God does accept us unconditionally where and as we are, but He also expects us to consciously commit to actively changing and following Him. As a believer, the best way to pursue and learn how to follow Jesus Christ is through being discipled. We believe that allowing yourself to get equipped and trained through discipling is critical to becoming a more mature disciple of Jesus. At New Community Church, the discipleship process starts with first deciding to commit to a local congregation through membership and then continuing through a disciple-the-disciples model.

Four Stages of Discipleship in Becoming a Mature Disciples of Jesus Christ

*1. Commitment Through Membership*
*Discipleship 100*
Many ask what's the point of membership in a local church. When Jesus called people to become His disciples, the first thing He asked for was their commitment (Matthew 4:18–22), According to Scripture, a disciple should be committed to a local church body. Because the church is not an institution but a movement that should carry out the Great Commission, when disciples are committed to a local church, they'll grow more in accountability, commitment, and be a part of carrying out the Great Commission.

Who is invited to membership?
- Anyone who professes faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
- Anyone looking for a church community (no matter how long they plan to live in Chicago) and wants to fulfill the Great Commission.
- Anyone seeking to become a mature disciple of Jesus Christ.

*2. Humility Through Service*
*Discipleship 200*
The purpose of D200 is to help committed members of New Community Church begin their first steps to becoming mature disciples through building humility.

Commitment to a local church body alone isn't enough to follow the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Once disciples realize the extent of Christ’s lordship over their lives, they start learning about grace and their need to depend on Jesus Christ. As members grow in their commitment, they'll learn how to start using their gifts, talents, and resources for God and better understand their limitations and maturity level in faith.

Some signs of humility are:
- Learning to share struggles with the community and how to persevere in those struggles
- Evaluating his or her own paradigm and worldview
- Allowing themselves to be trained to serve effectively

*3. Understanding Who We Are & What God Has Called Us to Be*
*Discipleship 300*
In this stage of the discipleship process, disciples become more aware of the reasons for why they struggle when trying to follow God. They begin to investigate and question the basis of the world views and presuppositions they grew up with.

As disciples of Jesus Christ discover and understand their limitations in serving God, often times they'll experience discouragement or even fall away from God. It's at these times, through Biblical counseling and mentorship, that disciples will learn who they are before God and understand how they've been uniquely made to serve. Growth at this level happens through counseling, mentorship, and being able to model from others who are mature in faith.

*4. Leading Through Empowerment*
*Discipleship 400*
We believe empowerment is the final stage necessary for someone to become a mature disciple of Jesus Christ.

At this stage, a committed disciple learns how to discern, understand, and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit despite his or her imperfections. As this happens, he or she becomes empowered to lead others effectively for the sake of God’s kingdom. Disciples also start cherishing following and fulfilling the will of God as the most important thing in their lives and gain an understanding of the mandate of their calling.