I shared last Sunday a picture or model I have in mind to incorporate into a discipleship process I am designing for NLV. It is still “on the back of an envelope” but the picture is like the building of the launch pad and rocket shown below which launces 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 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 (become the country club church).

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. Stop discerning the seasons, the current move of the Spirit.

I am targeting to start with the first cohort in March, and will share later more ideas about going deeper, going higher.