The picture we have in mind for a discipleship process in NLV is like the building of the launch pad and rocket which launches the US Space Shuttle.

Step 1: Building the foundations – Getting to know God and learning to love and trust him. Learning to be proficient in the tools for going deeper, strengthening yourself in the Lord. Learning about grace, and enjoying the honeymoon phase.

Step 2: Building the launch pad – Learning to hear God’s voice and his purpose. Obeying, and becoming a person of integrity. Learning about service, accountability and humility. The temptation is restlessness, over eagerness to achieve results and acquire skills and impatience with God. Saul and David are Biblical examples. But giving in to this temptation merely lengthens the process! Bear in mind that God is less interested in what you can immediately do for him than building your capacity to handle what he has destined for you.

Step 3: Building the rocket – Acquiring skills and practicing spiritual gifts, learning to work with other people within the fellowship and understanding authority. The temptation in this phase is to stop here, think that you have arrived.

Step 4: Launch phase – Dependence on the Spirit, promoting unity and teamwork in the body. Jesus sent out the Disciples and the Apostles went out …in teams. Fulfilling God’s purpose in the widest sense as described in Ephesians 3:9-11.The temptation here is pride in your philosophy of ministry/success and ceasing to adapt, and you stop discerning the seasons and the current moves of the Spirit.

FAQs on going deeper, going higher

1) What is going deeper, going higher?

Going deeper, going higher is an integral element of a discipleship process which NLV will employ and accordingly we will focus on:

Being relational and fellowship-based -
NLV desires to be a dynamic community of grace, hope and purpose. Going deeper, going higher seek to build a culture of encouragement and discipline amongst participants in a cohort to help them grow closer in their walk with God, and fulfil the vision of our fellowship: Love God, love people and co-mission with Christ.

Character growth and ministry involvement -
We know that God’s plan and will for us is to grow spiritually and become fruitful, producing character and doing the good works which he has prepared for us. Going deeper, going higher will help participants attain this through sustained learning experiences, practice and transparency in a small group (life) context, and by being involved in field assignments and the ministries of the church.

Leadership development -
Going deeper, going higher is an important means for NLV to develop leaders, and will be led by your Pastor. You could say that this is a stretched version of a typical Discipleship Training School program, or that this is more structured training than our current “show and tell” method.

2) What kind of commitment do I have to give?

Going deeper, going higher will involve participants meeting periodically throughout the year. At this time, we envisage that our meetings will be divided into 2 semesters. The first is over a six months period from April to September, and comprises of up to 12 fortnightly sessions held on a weekday night. The second, from October to March, will comprise of 4 to 6 sessions which can start at any convenient time in this period.

You only make a commitment for each semester. But we will require your commitment to faithfully attend every session of the semester that you have signed up for, and to participate as best you can in any field or ministry assignments given in the semester.

3) What happens if I skip a semester?

The first cohort of participants will start going deeper, going higher in April 2009. If you decide to skip a future semester, there are several options. You may rejoin your cohort if what you have missed does not critically affect your ongoing personal development. You may also join a new cohort at the point you left.

4) What subjects will you be covering in going deeper, going higher?

We will employ and integrate external resources (teachers and programs) with what we have, to equip participants with ministry skills, as well as teach academic (biblical-theological) courses and leadership subjects, onsite. Furthermore, we plan to provide opportunities for participants to attend selected offsite conferences, seminars and short term mission trips.

The subjects will be relevant to achieving the goals of going deeper, going higher mentioned earlier, and I envisage that they would include:

My Relationship with God; The Kingdom of God; The Ministry of Jesus; Being a Missional Person; Stewardship of Life & Resources, The Church; Spiritual Disciplines; Hearing God; Vineyard 5 Step Model for Praying; Being Naturally Supernatural.

5) How do I sign up?

Email your pastor to confirm your interest to participate.