The Renew Discipleship Pathway

Welcome to our Discipleship Pathway! Below is a curated collection of resources and action steps to guide and challenge you along your spiritual journey.

The pathway is divided into four levels—starting with Level 1 for your first steps in faith, and progressing to Level 4 as you step into leadership. Within each level, resources and action steps are organized into five core categories:

Seek: Worship, relationship with God, spirituality, holiness, prayer
Stick: Committing to God’s family, doing life in the body of Christ
Study: Deepening in your knowledge of God, the Bible and faith
Serve: Learning to use your gifts to bless others
Share: Improving in your ability to share your faith

Scroll down to explore the resources! If you have any questions or would like guidance on taking your next step, feel free to reach out to our team.

LEVEL 1

Connecting with Jesus

Actions

ATTEND CHURCH
Attend services at Renew.

Classes

Church Family

Actions

ATTENDANCE
Attend Renew Church regularly.

SALVATION
Make a decision to follow Jesus. Speak with a pastor if you are unclear on how to do that.

BAPTISM
Be baptized as a believer. Speak with a pastor or our Discipleship Director to see when the next baptism is being held.

RENEW GROUP
Begin participating in a Renew Group. Speak with a pastor or our Discipleship Director and they will get you connected.

Classes

THAT MAN CALLED JESUS
This 6-week study in the Gospel of John will show you what Jesus himself said about having a relationship with God. Learn who Jesus was, what he did, what he said about himself, and what others said about him. By the end of the class, you will see clearly what Jesus desires from you.

ALPHA
Alpha is an 11-week video and discussion series that is used all over the world. It creates a conversation over some of the most-asked questions related to the Christian faith.

reading

Gospel of John
Fundamentals of the Faith by John MacArthur
Boundaries, Updated and Expanded Edition by Henry Cloud
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero

Deepening in Your Knowledge of God, the Bible and Faith

Actions

BIBLE
Get an NASB, wide-margin Bible, similar to this:
https://www.christianbook.com/nasb-reference-comfort-hardcover-elastic-closure/9780310451198/pd/451193?event=ESRCG

DEVOTIONS
Pray and read the Bible every day for 2 months, journaling as you read.

DISCIPLESHIP PLAN
Make a plan for how much of the discipleship pathway you want to finish this year. Think through your year and put the checkpoints you want to cover into your calendar.

Classes

STUDY
This 12-lesson class takes you deeper into the Bible, helping you to understand fundamental biblical concepts and theology.

Walk Thru The Bible, Step Into The Story
Learn how to commit the broad biblical story to memory.

reading

Proverbs
James
How To Study Your Bible: Discover The Life-Changing Approach To God's Word by Kay Arthur, David Arthur, Pete De Lacy
The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
The Cost Of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Learning to Use Your Gifts to Bless Others

Actions

SERVE
Start serving regularly in a ministry at church. Begin by setting up an interview with a pastor or our Discipleship Director.

SPIRITUAL GIFTS TEST, PERSONALITY PROFILE AND PASSION PROFILE
You will complete these as part of Serve Class.

PLANNED PERCENTAGE GIVING
Become a “planned percentage giver” by intentionally starting to give a planned percentage of your income to the church and/or other ministries. Over time, try to grow in your giving until you are tithing (10%).

Classes

SERVE
The Serve class is a 6-week class that will address how you use your time, talent and treasure. It will give you a clear picture of what God expects from His children and how we work together in ministry here at Renew.

reading

Gospel of Mark
Understand Roles and Gifts by Dr. Christy Hill
Improving Your Serve by Chuck Swindoll
Servanthood as Worship: The Privilege of Life in a Local Church by Nate Palmer

Personal Evangelism

Actions

OUTREACH EVENT
Participate in a church outreach event.

STORY OF GOD
Learn to tell The Story of God in under 8 minutes using this video from Caesar Kalinowski

BE A WITNESS
Share your faith with someone. Tell the person: a) What you were like before coming to Jesus. b) The events leading to your conversion. c) What you came to believe about Jesus. d) What difference Jesus has made in your life. Take as much time as you need in doing this naturally (over multiple meetings, if necessary).

Classes

SHARE
Over 6 sessions, you’ll learn about “evangelism” – what it means to share the good news of Jesus with people in hopes that they also will accept Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

THE ART OF NEIGHBOURING
In this four-session video series based on their book The Art of Neighboring, Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon help us focus on the people within our neighbourhood and learn what it means to be a good neighbour.

reading

The Books of 1, 2, 3 John
Saturate: Being Disciples of Jesus in the Everyday Stuff of Life by Jeff Vanderstelt
The Art of Neighboring: Building Genuine Relationships Right Outside Your Door by Jay Pathak & Dave Runyon
The Gospel Comes with A House Key by Rosaria Butterfield
Transformed: A New Way of Being Christian by Caesar Kalinowski
Gospel Fluency: Speaking the Truths of Jesus Into the Everyday Stuff of Life by Jeff Vanderstelt

LEVEL 2

Spiritual Life

Actions

PLAYLIST
Create a playlist of 100 worship songs on Spotify or your music platform of choice.

PRAYER CHART
Create a weekly prayer chart, including daily items (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, needs, wisdom, direction) as well as weekly requests (family, friends, unsaved, sick, church leaders, political leaders, etc.).

PRAYER & JOURNALING
Buy a journal and spend 15 minutes in prayer every day for 1 month, journaling your thoughts.

videos

Holiness in the Bible by The Bible Project
The Power of Knowing God by Tony Evans
Prayer: Youth Series by Francis Chan
Surrender by Francis Chan

reading

Psalms 1-89
He That Is Spiritual by Lewis Sperry Chafer
Enjoying Intimacy With God by J. Oswald Sanders
Crazy Love by Francis Chan
The Pursuit Of God by A.W. Tozer
The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard
In The Name Of Jesus by Henri Nouwen

Church History

Actions

DOCTRINAL STATEMENT
Read the Renew Doctrinal Statement.

COMMITMENT TO COMMON IDENTITY
Read the Charis Commitment to Common Identity.

COMMITMENT TO COMMON MISSION
Read the Charis Commitment to Common Mission.

RETREAT
Attend a Retreat at Renew: Men’s, Women’s or Couples’.

VIDEOS

The Charis Fellowship (in under 3 minutes)
The History of the Charis Fellowship by Dr. Terry White

reading

The Book of Acts
Galatians
Restoring The Household: The Quest Of The Grace Brethren Church by Todd Scoles

Creation, The Bible, Christ

Actions

TEACH A CLASS
Teach a Sunday school class (at least once) with supervision.

videos

Is Genesis History?

reading

Genesis
Hebrews
Colossians
Scripture Alone: The Evangelical Doctrine by R.C. Sproul
Quick Answers On Creation by Jason Lisle
Defending Inerrancy: Affirming The Accuracy of Scripture for a New Generation by Norman L. Geisler, William C. Roach
The Text of the New Testament: From Manuscript to Modern Edition by J. Harold Greenlee
The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel

Serving Your Family

Actions

SERVE YOUR FAMILY
One of the following:

Parents: Have family devotions 5 days a week for 2 months in a row.
Singles: Host a social event for your Christian brothers and sisters at your place or at a location of your choosing.

reading

1 & 2 Timothy
Titus
Raising Kingdom Kids by Tony Evans
Singleness: How to Be Single and Satisfied by June Hunt
Grandparenting: Strengthening Your Family and Passing on Your Faith by Dr. Josh Mulvihill
Family-Driven Faith: Doing What It Takes to Raise Sons and Daughters Who Walk with God by Voddie Baucham Jr.

Local Missions

Actions

LOCAL MISSIONS
Participate in a local compassion project or local cross-cultural missions activity.

BLOCK PARTY
Host (or help host) a neighbourhood block party.

Classes

PERSPECTIVES
15-week missions training

reading

Discovering Global Missions: Explore God's Heart for the Nations by Dave Guiles
Great for God: Missionaries who Changed the World by David Shibley
When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert
Foxe's Book of Martyrs by John Foxe
The Hole in Our Gospel 10^th Anniversary Edition: What Does God Expect of Us? by Richard Stearns

LEVEL 3

Life as Worship

Actions

SPIRITUAL RETREAT
Go on a 48-hour spiritual retreat. Go to that place alone, maybe to a cabin or a hotel room – somewhere that you can be alone with God and your thoughts. Read from one or more of the books from the reading list in this section (301), take the time to journal your thoughts.

WORSHIP CONCERT
Attend a worship concert – by yourself or with friends. It is important to cultivate a connection with God through corporate worship. Pick an artist or group that really speaks to you. The artist/band must be known as a worship artist/band. Allow yourself to worship God and make note of what you are experiencing.

videos

Forgotten God by Francis Chan
Work As Worship by J.D. Greear
All of Life as Worship by John Piper

reading

Psalms 90-150
Ecclesiastes
Garden City by John Mark Comer
Are Miraculous Gifts For Today? Four Views Edited by Stanley N. Gundry, Wayne Grudem
Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby & Claude King
Worship: The Reason We Were Created by A.W. Tozer
Knowing God by J.I. Packer

Kingdom Identity

Actions

ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER
Over the next 6 months, meet weekly with an accountability partner of the same sex.

HOSPITALITY
Invite a person/family from the church that you do not know to dinner (at your home or elsewhere).

FAMILY PRAYER
Pray with your spouse or child every day for one month. If you miss a day or two, add them to the end of the month. (Try not to miss more than a few.)

VIDEOS

Citizens And Strangers by Matt Chandler
Gospel of the Kingdom by The Bible Project

reading

Ephesians
Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31
The Art of Forgiving by Lewis B. Smedes
The Hospitality Commands: Building Loving Christian Community by Alexander Strauch
Life Together: The Classic Exploration Of Christian Community by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Anger Workbook, Revised and Updated by Les Carter, Frank Minirth

Worldview and Apologetics

Actions

LEAD A BIBLE STUDY
Lead a Bible study in your Renew Group.

WORLDVIEW
Develop your Christian worldview.

videos

Origins Debate: Creationism or Theistic Evolution? hosted by Sean McDowell
Stephen C. Meyer: Theistic Evolution

reading

Romans
1 & 2 Corinthians
The Reason for God by Tim Keller
The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog, 5^th edition by James W. Sire
Four Views on Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design by J.B. Stump & Stanley N. Gundry – Editors, Ken Ham, Hugh Ross, Deborah Haarsma, Stephen C. Meyer
Can We Still Believe in God?: Answering Ten Contemporary Challenges to Christianity by Craig L. Blomberg

Serving Your Community

Actions

SERVE THE COMMUNITY
Serve in a (church-organized or approved) community activity. This is a one-time activity, like helping in a local food bank or assisting the church run a movie-in-the-park night.

INTERVIEW A COMMUNITY LEADER
Interview a community leader (non-Christian) on what the community needs and how the church could help with those needs.

VIDEOS

12 Neighbors
Work as Worship Leadership Experience 2013 by Dave Ramsey

reading

Job
1 & 2 Peter
1 & 2 Thessalonians
Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God's Work by Timothy Keller
The Faith of Leap by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch

Other Religions

Actions

MISSION TRIP
Go on a church-approved, cross-cultural short-term mission trip, completing all of the necessary preparation work required by your church or sending agency.

WORLD RELIGIONS
Participate in a church-led visit of each of the following…

Muslim Mosque
Hindu Temple
Buddhist Temple
Sikh Gurdwara

MISSIONARY AT HOME
Make a relationship with someone from another faith and share the gospel with them. Tell the person: a) What you were like before coming to Jesus. b) The events leading to your conversion. c) What you came to believe about Jesus. d) What difference Jesus has made in your life. Take as much time as you need in doing this naturally (over multiple meetings, if necessary).

reading

The Kingdom of the Cults Handbook: Quick Reference Guide to Alternative Belief Systems by Walter Martin
The Kingdom of the Cults, 6th edition: The Definitive Work on the Subject by Walter Martin
Handbook of Religion: A Christian Engagement with Traditions, Teachings, and Practices by Terry C. Muck, Harold A. Netland, Gerald R. McDermott
Seeking Allah Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi

LEVEL 4

Ministry Life

Actions

MENTORSHIP
Begin to be mentored by a pastor or church leader. Speak with a pastor to set this up.

MINSTRY INTERVIEW
Have an interview with a pastor discussing your future in ministry and see what new level of ministry you can begin doing.

LEAD
Begin leading a Renew Group or Ministry. Meet with a pastor to figure out which ministry or group to start leading.

TITHE
Begin tithing (10%) if you haven’t already.

reading

Exodus
Joshua
1 & 2 Samuel
1 & 2 Kings
Nehemiah
Song of Songs
Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer by J. Oswald Sanders

Leadership at Renew

Actions

TEACH A CLASS
Teach an entire discipleship class at Renew Church. Speak with a pastor to make sure that you are prepared and resourced to teach.

MENTORING
Mentor a high school student of the same gender for 6 months (weekly meetings). Speak with a pastor for guiudance.

Classes

Hermeneutics
Textual Criticism

reading

Isaiah
Jeremiah
Hosea
Joel
Jonah
Malachi
Read 2 books from the Leadership Vault (see top right tab of Level 4 menu)

Pursuing Ministry

Actions

MULTIPLY
Multiply a Renew Group or Ministry. Work with a pastor for direction and support.

LEAD A MISSIONS TRIP
Lead a short-term missions trip. Work with an experienced pastor for direction.

BIBLE COLLEGE
Take a class at a local Bible college. Speak with a pastor about what college and class would be most beneficial.

CLASSES

Eschatology
Contemporary Issues

reading

Ezekiel
Daniel
Matthew
Philippians
Jude
Revelation
The Emotionally Healthy Leader by Peter Scazzero
Read 2 books from the Leadership Vault – choose from the selections marked with an asterisk (see top right tab of Level 4 menu)

The Leadership Vault

Good to Great (Jim Collins)
How to Win Friends & Influence People (Dale Carnegie)
Leading Change (John Kotter)
Primal Leadership (Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, Annie McKee)
First, Break All the Rules (Marcus Buckingham)
Start with Why (Simon Sinek)
On Becoming a Leader (Warren Bennis)
The Advantage (Patrick Lencioni)

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team (Patrick Lencioni)
Tribes (Seth Godin)
The One Minute Manager (Ken Blanchard & Spencer Johnson)
The Five Levels of Leadership (John Maxwell)
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (John Maxwell)
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Stephen Covey)
The Effective Executive (Peter Drucker)

The Making of a Leader (Robert Clinton)*
Leading Well: A Shepherd's Guide to Leading Well (Larry Osborne)*
Leading On Empty (Wayne Cordeiro)*
Lead Like Jesus (Ken Blanchard)*
Basic Christian Leadership (John Stott)*
Spiritual Leadership (Henry Blackaby)*
The Book on Leadership (John MacArthur)*
The Man God Uses (Oswald J. Smith)*

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

PARENTING

Forming Faith by Matt Markins, Mike Handler, Sam Luce
Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

MENTAL HEALTH

Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table by Louie Giglio
Winning the War in Your Mind by Craig Groeschel
Get Out of Your Head by Jennie Allen

BIBLICAL Worldview

What Happens Next? by Max Lucado
Muslims: 5 Biblical Essentials Every Christian Must Know and Do by Renod Bejjani