Discipling

Discipling offers biblical, gospel-centered, one-on-one conversations focused on heart transformation through ongoing repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. It’s not life coaching, talk therapy, or crisis intervention (in the common understanding of those terms). Discipling takes place in a relaxed, relational environment as you work through a biblical resource, apply Scripture to your life, and pray together while pursuing Christ.

Our Disciplers are mature, vetted members of Christ Church who have a passion for helping others follow Jesus. We train our Disciplers on a regular basis, but they are not certified or professional counselors.

Discipling is a ministry of the church and is offered free of charge, apart from your purchase of the biblical resource. The real cost of Discipling is the cost of commitment.

Sometimes counseling is in fact the better choice. In the initial stage of assessing your situation, if we determine that counseling is the best option, we will refer you to a trusted counselor outside the church. We don’t see this as a hand-off, but as an invitation to someone with training, skill, and experience to join in our effort to care for you.

If you have an existing relationship with a mature, respected Christian who can help (for example, someone in your community group), we encourage you to consider seeking help from that person first. We want what's best for you, and often it’s best to seek help from someone you know and see regularly. The value of the relational equity you already have and the long-term community you already share should not be overlooked. Having said that, we do understand that there are times when seeking help from someone outside your closest circles is best.

Additionally, Discipling is not the best fit for someone:

• Needing immediate crisis care or counseling

• Actively abusing drugs, alcohol, or prescription medicine

• Unwilling to submit to biblical authority

• At risk of harming themselves or others

• Needing professional supervision or care

In the initial phase, our staff will work with you to understand your situation. If we think Discipling is the right path forward, we’ll begin looking for a Discipler that fits you well. Once we find one, we’ll pair you and let your Discipler take it from there. We’ll check in with both parties throughout the Discipling relationship to make sure everything is going well.