THESIS STATEMENT: A healthy church is characterized by having members who are seriously concerned for their spiritual growth. In a healthy church, people want to get better at following Jesus Christ. One of the key ways of achieving this spiritual growth is through discipleship. At New City we want to see relationships where it’s NORMAL to be in each other’s lives; where it’s NORMAL to be doing intentional spiritual good to help our brothers and sisters follow Jesus.

Question: What is discipling?  

Answer: Intentional Spiritual Friendships

• Discipling is intentional and deliberate: it doesn’t just happen.  It requires us deciding, with God’s help, to work to be a conduit for pouring spiritual blessing into the life of another person.
• Discipling is relational: it requires us reaching out to get to know other people and invest time in them for their spiritual good. It requires us (as a part of the local church) to invest real time in real people.
• Discipling is loving: there is no greater way that we can show love to fellow believer in Christ than by deliberately, thoughtfully considering how we can do them good spiritually through our relationship with them. 
• Discipling involves training in God’s word: we want the word to reform and change people, and not our opinions and personal ideas.

Question: Where should we disciple?

Answer: In the context of the local church, member to member.

Reason #1: Because God has called the church to be pure.

Reason #2: Because you do not have every spiritual gift 

Reason #3: Because a church provides better and greater accountability.

Reason #4: Because you have a limited amount of time. 

Reason #5: Because God is glorified as the body grows together

Reason #6:  Because building up the church is what you were gifted to do

Reason #7 Because church-based discipling displays unity in the midst of diversity

Reason #8: Because the church is most healthy when it has a whole “culture of discipling.”

How should we disciple?

• Choose someone
• Have clear aims: Help people understand more and live better!