Creating the Right Discipleship Path
Improving the weekend experience helps you expand the “front door” of your church. But on-ramps and next steps are what “closes the back door.” In ministry, the word “assimilation” is often used to describe the process of integrating a new person into the life of a church. I prefer the term Discipleship Path instead. Because every church should have a path where people can begin a journey to discover Jesus and deepen their faith. Unfortunately, many churches struggle with the creating the right next steps for people to start that journey. In many cases, this is what it looks like when someone attends church for the first time and then returns. First time guests are sent to a welcome center for a gift. The objective is to get their information for follow-up. The church sends an email or text to follow up, usually sharing more information about the church and its programs, or an upcoming event, like a Bible study. If they return, they are asked to attend some sort of membership class