God’s Word makes it clear that a disciple of Jesus Christ is one who follows Jesus by accepting all he taught, imitating how he lived, and spreading the teachings he gave into the lives of others. At CEFC, we believe discipleship is biblically mandated (Matt. 28:19, John 8:31-32). For Christians, discipleship is a life-long process which helps us to grow in the Lord Jesus Christ which is accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is a commitment and a choice to grow and learn in order to become more Christlike. It requires the study of the Scriptures, the examining of our hearts, and faithful obedience to all that God has called us to do as his followers. Biblical discipleship is characterized by:

• Putting Christ first in our lives (Mark 8:34-38) by putting off ourselves.
• Following Jesus’ teachings (John 8:31-32) in faithful obedience 1 (Sam. 28:18).
• Loving others (John 13:34-35) as evidence of being a member of God’s family (1John 3:10), knowing love is an intentional action on behalf of all disciples (1 Cor. 13:1-13), putting the needs of others first (Phil. 2:3-5).
• Bearing fruit (John 15:5-8) by abiding in Christ and allowing the Spirit to be fruitful through our lives as our obedience advances and deepens in our hearts which have been softened by God’s divine presence in us (Ezek. 36:26; 1 Cor. 6:19).
• Evangelizing by making disciples of others (Matt. 28:18-20) through the sharing of our faith in Christ by declaring the wonderful Good News which Christ offers (1 Cor. 9:16).

At CEFC, we believe what the Bible says—God’s call on the lives of all men and women to grow in their faith once they have been redeemed by the sacrifice of Jesus demands biblical discipleship for any Christian. In order to begin one on one discipleship within CEFC’s discipleship program, please contact Steve Olejnik, Discipleship Ministry Director, at: eldersteveolejnik@conoverefc.com/a>, who will assist you in getting started.

CEFC’s one on one discipleship program will bless your life and advance your faith dramatically while you honor God in the process.