A disciple in PATH, can be used for any Ongoing Contact (whether pre- or post-salvation), given that they have agreed to remain in communication with you for prayer and spiritual growth. Clarifying this relationship takes it to a more serious commitment for both of you.
The Spiritual Growth Tool
Wherever a Contact is on their faith journey, it is imperative that we begin tracking that journey as soon as they enter into a discipleship relationship.
Why is tracking important? Tracking a disciple's journey using the Spiritual Growth tool in PATH provides a framework for you, as their Online Missionary, to follow as you disciple them. It allows you to be intentional in your conversations and offers milestones to move toward. Tracking their growth allows you, and the ministry, to see how your disciple's relationship with the Lord grows over time.
The topics of the six Look To Jesus lesson topics are the model for Global Media Outreach’s initial follow-up:
- Assurance of salvation
- Empowerment by the Holy Spirit
- Prayer
- Personal devotions/study/Bible reading,
- Integration with the Church
- Sharing their faith with others
Without a clear plan, it’s easy for conversation with your Contacts to be driven by their own passionate questions and deeply-felt needs, leaving no time for training them to find out what pleases the Lord, a key requirement for someone ready to become a disciple. (Ephesians 5:10)
The attached Quick Reference Guide is a simple introduction to how this can be done. It provides some questions for each category of growth and helps you decide when to designate your Ongoing Contact as a disciple.