Personal discipleship guidance
Where will you journey today?
God longs to take you on the journey of a lifetime.
We are all different, and your journey will be different to anyone else’s, even to that of someone from the same faith community.
Some discipleship resources will encourage you to focus on practices that come naturally and easily, and others will challenge you to strengthen the things you find difficult. Both approaches ask the Holy Spirit to change us to be more like Jesus Christ, who models a perfect humanity with unbounded love. We do not expect to be perfect, but live out these practices as far as we are able, with God’s help.
Identify your ‘home station’
A Methodist Way of Life has 12 core discipleship practices, represented as stations in a train network. These are practices that model the teachings of Jesus and lives of the disciples. They are activities through which we can meet God. We visit all 12 stations in our lives, but some are more attractive than others.
One way to try and identify your home station is to notice which practice makes you feel most comfortable – the practice that most helps you to notice the peace of God’s presence with you and in the world. Or it might be the practice that is most exciting – that gets your pulse racing; or the practice that provides you with a sense of calling and commitment. You may have several home stations, and your home station will almost certainly change over time.
If you’re not sure, ask your friends for their opinion. Sometimes other people are better at identifying our strengths than we are.
Going deeper into your home station
Once you know, go deep. One aspect of growing as a disciple is going deep into your particular God-given interests, passions and skills, and becoming more authentically your true self. You are a gift to the community of faith as you are.
Each station page has suggestions to try, but be open to guidance from God, alert to new opportunities and ideas.
Now find your growth station
We grow and develop through challenge. That might be through a growth station in the same practice area as your home station (whether Evangelism, Learning and Caring, Worship or Service), or one that’s completely different. It’s a bit like painting your home with either complementary or contrasting colours.
Your growth station might be one you are inquisitive or excited about exploring, or one that makes you feel nervous, even scared.
Here are some ideas for stations that might provide a good way for you to grow, but you should pick whichever one feels right to you. When choosing, ask God to be at work in your heart and mind, and ask friends their thoughts too. They might recognise gifts or areas for growth that you don’t see in yourself.
Home | Growth | How the stations link |
You are skilled at noticing God in scripture and the world. How can you serve people, so that you might notice God in them too? | ||
You are great at helping people. Take time to be fully present to the people you meet, getting to know them and hearing their stories. | ||
As you open yourself and get to know new people, pray for them. | ||
Prayer is essentially talking with God - speaking and listening. How about you try and find opportunities to talk with other people about your relationship with God? | ||
When we talk with people and share stories, we learn of their struggles. Maybe there are systematic injustices that need action? | ||
Being a challenger can sometimes hurt people along the way. A move towards caring for yourself and others may be helpful to you. | ||
Deep care for people can sometimes be rooted in fear. Worship is a good way to develop trust and faith. | ||
Worshiping God is a wonderful gift – can you find ways to share the experience and invite new people to join? | ||
In nature things grow slowly and delicately, without much ongoing attention. Maybe embracing the commitment to flourish will give you a balanced perspective. | ||
As you enjoy nature flourishing, attend to the fruit of the Spirit growing in your life. | ||
You are wonderful as you are. But maybe there is more to learn? | ||
God is fundamentally mysterious; seeking to notice God might help you grow in wisdom as well as knowledge. |
How the growth happens
We are changed by the Holy Spirit working gently in us. It’s a mysterious process, but is helped by reflection. Through reflection we can recognise where God is at work, and anticipate God’s presence in what comes next. What happens when your growth station becomes home? With time, practice and experience, stations that once frightened us become comfortable and familiar. That’s great! When it’s time for a new challenge, use the table above to think about where to travel next. You will revisit each station many times through your journey, but your situation will be different and you will bring a deeper, wiser faith each time.