At Messiah, people are growing!

In keeping with our vision, our process of spiritual growth is designed to help you become loving, mature and equipped followers of Christ for the sake of Family, Community and Global transformation. Our intentional spiritual growth process involves the following steps:

What Can We
Do For You?

Connect

Connect Groups provide places for people to develop relationships with one another and to have a group where they belong (to be known and to know others). Connect Groups are also intended to be fun, relaxed, and comfortable Christ-centered environments for you to invite and build relationships with your friends and neighbors and learn more about and draw closer to Jesus.

Anyone is welcome! See Ministries for opportunities to connect.

If you are interested in reaching out to us about getting connected to Messiah, please click here.

Starting Point Classes

If you are exploring faith or reexploring faith, this is a good place to begin your spiritual journey. Wondering about God, Jesus, or the Bible? Starting Point is an eight to ten week small group that provides an opportunity to explore faith in a very safe, non-threatening environment. In fact, no question is off-limits. As a result of this group, you’ll experience a taste of what it’s like to be in community with other people on a similar journey and explore the claims of Jesus Christ. Whether you are new, in transition, or wanting to get further connected, the Starting Point Group is a great place to start your journey! Feel free to bring a friend!

If you are interested in joining a Starting Point group, please click here.

Membership Class

Once you have completed Starting Point, membership might be right for you. At Messiah, we believe formal membership in the local church is important. This series of classes, give you a chance to hear about the amazing things God has done since 1988 to bring Messiah to where it is today. The rich history of the church is passed on to the next generation of members along with the values, vision, distinctive and heart of Messiah. Also, new members are challenged to take ownership of the church as they understand what it means to be a member of a church and why it matters. As part of the membership process, we will discuss baptism and communion instruction.

Life on Life Discipleship ​

“Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ. – Dietrich Bonhoeffer”

What Is Discipleship?

Discipleship is the process by which a mentor labors in the lives of a few with the intention of imparting one’s life, the gospel and God’s Word in such a way as to see them become mature and equipped followers of Christ, committed to doing the same in the lives of others. What separates discipleship groups at Messiah from other small groups is intentionality towards life-on-life missional discipleship and a focus on the process of maturity.

Why Do We Value discipleship?

Because Jesus calls us to make disciples (Matt. 28:18-20). During His ministry on earth, Jesus invested deeply in a few – loving, teaching, and equipping them. We desire to follow His example.

What Does Discipleship Look at Messiah?

Life-on-Life Missional Discipleship at Messiah happens in small groups of 4-5 people who commit to meet together for one year at a time. It’s not a Bible study, a social circle or a small group. Each group has a mentor leader who has the heart to develop a safe community where people can be known, loved, and care for one another. This community helps one another know God through His Word, grow in Christ-likeness, and become equipped to invest in others.

When is Discipleship at Messiah?

Over 25 groups meet formally once a week from September to May. There are some groups that begin mid-year as new members join the church.

Matthew 28: 18-20

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

“We are all just walking each other home.” – Ram Dass

Leadership Training

Leadership Training is for any leader at Messiah. We believe training and equipping leaders are vital to the growth of Christ’s church and the impact of the next generation (Colossians 1:28-29). Leaders need to be equipped in knowledge, character, skills and vision (Luke 2:52). This is accomplished through practical ministry experience, personal mentoring, and group instruction and, to that end, we meet each month to pray, share a meal, meet in accountability groups and study the Word of God.

Invito-Spiritual Direction

What Is Spiritual Direction?

It is the practice whereby one person (Director) invites and helps another (Directee) to pay attention to God’s presence, voice, and sanctifying work in his or her life. Invito is an Italian word which means invitation and reflects the welcoming atmosphere of the Italian culture where by all are invited in, whether in celebration or in mourning, surrounded by the presence of God.

What Goes on in Spiritual Direction?

The Directee is invited to give their attention to God, as both the Directee and Director listen together to the Holy Spirit’s presence and ways rather than the Director telling the Directee what to do or convey knowledge. Spiritual direction is God-oriented rather than goal-oriented. It is about listening with–together noticing senses of God’s voice and direction–rather than talking to, and this distinguishes it from Messiah’s discipleship program in which there is more teaching and a nurturing of various spiritual disciplines.

What can I expect?

Spiritual Direction meetings between a Director and Directee usually occur once a month, for an hour to an hour and a half each time. Spiritual Direction occurs in an atmosphere of prayerful listening. We pause together reflectively. Often beginning and ending in silent prayer, to create an awareness of God’s presence with the Director and Directee, it’s common for the Director to ask a Directee to return to a few moments of silence in the middle of a session, again to clear away the clutter of talk and notice more deeply what the Holy Spirit may be saying.

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