What does it mean to develop intentional disciples in our modern context? North Hills church set out to explore this through creating a discipleship journey framework based on Jesus’s call in Matthew 28:19-20 to go make disciples.
“This has been something that has percolated a long time for me,” said Tim Cress, North Hills church pastor. “I remember years ago talking to Zane [a North Hills church elder], and I remember the phone conversation just being like, ‘What does it mean to make disciples?’”
Zane Yi, associate dean and associate professor at Loma Linda University School of Religion and North Hills church elder, has seen a shift in how people get involved in church and come to know God.
“We now live in a culture where people are all over the place spiritually and religiously,” Yi observed. “They don’t come knowing much about the Bible. I think what we haven’t figured out as a church—as a tradition—is how do you take somebody from that place and then take them into a vibrant spiritual life where they’re connected to God? I think part of this is trying to figure that out.”
North Hills church’s mission is to “introduce people into the community of Jesus and to develop passionate disciples.” The North Hills discipleship journey map was created to present a clearer path one can follow in pursuit of a relationship with Jesus. The map consists of four trailheads, or topics. Two introduce people to Jesus (Explore and Establish), and two develop passionate disciples (Equip and Engage). Each topic is discussed in a group setting with studies that range in length from four to eight weeks.
This discipleship journey is based on the idea that we’re never done learning and growing. You can enter the trail at any place—at the “beginning” or the “end.” Just as you may see new things when you explore a trail multiple times—solo or with others—our faith is a lifelong journey that provides new insights and isn’t always linear.
“There is a next step for your journey of faith, regardless of where you came from,” Cress said. “If you showed up for the first time, if you showed up with a history of faith, or if you showed up with no faith at all, there is a next step for your journey. And we’re here. We exist to help you take that next step.”
Intentional discipleship is just one avenue that exemplifies SCC’s mission to cultivate healthy churches and schools. If you’d like to learn more about this journey at North Hills, visit nhillschurch.org/faith-journey.