OUR PATH

Discipleship
at Sanctuary.

“Give careful thought to your way”-Haggai 1:5

There are two questions every follower of Jesus should ask:What is my plan for becoming more like Jesus, and is that plan working?

The path of discipleship doesn’t follow a straight line; instead, it moves in cycles. There’s no universal approach when it comes to following Jesus. This pathway is simply a way to grow deeper. Move at your pace, in the way that matches your journey.

We exist to see the fame and deeds of God repeated in our time - in other words we want to be here for whatever it is God has more us.(Habakkuk 3:2)

OUR WHY

OUR WHAT

Our mission is to help each other become passionately engaged followers of Jesus.(Matthew 28)

OUR HOW

By becoming a family that follows the path of Jesus.

Family Following the Path of Jesus

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Family Following the Path of Jesus ~

family

In the New Testament, the church is not a crowd you attend, but a family you are formed in.

  • amily is the dominant metaphor for church in the New Testament.

    Jesus does not describe the church as an audience, an organization, or a religious service, but as a household, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters gathered around a shared Father.

    In Scripture, formation happens not primarily through information, but through relationship, imitation, and life together.

    The church becomes a place where faith is caught as much as it is taught, where love is practiced, and where maturity is slowly shaped over time.

    We believe this is not accidental.

    Family is the environment we are formed in.

  • IteIn Church as Family, Joseph Hellerman shows that the primary social vision of the New Testament is not the modern nuclear family or a voluntary association, but the ancient household, a community where identity, loyalty, and formation were shaped through life together.

    The early church understood discipleship not as a private spiritual project, but as being re-parented, re-formed, and re-socialized into a new family under God as Father and Christ as Lord.

    The church was not an event to attend, but a household to belong to, a place where faith was learned through shared life, shared meals, shared suffering, and shared mission.

following

How do we grow? How do we change? How are we transformed by the renewing of our mind?

In our walk with God we must be people of the Bible (belief), the Spirit (encounter), and people with a plan to be transformed by the renewing of our mind (praxis).

  • We hold to the historic faith with joy, boldness and confidence in a time of widespread theological and ethical compromise, particularly in the areas of scripture, sex, money and power. 

    We are committed to the Bible placing ourselves under its authority. Right thinking about God is just as important as our heartfelt intimacy with him. A.W. Tozer famously said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

    “Because we approach the gospel with preconceived notions of what it should say rather than what it does say, the Word no longer falls like rain on the parched ground of our souls. It no longer sweeps like a wild storm into the corners of our comfortable piety. It no longer vibrates like sharp lightning in the dark recesses of our nonhistoric orthodoxy. The gospel becomes, in the words of Gertrude Stein... a pattering of pious platitudes spoken by a Jewish carpenter in the distant past.” + Brennan Manning

  • Cultivating conscious dependence on the Spirit - We embrace the gifts and ministry of the Spirit to equip the church.  We seek to be a people marked by God’s presence, so that many may say, “surely God is among them.”

    “I want the presence of God Himself, or I don't want anything at all to do with religion... I want all that God has or I don't want any.” + A.W. Tozer

    We are told by Jesus that one of our divine birthrights as a Christian is that “my sheep will hear my voice and follow me.” This is not code for: “My sheep will read the bible and follow general principals.”

    We can walk in deeper intimacy and connection. We are promised by God that his presence will be with us

  • Praxis is about training to become like Jesus. Like the best of the church through the ages we need to have a set of disciplines/practices that guard our habits and guide our lives - because…

    The rhythms of our life (what we do)
    Form the desires of our hearts (what we want)
    Which shape the direction of our life (who we are becoming)

    Throughout history this set of disciplines has been called a rule or Way of Life.

    We don’t want to be people who just hear the Word without putting it into practice, allowing deception into our lives.

the path

At Sanctuary, we have a Way of Life. A Way of Life is simply a set of practices that guard our habits and guide our lives. Like the best of the church through the ages we need to have a plan because…

The rhythms of our life (what we do)
Form the desires of our hearts (what we want)
Which shape the direction of our life (who we are becoming)

The goal of our Way of Life is to press in together as disciples of Jesus and practice the central disciplines of the Christian life. We don’t want to be people who just hear the Word without putting it into practice, allowing deception into our lives. We believe walking in these directions can produce the sort of fruit we all long for.

Ultimately a Way of Life centers around taking deeper steps in our walk with Jesus.

AND SO

We journey along the path of Jesus in four directions. Each direction is marked out by biblically rooted, historically grounded disciplines (practices).

  • We believe that having a deep and connected relationship with God is the best possible way to live. We celebrate the divine in the daily, pursuing lives of hope, gratitude, and worship. We believe worship is the submission of all of our nature to God. It is the quickening of the conscience by his holiness; the nourishment of the mind with his truth; the purifying of the imagination by his beauty; the opening of the heart to his love; the surrender of the will to his purpose — all this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable.

    DISCIPLINES

    Scripture: because truth must be stronger than lies

    Prayer: because intimacy must be stronger than religiosity

    Fasting: because hunger must be stronger than apathy



  • We believe that God wants to bring about a new humanity by redeeming every part of us. We embrace the salvation Jesus offers as the only hope for the healing of our relationships with God, each other, ourselves, and creation. We believe that all of life is spiritual, and that all of our fears, failures, and brokenness can be restored and made whole. We value the inner journey because we want to be fully integrated people–mind, body, and soul, emotions, and experiences all offered together to God.

    DISCIPLINES

    Sabbath: because rest must be stronger than hurry

    Confession: because honesty must be stronger than hiding

  • Led by the Spirit, we are passionate about joining God in the renewal of all things, announcing and living out the transforming message of the resurrected Jesus. Jesus calls his Church to be a compelling force for good in the world, and we believe that the Church is at its best when it serves, sacrifices, and loves, caring about the things God cares about. We were created to live for something larger than ourselves.

    DISCIPLINES

    Generosity: because generosity must be stronger than greed

    Hospitality: because welcome must be stronger than separation

  • We are called to journey together as one body. We value the image of God in all people, everywhere. We believe that we were created to live deeply with one another, carrying each other’s burdens, sharing our possessions, to pray for and confess our sins to each other, to suffer and celebrate together. It’s in these honest, loving relationships that God transforms us and truth becomes a reality. The way of Jesus cannot be lived alone.

    DISCIPLINE:

    Community: because family must be stronger than radical individualism

of Jesus

  • Jesus doesn’t start with tips for self-improvement. He starts by telling the truth—about God, about us, and about the world we’re actually living in. He names our hunger for meaning, our tendency toward self-deception, and our deep desire for freedom, love, and wholeness.

    What makes Jesus compelling is that his vision of life works. When people practice his teachings—on forgiveness, generosity, prayer, and love of enemies—they don’t just become more religious. They become more human.

  • Every culture is forming us—often quietly, often without our consent. We are trained to hurry, to perform, to curate an image, to react with outrage or withdrawal. Over time, these forces don’t just influence our thinking; they shape our character.

    Jesus offers a way of life that actively resists these pressures. Through practices like prayer, Sabbath, truth-telling, generosity, and life in community, he forms people who are not easily mastered by fear, power, or approval. This is not passive spirituality. It is deliberate resistance—training the soul to remain faithful in a world that constantly pulls us elsewhere.

    Following Jesus is not about blending in with the spirit of the age. It is about becoming the kind of person who can remain rooted, courageous, and free no matter the cost.

  • Jesus takes evil seriously. He names sin, injustice, and harm without denial or distraction. He refuses to minimize what is broken in us and around us—and he refuses to look away.

    But Jesus does something no one else does. Instead of responding with violence, domination, or revenge, he confronts evil with self-giving love. On the cross, he bears the weight of human sin and offers forgiveness—not by ignoring wrongdoing, but by absorbing its cost. In Jesus, forgiveness is not cheap; it is costly, personal, and transformative.

    Because of him, guilt does not have the final word. Shame does not define us. Evil does not win. Jesus exposes what is broken and opens a real path toward forgiveness, healing, and new life.

  • The gospel is the good news that God the Creator has come to rescue us from sin and renew all things through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Jesus, God forgives sin, defeats the power of evil, and opens the way to eternal life—life with God that begins now and carries on beyond death.

    This good news is bigger than personal forgiveness, but it is never less than that. Through Jesus, God is establishing his kingdom in the world—restoring what is broken and forming a people who live under his reign. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are invited to participate in this renewal, embodying the life of the kingdom wherever we live, work, and love.

    The gospel is not advice about how to be better. It is the announcement that God has acted on our behalf—and the invitation to step into a new kind of life, now and forever.

  • Everyone is following a way of life. No one is neutral. Whether shaped by ambition, success, pleasure, politics, or self-expression, each of us is being formed by something—learning what to love, what to fear, and what to live for.

    Jesus offers a way, not just a set of beliefs. His way is rooted in truth, love, and freedom, shaping the whole of life—our inner world, our relationships, our work, and our hopes for the future. When practiced, this way leads toward wholeness, resilience, and a life aligned with reality.

    The question is not whether we are following a way. The question is which way is forming us—and where it is leading us.

  • Jesus Invites Honest Seekers, Not Perfect People

    Jesus consistently draws in people who are skeptical, wounded, curious, and unsure. He welcomes questions. He refuses to flatten complexity. He never demands that people have everything figured out before taking a step toward him.

    Following Jesus doesn’t require certainty—it requires honesty. Doubt, curiosity, and struggle are not obstacles to faith; they are often the soil where real faith grows. Jesus meets people exactly where they are and invites them forward, one step at a time.

    He doesn’t coerce belief. He invites trust. And he continues to say, “Come and see.”

Our way of life in more detail

These disciplines are an invitation to those interested in going deeper. If grace alone makes the river flow, disciplines like these help us wade into the water. Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning - and so we look to incorporate these disciplines/practices into our life with joy and freedom. 

UPWARD [TO be with God]

Truth must be stronger than lies

Base: Plan to spend at least 15 minutes, 3 days a week in the Bible.

Stretch: Extend your time and commit daily time in the Word, incorporate deeper study, and do it before you turn your phone on in the morning or after you turn your phone off at night.

SCRIPTURE

INWARD [TO be made whole]

PRAYER

Intimacy must be stronger than religiosity

Base: Commit to 5-10min of private prayer and being in the room on Sunday mornings.

Stretch: Commit to coming monthly to a worship night/ prayer gathering

FASTING

hunger must be stronger than apathy

Base: Fast from lunch, taking time to pray during that time.

Stretch: Fast from food for 24 hours 1x/month - starting after dinner and breaking the fast with dinner the next day.

WITNESS

Compassion must be stronger than indifference

Base: Pray for three people who don’t know Jesus and watch for “open doors to share the good news of Jesus.”

Stretch: When a door opens, walk through it. “Make the most of every opportunity” by asking every morning for an opportunity to bear witness. Serve on the Alpha team.

SABBATH

Rest must be stronger than hurry

Base: Practice a regular Sabbath meal. Rest intentionally during this time, delight in God, and practice gratitude.

Stretch: Plan a weekly, 24-hour Sabbath without any work and any phones.

OUTWARD [TO DEMONSTRATE & ANNOUNCE]

Generosity

Sacrifice must be stronger than greed

Base: Inventory how you spend your time and money with an earnest reflection on how much you invest in yourself versus others, especially the poor and marginalized.

Stretch: set up weekly, monthly, and yearly goals for how you will give generously of your time and finances to the church and beyond.

WITHWARD [WE GO TOGETHER]

COMMUNITY

family must be stronger than individualism

Base: Be a consistent part of a HomeChurch or group. Seek to build relationships with people in our church, in your workplace, and with your neighbors.

CONFESSION

Honesty must be stronger than hiding

Base: Create a regular rhythm (daily/weekly) to write out your confession and receive the assurance of forgiveness through prayer or at communion.

Stretch: Find a person to confess too..

Hospitality

Welcome must be stronger than isolation

Base: Keep a prayer list of those you feel led to reach out to. Connect one-on-one with one of them monthly.

Stretch: In addition to a prayer list, regularly invite people into the rich tradition of fellowship around the table, sharing a meal and welcoming them into your home.

Stretch: Set up a standing call or meet-up with a close friend and Jesus-follower (i.e. a weekly phone call or monthly coffee). Focus on sharing deeply the things you are tempted to keep hidden; supporting one another practically and encouraging one another’s relationship with Jesus.

Pathway, an eight week
dinner course

A plan for your discipleship
A pathway to community

Pathway is an eight-week journey around the table—sharing meals, learning from Pastor Andrew and others and having honest conversations. It’s designed to form the foundations of lifelong discipleship, introduce our Way of Life, and help you find your place in HomeChurch.. 

LEARN MORE →

Family Discipleship

Our vision for family ministry is two fold:

1. That every child would encounter God through our programming (as opposed to just learning about God).

2. That every parent/caregiver would be equipped to take the lead in the discipleship of their kids at home.

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OUR PATH

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