We call the process of spiritual maturity the "critical process," because it is essential to life (see diagram below). Everyone begins at the lower left corner as an unbeliever in need of a relationship with Jesus Christ. The Bible uses a farming metaphor to describe a person's walk toward faith in Christ. First, the soil of the heart needs cultivation, and the Christian, working as a farmer, builds a relationship with the unbeliever in order to lead him to Christ or at least encourage him to be open to the Gospel. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

The goal of sowing is to bring the unbeliever to a place where he asks, "Who is Jesus?" It may take a long time, and like a farmer relies on God to send rain and sunlight, the Christian relies on God to give saving faith. We are to be salt, to create thirst, and light, to illuminate (Matthew 5:13-14).

Harvesting is that joyous time of new faith. The fruit of evangelism has come by the Lord's grace (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). Now, a new believer becomes a spiritual infant in a Biblical metaphor of parenting.

Discipleship as parenting may not look like the model followed by many church discipleship programs, but it is the one the Lord has given us by teaching and example (1 Thessalonians 2:7-11, John 14:8-10). Jim Petersen, author of Lifestyle Discipleship, said, "Our tendency is to create programs for discipleship and offer them to people as a substitute for parental care. It doesn't work. New Christians need a meaningful relationship with spiritual parents." We can teach them good information, and they may remember it well; but unless we tie Scriptural teaching to a relationship, they may not grow in their faith as they could.

The four growth stages of discipleship represent the growing Christian's changing needs. As a babe, a new Christian needs the spiritual strength of wise counsel and Biblical doctrine. As a child, he wants to learn and see the fruit of what he is learning. As an adolescence, he begins to challenge what he hears and its application to his life. Many Christians stop at this stage; but CBMC's ministry hopes to lead those believers into the fruitful stage of adulthood, where they will call others to grow in Christ as they continue to grow.

By making disciples, a follower of Christ can experience the incredible joy of calling others to salvation and maturity, and by working with other adults in a team, he can multiply his influence throughout his city. That leads to the next step in ministry, our City Growth Plan.