Why Your Church Needs a Discipleship Pathway
What does it really mean to become a disciple of Jesus in your church?
In 2024, I worked with the Evangelical Free Church of Bemidji to answer that very question. Their mission statement — “To become deeply devoted followers of Jesus together” — is inspiring, but it raised an important challenge: How does someone actually do that here?
To find clarity, the church formed a strategic leadership team and invited me to facilitate a ministry planning process. Guided by prayer and the Holy Spirit, we sought to align every ministry around a clear vision and to give members a shared understanding of how disciples grow.
One of the most powerful outcomes was the creation of a discipleship pathway—a simple plan to guide people toward maturity in Christ. We drew from the Malphurs Group’s framework and defined our pathway with four memorable steps:
Gather – Worship and connect with the church family
Grow – Deepen faith through God’s Word and relationships
Give – Serve generously with time, talent, and resources
Go – Live on mission and share the gospel
All of it is infused by the power of the Gospel.
This pathway is becoming the guiding force for our ministries. Each ministry is working to define its role within these four G’s, giving our people clarity on how to live as deeply devoted followers of Jesus together.
The plan hasn’t been perfect, but it has been prayerful, deliberate, and embraced by our leaders. Sermons, discussions, and ongoing teaching continue to align our congregation around this vision. The result? Greater focus, better use of resources, and the encouragement of moving forward together with one purpose: making disciples.
Here’s the reality: the mission of every church is set by Jesus — to go and make disciples. But each church is unique, with different people, communities, and opportunities. That’s why your church needs both a strategic plan and a discipleship pathway. They ensure that disciple-making is not just happening, but happening with purpose and direction.
If your church doesn’t yet have a discipleship pathway, I’d love to help you build one. Together, we can create clarity, alignment, and momentum for your mission.
👉 Contact me at brandon@mustfulstrategicconsulting.com to start the conversation.
You can learn more about the Efree Church of Bemidji’s Strategic Ministry’s Plan by watching Pastor Jerry’s Sermon: Embracing our Gospel G’s
