Your Personal Journey

The Individual Pathway

Faith is a journey, not a destination. This pathway outlines the key steps many people take as they explore Christianity, grow in understanding, and become part of a church community. Your journey may not follow this exact sequence, and that's perfectly fine. Each person's path to faith is unique.

These eight steps provide a framework for understanding what growth in Christian discipleship often looks like:

1. Attend an Introductory Event

Your journey might begin with attending a Sunday service, a church event, or a special occasion like a baptism or wedding. This is your first taste of what Christian community looks and feels like. There's no pressure at this stage—you're simply exploring and getting a sense of whether you'd like to know more.

2. Join an Introductory Course

Courses like Alpha, Pilgrim, or Christianity Explored provide a safe space to ask questions and explore the basics of Christian faith. These courses typically run for several weeks and cover topics like:

• Who is Jesus?
• Why did Jesus die?
• What is the Bible?
• How does God guide us?
• What is prayer?

You'll be in a small group with others who are exploring, with plenty of opportunity to discuss, question, and share thoughts in a welcoming environment.

3. Be Paired with a Mentor

If you decide to commit to following Jesus, you'll be paired with a mentor—someone who is a mature Christian and can walk alongside you in your early steps of faith. Your mentor is there to listen, encourage, answer questions, and help you navigate what it means to live as a Christian.

4. Meet Regularly with Your Mentor

In the early weeks and months, you'll meet with your mentor regularly—perhaps once a week or fortnight. These meetings might happen over coffee, lunch, or a walk. The relationship is informal but intentional, giving you space to ask questions, share struggles, and grow in understanding.

5. Join a Discipleship or Nurture Group

As you grow in confidence, you'll be invited to join a small discipleship or nurture group. This is a space where new believers meet together weekly for a set period (often around three months) to explore what it means to follow Jesus, grow in prayer and Bible reading, and support one another.

6. Get Involved in Church Community

Being part of a church isn't just about attending services—it's about belonging to a community. You'll be encouraged to find ways to serve and contribute based on your gifts and interests, whether that's helping with hospitality, joining a music group, supporting children's work, or volunteering in practical ways.

7. Attend a House Group or Small Group Regularly

After your initial nurture group, you'll transition into an ongoing house group or small group. These groups meet regularly (usually weekly or fortnightly) to study the Bible, pray together, support one another, and build deeper friendships within the church family.

8. Grow in Confidence to Share Your Testimony

As your faith matures, you'll find opportunities to share your own story—your testimony of how you came to faith and what God means to you. This isn't about preaching or persuading; it's simply about being honest about your journey and the difference faith has made in your life.

What Comes Next?

In the following modules, we'll explore how churches can create and support this pathway for people like you. If you're exploring faith, these modules will help you understand what to expect. If you're a church leader, they'll equip you to guide others well.