Stages of Faith: ​

Remain​ in Me

After “Come and See,” “Come and Follow Me,” “Overcome with Me,” and “Be with Me,” Jesus gives His final invitation: “Remain in Me.” This comes from John 15:4:  “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”

This is the stage of complete surrender. Disciples in Stage 4 have no dependence on themselves – they rely entirely on God. Before Stage 4, people tend to go to God when they need things. In Stage 4, disciples know they always need God. As Acts 17:28 says, “In him we live and move and have our being.” When disciples receive the invitation “Remain in Me,” they release lists and plans, instead tuning into what God is already doing and simply doing it with Him. Jesus paints a picture of this in Matthew 11:28-29: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” By releasing the burdens of their own activities and plans and resting in Christ, disciples take on His yoke, partnering with His plans instead and doing them through His power.

Churches can fall into the trap of thinking that people in this stage don’t need anything. But no one ever matures out of needing the church. Stage 4 disciples still need leaders to help them continue in their walk, even if they themselves may also be leaders.

First, it is important to help people in Stage 4 realize they have not “arrived.” Discipleship is a lifelong journey, and Stage 4 does not have an end point. As C.S. Lewis puts it, we can always move “further up and further in.” The challenge in Stage 4 is to grow toward a complete putting-to-death of the ego – to become more sacrificing and less demanding. Every arena of life should be surrendered to Christ as these disciples lay down their plans and open themselves to God’s calling for them.

To continue this journey further up and further in, these disciples need a continual desire for more. The best way to feed this desire is through daily listening to God. If they keep listening, God will keep calling them to more. Classical spiritual disciplines such as the listening prayer, centering prayer, and the Examen can be a excellent tools for disciples seeking to listen to God better. The Ignatian meditation can also help to keep daily Scripture reading from growing stale.

Isolation presents a danger in Stage 4. Thus, small groups, mentoring relationships, and retreats with others are a key need for plugging these disciples into close-knit communities that seek spiritual direction of discernment of God’s voice together. Fellowshipping with others and being accountable to others will help shepherd disciples from getting off track as they try to discern God’s leading.

More than likely, disciples in Stage 4 are out feeding lambs, serving others, and making great sacrifices for Christ. But don’t forget they also need to be fed and served. If God Himself is a community of three, neither can any of us cease to be in community.

Stages of Faith: Stage Three

​Come and Be with Me

After “Come and See,” and “Come and Follow Me,” Jesus gives a third invitation: “Come and Be with Me.” This appears in Mark 3:14: “He appointed twelve that they might be with him” .

How is this stage different from the previous? Obviously the disciples are still following Jesus. But this stage is more about “being” than “doing.” Jesus did not call His disciples merely to carry out His instructions; He called them share meals with Him, sit with Him, talk with Him, be with Him. Ultimately He calls them His friends. “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15).

In Stage 3, our faith becomes less activity-focused and more intimacy-focused. We may even pull back from serving in the church and in ministry to make more space in our lives for time with God. We learn about the value of rest and keeping the Sabbath.

It is important to note that Stage 3 does not have to begin after time at The Wall ends. They most likely will overlap, as the struggle over The Wall results in greater depths of intimacy. In fact, the pain and growth experienced through the The Wall may be exactly what leads us into Stage 3. By this point, we know that we cannot overcome anything in our own strength. Great things come only when we are weak and rest in Christ, letting His strength work through us. 

From Stage 3, we need to grow toward complete surrender and sacrifice to God. We are enjoying intimacy with Him, but often because it makes us feel better. The focus is still on self.

A church leader can help disciples in Stage 3 move beyond this focus on self by teaching them to regularly practice listening to God in their times of intimacy with Him. If people are listening, God will start calling them to sacrifice.

But don’t rush anyone through Stage 3. The complete verse in Mark 3:14 says, “He appointed the twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach.” The being comes before the sending. People in Stage 3 will begin to desire growth on their own, because as long as they are self-centered, their intimacy with God will reach a plateau. That is when you can paint a vision for what is next  – an inside-out turn from self to God. Our intimacy can begin to mirror Jesus’ intimacy with the Father displayed so deeply through His prayer in Gethsemane:

​I pray . . . that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one – I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity . . . Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.”

John 17:20-24

​You can see the intensity of Jesus’ desire for us to have the intimacy with Him that He enjoys with the Father. Remember, you should never tell a person that they need to be “better” or that where they are in their walk is not good enough. Rather, just as Jesus did, you as a church leader are inspiring them and clarifying for them how to more deeply enjoy their relationship with their amazing Savior.

Most importantly, you must be walking this walk yourself. If you are going to challenge other people to listen to God and start sacrificing for Him, you should be doing the same. Of course, you will not be perfect, and your own walk through the stages is allowed to waver and make circles just like anyone else’s. But let your inspiration be through example more than through words. Paint a vision of an intimate, surrendered walk with God by being that vision. As Paul said to the church he led in Corinth, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). After all, example is the most powerful teaching you can give.

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​Stages of Faith: The Wall

In the last post, we talked about how the biggest challenge in the second faith stage is moving toward intimacy with God. It turns out that this challenge is so great and so commonly experienced that we have a name for it: “The Wall.”

When we respond to Jesus’ Stage 2 invitation, “Come and Follow Me,” it is often with a lot of enthusiasm and expectations about what our new life will be like. In this stage, we usually join a church, begin serving in ministry, study the Bible, and experience spiritual growth. This could last a short time or for many years.

Then a crisis occurs. It could be anything: a painful tragedy, an unfair job loss, disillusionment with the church, a battle with depression, or an unexpected struggle with temptation. It could even be a crisis of stagnation; we simply feel disconnected from God. The sermons, the ministry service, and the quiet times that used to make us feel intimate with Christ now leave us feeling nothing. We find ourselves asking the faith questions we thought we had answered long ago: “Can I trust God?” “Does He care?” “Is He good?

We have all been there. It is the spiritual desert, like the wilderness the Israelites wandered through for forty years between the ecstasy of their escape from Egypt and the joy of the Promised Land. Those who try to rush through this desert and climb The Wall on their own strength fail and spiral into further frustration. Many, upon hitting up against The Wall and not experiencing breakthrough, settle for Stage 2 and never strive for greater depth in their walks with Christ.

What can church leaders do to help disciples through this difficult time? 

The first step is to encourage them to be emotionally honest with God. They need to know that their struggle does not mean they have “failed” and or that God is displeased with them. It is easily possible to be walking in obedience to God while feeling cut off from Him, as we see in Job and the Psalms. When we are at the The Wall, we need to be assured that it is safe to approach God and cry out to Him with our questions, doubts, and pain. We can be like David, desiring intimacy yet feeling rejected:

Hear my voice when I call, Lord; 

be merciful to me and answer me.

My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’

Your face, Lord, I will seek.

Do not hide your face from me . . .

Do not reject me or forsake me,

God my Savior.

(Psalm 27: 7-9)

This process of becoming emotionally honest with God takes time. Even if they think it will get them nowhere, encourage people at the Wall to take time to go to God and pour out their struggle to Him, knowing that He is listening – whether or not it feels like He is listening.

The next step is to help them find recovery programs, counselors, and/or mentors who fit them and their needs. Be realistic about the fact that the wilderness journey can take years – but if they are equipped with the people and resources to guide and encourage them, they will not have to make the journey alone.

And Jesus’ invitations are not exclusively for the stages of faith; He has a specific invitation for when we are at The Wall. He says in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Jesus is not on the other side of The Wall, arms crossed, impatiently waiting for us to overcome it by ourselves before giving another invitation. He is at The Wall with us, inviting us to take heart and overcome with Him.

Stages of Faith: Stage Two

Come and Follow Me

Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people” (Matthew 4:19).

This is Jesus’ second invitation to His disciples and marks the second stage of faith: Come and Follow Me. This stage begins when a person steps beyond just learning about Christianity (“Come and See”) and decides to follow Christ.

During this stage, people are learning to read Scripture and pray. They also begin worshiping and often serving in a Christian community. Unfortunately, too many get stuck here, focusing on the actions and the head knowledge of Christianity while becoming stagnant in their intimacy with Christ. They read their Bibles and say their prayers but have no sense of interacting with someone who desires a deep relationship with them. Everyone experiences this from time to time, but the danger for the people in Stage 2 is settling into thinking that this is as good as it gets.

The REVEAL surveys show that of all the stages, Stage 2 has the largest number of people. In some churches, people in Stage 2 make up to 50% of the congregation. And some of those people have remained in that stage for decades. They may actually fear intimacy with Christ because it means giving up control. When Christianity becomes more than church activities and God begins to speak, the believer can no longer control their spiritual walk. But that’s what being a follower of Jesus is all about.

This is the point at which people must move from being Marthas to becoming Marys. It is harder to sit still and simply be with Christ than it is to do things for Christ.

One crucial way church leaders can help move people from “Come and Follow Me” to “Come and Be with Me” is through small groups. Small groups get people more comfortable with the relational aspect of their faith. In this context, believers hear each others’ stories of intimate encounters with God and become personally challenged in their walks with Him.

The depth of the small group depends largely on the authenticity of the leader. If the small group leader isn’t authentic, neither will be group be. If, however, the leader has the courage to be vulnerable, he or she will create a safe place for others to open up as well. Honesty is quite often contagious.

Ministries that deal with addictions can also help move people past whatever blockage is hindering them from intimacy. These addictions may not be to drugs and alcohol; they could be addictions to anger, passivity, or control. Most people have a habitual sin that must be broken before they can experience new depths of intimacy with Christ.

If you’re a group leader, don’t focus on making people hear you; focus on helping them hear God. If your people don’t appreciate your teaching but begin to recognize God’s guidance, you are succeeding. Believers who have taken the initial step of following Jesus often have no idea where God will take them and what they will experience on their journey of faith. So just as Eli did with the young Samuel, teach them to say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Sam. 3:9). And then get them excited for what could happen next.

to Better Help Churches, Disciples and Leaders Flourish!

Ascending Leaders recently took a big step in hiring a full-time operations manager, our first full-time position in addition to our President. We needed someone to oversee projects and respond to staff needs so that our President could focus on further developing Ascending Leaders to better serve churches, disciples and leaders in the future.

Because this step was so critical, we took ample time–it took us 12 years to take this step– and conducted a rigorous review process.  We went from 80 resumes to 20 applicants, to 8 initial interviews, to 3 finalists, to the very person God had in mind for Ascending Leaders. We are thrilled to welcome Rhonda Spriggs to the role of operations manager and to our Ascending Leaders team!

Rhonda brings almost twenty years of experience in the marketing database sector of business. God has blessed her with a effervescent, relational and detail-oriented personality, a high adaptability to others, and phenomenal management skills. Her strong customer service bent will please churches, disciples and leaders we serve. Rhonda is also the chair of the MBA Alumni Association of Houston Baptist University and has participated in her church’s volunteer youth ministry in Houston’s Third Ward for almost 20 years.

Mike says,

I am very excited to bring Rhonda on board as Ascending Leaders’ full-time operations manager. Not only does she love Jesus and have a passion for serving Him – she also has a BA and MBA from Houston Baptist University, where one of our board members is president, two of our team members are students, and three of my kids are alumni. We can already see the significant difference Rhonda will make in allowing Ascending Leaders to foster deeper discipleship and in freeing me up for greater focus.”

During her first day on the job, Rhonda was already asking each Ascending Leaders team member what she could do to support their work – and started doing just that! Her presence is already a tremendous blessing and making an impact on our team. It will not be long before those we serve will feel the difference Rhonda is making.

Rhonda shared,

I am so very excited to be working here at Ascending Leaders. The mission of helping others grow in their discipleship is very meaningful to me. I love the Lord, and I am excited to be within an organization that has the same values.”

Welcome to the team, Rhonda! We are excited to have you, too!

Ascending Leaders recently hosted a training for our adjunct coaches. These are the experienced men and women who partner with church leaders to help them grow their congregations into fruit-bearing discipleship. Together they represent:

      200  years of ministry experience

       6     theological schools

       4     denominations

These coaches came from across the country to share their insights and to get oriented with Ascending Leaders. Among the group, three new coaches were present. Meet our latest additions and hear what makes them passionate about discipleship!

 Ryan Poe 

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  My passion for clear, transformational discipleship was birthed out of my own frustrating experience with discipleship that led me to nearly walk away from vocational ministry.  However, God used various seminary courses to ignite a fire in me as a disciple and as a pastor.  I have returned to seminary to research effective learning approaches that may (with prayer and discernment) be appropriated for use in the church.  

I was introduced to Mike and AL through one of my seminary courses. In September 2017, I accepted the Discipleship Pastor position at a multisite church in Indiana and am working with our church leaders to define discipleship, develop a clear pathway for discipleship, create a personal development plan for the church, design a one-year new disciple small group experience, and write curriculum.

I look forward to continuing my learning from Mike and the other adjuncts about effective ways to walk alongside church leaders as they cultivate healthy disciple-making processes and cultures in their churches.”

Matt McClure

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I love Jesus, and I believe God is leading me to train as an Ascending Leaders coach. God has ignited a zeal for discipleship in his church and for his people in me. My interactions with Ascending Leaders over the last five years has been God-honoring and inspiring, and I am excited to be apart of this ministry. I’m loving the opportunity to collaborate on discipleship with like-minded leaders.”

Marilyn Wadkins

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I have been passionate about discipleship for many years. My passion for leadership growth lead me to annually bring teams from the church I was serving to the Willowcreek Leadership Summit. There was a great deal of frustration on our leadership team around translating what we learned from the Summits to our congregation. When Reveal first came out, I encouraged our church to participate. Like some other churches, we were surprised by the results.

I am extremely passionate about the value of coaching in any situation. I became certified in Executive and Life coaching in 2013, took Vibrant Church Initiative’s training, and began coaching churches in 2014. After visiting the Ascending Leaders website, I took a couple of their courses and participated in a session of DiscipleOn. It was fascinating to work with a variety of denominations from all over the country struggling with the same challenges.

When people grow in their faith, there is hope. When their relationship with God is strong, the world is a better place.”

We at Ascending Leaders are thrilled to have these three coaches join our team. Mike Johnson said after the training, “The adjuncts present are terrific disciples—patient, passionate, gracious, hospitable spirits, bright, deeply and widely experienced, jovial. I couldn’t have asked for any better, and I look forward to serving with them further.”