Relational Discipleship

At Advent, people often ask us “How do I get involved?” Many probably expect us to point them towards a membership class.  Or a ministry team.  Or a small group.  And sometimes we do.

But at Advent, God has asked us to do something more.

We believe…that God wants His people to become Jesus’ disciples (or apprentices), learning to walk in the “Jesus-way” in the power of the Holy Spirit. 

We believe…this kind of transformed life most naturally emerges in the midst of intentional, personal relationships, often 1-on-1 or 1-on-2. 

Therefore, at Advent we take the time to invest in YOU, encouraging every new member of the Advent family in their walk with God – intentionally, personally and uniquely - for a period of 4 to 5 months.  That’s Relational Discipleship. Is it a big investment? Yes.  But it’s more than worth it.

“What does it look like?”

Relational Discipleship at Advent is a process, not a program.  We meet you where you’re at in your spiritual journey, working together with you to choose a guide (and maybe a fellow participant) to walk through the journey with you.  After that initial phase, every group looks different… but here’s a typical scenario.  Once a week, you and a guide will sit down over coffee and a lesson that reveals some aspect of God’s grand story.  You’ll chat about the week, pray together, and then dive into the material, asking “How does my story weave into God’s story?”  In the process, you’ll probably be exposed to some new ways of following Jesus and be encouraged to incorporate them into your day-to-day routine.

“What have others said?”

People who have gone through the process before (and there are now more than 50 of them here at Advent!) have testified that Relational Discipleship connected them into our Advent family more deeply, led to emotional and relational healing, helped them discern God’s leading more clearly, or gave them a new sense of purpose and mission in life.  Every journey has been unique!

“What comes after Relational Discipleship?”

The Relational Discipleship process is just a first step in your journey here at Advent.  You’re not a fully-formed follower of Jesus when you’ve finished the process, but we hope you will have taken a few more steps down the path by the time you’re done. The foundation laid in these 4-5 months prepares you for life in our Missional Communities, where groups of 6-12 gather to serve, share, celebrate and study together. Ideally, the journey that begins in relational discipleship continues there.

Interested? Have questions?  Contact Ken at ken@adventdenver.com.  We hope you can join us!