Downtown Hope | followingjesus

followingjesus

Jesus was intentional about helping a few close friends to follow Him through the course of life. Today He continues to grow us into his likeness and empower us by His Spirit and grace by the gospel through the scriptures. As a church we have a simple pathway for you to journey with a few friends helping you to receive and respond to the gospel of grace, in obedience to Jesus through your everyday life. It is simple but costly. The groups that form are not programed but begin naturally when God's Spirit evokes one person to invite another or a few others to follow Jesus along with them. It is not a quick fix program or a way to manage sin but rather a tool to help build life long rhythms and practices in order to thrive in the good, true and beautiful news of Jesus for the world. Some of us are more concrete and need clear resources, others are more creative and would rather invent the pathway ourselves. Below are resources for both kinds of people. Look around, download what is helpful or simply begin.

HOW TO BEGIN
1. Pray about who + invite them to commit to following Jesus with you.
2. Practice reading the Scriptures + other Spiritual Disciplines daily as a means of grace, not legalism.
3. Meet regularly, pray together and stay connected through the week.
4. Encourage others to join you or help their friends to follow Jesus.

RESOURCES
For those who like things already designed and ready to go.
PRESET GUIDE (COVENANT, READING PLAN, GUIDE + QUESTIONS)

For those who enjoy adapting and creating their own.
ADAPTABLE COVENANT
ADAPTATBLE READING PLANS
ADAPTABLE GUIDE + QUESTIONS

EMPOWERMENT NOT CONTROL
The Downtown Hope Equipping team, Neighborhood Gathering and Community Leaders are available to help encourage these groups but do not micro manage or "place" people in them. It is up to each person to prayerfully listen to God's Spirit, initiate and/or invite if and when they feel it is time. While we highly encourage every Christ follower to follow Jesus with a few, for a variety of reasons, not everyone is at a place in life where they are willing or able to make that level of committment, that is ok, there is no judgment. While we will not micro manage our encouragment for life long sustained growth is to stay committed to these simple elements as you go:

Meet Regularly + Connect beyond the meeting
Transparency + Confidentiality
Personally exploring the Scriptures, Prayer + Spiritual Disciplines
Helping a few others to follow Jesus