sin habits.
- Serve - Start serving regularly - princetownchurch.com/serve.
- Outreach - Identify one person in your life who doesn’t know Jesus and pray for them to trust Jesus. Ask God to use you in that process. Share the gospel with someone during a regular conversation. Take the 301 course to learn different ways to share the gospel.
CHARACTERISTICS
In this step, you might be characterized by:
- Deep Mentorship - The Ambassador’s main role in life is not to represent themselves to others, but to represent the One who sent them and to help others know and trust that One. Like all humanity, Ambassadors will struggle with sin, but their focus in life is more on God and on walking in surrender to Him. They have habits and disciplines of relying on God’s grace to deal with their sin, and they have the capacity/maturity to help other willing people to develop the habits and disciplines of relying on God’s grace.
- Church Worship - You are mindful of others in your worship. You sacrifice what you want in church to help others worship. You are leading by example or in a leadership capacity.
- Community - You are involved in community groups, maybe leading one, and you also provide one-on-one mentorship. You orient your life around discipleship rather than making it a task on your calendar.
- Equip - You are growing in your theology (the study of God, His character, and His ways) and equipping others in a mentoring way. You don’t just pass on info about God as a task; you pass it along because it’s who you are.
- Serve - You are serving alongside others and finding ways to empower others to serve.
- Outreach - You view your life as if it is God’s and you live on His mission. You have regular gospel conversations with those around you.
- Prayer Life - Your prayer life has expanded to focus on seeing others come to Christ.
- What you might struggle with or need to overcome - Fear. You realize that to be an ambassador, you have to go “all in” on Jesus. It can be frightening to lose control of your life, but to gain the life Jesus has for you, you have to trust him with each moment. He sets the agenda for your life, and you are learning to trust him instead of giving in to the fear of controlling your own life.
NEXT STEPS
- Church Worship - You come to church to receive from the Bible, but also to encourage others. You are mindful of what they need so you sacrifice your preferences for church so others can grow. You step up and lead in the life of the church.
- Community - You are leading community groups or involved in intentional 1-on-1 discipleship relationships within the church circle . To learn more about how to disciple 1-on-1, read the book The Simplicity of Disciple-Making by Rob Fisher .
- Equip - Take steps to grow in your theology and understanding of God. Find great resources at desiringgod.org or thegospelcoalition.org. You can also see video resources on RightNow Media.
- Serve - You are leading a serving team and using your gifts outside of church for gospel purposes.
- Outreach - You can identify what stage of development investigators are in and can apply our outreach strategy of “care, love, share” to their situation. You can regularly pray for the lost and you are actively sharing the gospel with “your one person.” You can open your home and life to that person so they can experience Gospel witness.
CHARACTERISTICS
In this step, you might be characterized by:
- Discipling Legacy - The Multiplier's main role in life is to cheer on the next generation of believers, engagers, and ambassadors. They spend a lot of time praying for the next generation and or pouring their life into the next leaders. They may lead the church, plant churches, serve as missionaries, serve as prayer warriors, equip the equippers, and encourage others to keep going.
- Church Worship - You are teaching others and championing God's work at church. You are focused on leading by example and helping the church take their next step with Jesus.
- Community - You are leading community groups or cheering on those who lead. You live your life in community and with humility. You are characterized by hospitality, and you invest your life and that of your family into the mission God has for you.
- Equip - You know your theology and equip those who equip others who do the work of the ministry. You train volunteers and volunteer leaders. You aren’t just thinking about your impact but about how you can help others have an impact.
- Serve - You are serving alongside others and finding ways to empower others to serve.
- Outreach - You view your life as if it is God’s and you live on His mission. You have regular gospel conversations with those around you. You train others to live their life on a mission for Jesus.
- Prayer Life - Your prayer life has expanded to focus on multiplying God’s work locally and around the world.
- What you might struggle with or need to overcome - Weariness. You are all in for Jesus, but not everyone you pour into will be all in. This can cause frustration and weariness. You see the pain of this world and the change that must happen in lives, but you know you can’t make it happen. You recognize and hate your personal sin. You know it can cause huge ripple effects on your walk with God and in the lives of those around you. You must learn to rely on God and trust His grace with your sin along with each step of your walk with Him. Draw closer to Christ, because you know He changes your heart and helps you walk humbly, living as an example of Christ’s love and grace.
NEXT STEPS
- Church Worship - You are teaching the Word of God in different capacities. Group leader, kids or youth teachers, church planting, missions work, serving but showing how the service relates to God’s Word, etc… You also may be older and you've dedicate your life to prayer for those who are serving, cheering them on!
- Community - You are leading community groups or involved in intentional 1-on-1 discipleship relationships. You are supporting others who lead and cheer them on. You live in godly community with others.
- Equip - You are equipping the equippers, whether through prayers or by teaching them how to lead. You may create curriculum and lessons to teach. You spend your time with others so they can learn
- Serve - You can constantly encourage others with their gifts. You champion others who serve, and you point out where you see God at work in their lives. You serve alongside people as you lead.
- Outreach - You spend your time with the lost and with those who long to reach the lost. You open your life and home so they can experience Jesus through you. You help others identify what stage of development investigators are in, so they can apply our outreach strategy of “care, love, share” to their situation. You can pray regularly for the lost and actively share the gospel with “your one person.”