Take the Next Step

Over the past few months we’ve been keen to keep communicating what is known as our Partnership Pathway. It’s the roadmap that we set out for all our members, but especially for those who join us. Think of it as the path by which we get people properly involved in church and feeling like they belong.

The Pathway starts with Explore. We want to make sure that every single person has the chance to explore who Jesus is and just how wonderful a thing God has done for us his life, death, resurrection and ascension. We also want to allow people the opportunity to explore who St John’s are and to get to know us a little better. The main way with explore is through the Explore course which runs regularly on weekday evenings.

Next, we Belong. Knowing someone is not the same as belonging! In our Belong course, which usually runs on Sunday afternoons, we think through what it means to belong to Jesus and what that looks like at St John’s. We dip a little deeper into the gospel – looking at the place of God’s grace and our own faith. We discuss what Christian living looks like and what produces it. We take the time to consider how we can hear from God in the Scriptures and what it means to meet together and not just be solo Christians.

Finally, we commit to Grow. The whole Christian life is one of continued growth as God continues to shape us more and more in the image of Christ through the various means of grace that he provides. Obviously, one of the main ways that we do this is through our Growth Groups but we also want to keep growing as individuals and as congregations. That’s why we keep opening up the Bible together every Sunday and keep encouraging one another with various programmes such as our recent 1,2,3 Pray!

As we grow we also learn to glorify God as we serve one another and engage a world that does not yet know the goodness of Jesus.

Where are you on the Partnership Pathway? I meet many church members who don’t feel like they’re part of anything other than turning up most Sundays. Almost always I find that they’ve not yet got onto the Partnership Pathway. It’s never too late to join Explore or Belong and then to get into a Growth Group! Our prayer is that more and more of us would see ourselves as full partners in our vision to see our city transformed by the hope of the risen Christ. Are you one of them? If you want to know more about getting onto the Partnership Pathway then why not speak to your congregation pastor or let us know!

David Ould
Senior Associate Minister