The Life Cycle of a Believer

Rev. Rebecca Mihm

Introduction

Discipleship does not mean that we are a regular attender at worship, though it may include that. Discipleship does not mean that we once said a Believer’s Prayer, though it may include that. Discipleship does not mean that we are a good person. Being a disciple is being a follower of Jesus, growing in faith, becoming more and more like Christ, and coming alongside others and helping them to grow in faith.

The life cycle of a human begins with birth. A newborn then grows, going through different phases of life. An infant will become a child, who will then grow into a young adult, and may eventually become a parent. The parent’s baby will then go through the same stages of life. The life cycle of a disciple is similar. We grow in our faith, going through different cycles. Understanding where we are in our faith development can be tricky to discern as people often equate physical growth with spiritual growth. Because one is a senior citizen, or has attended church for decades, does not necessarily mean they are mature in faith. A disciple begins with ignorance, dependence, and being self-absorbed, to growing into a responsible, strategic, and person who makes more disciples.

I recently read Real-Life Discipleship by Jim Putnam. The book is about creating intentional followers of Christ within small groups who meet people where they are and help them become mature disciples who go on to “parent” other believers. In the “appendix a” section of the book, Putnam details the lifecycle of a Christian into the following categories: death, infant, childhood, young adult, parent. See below for a description of the characteristics, beliefs, needs, and statements of each cycle of life in the faith.

Cycles of Life

Dead

Characteristics
* unbelieving
* rebellious

Beliefs/Behaviors/Attitudes

disbelief of the supernatural, or belief in many forms of the supernatural (multiple deities, interactions with the dead, superstitions, astrology, and so on)
disbelief in God (atheism), or belief in the possibility of God (agnosticism), or belief in a different God (member of a cult or the occult)
belief in one God but many ways to get to him
anger toward Christians or the church or family
confusion about God, Jesus, and the church
ignorance regarding biblical truth (spiritually blind)
belief that the answers they are seeking lie in worldly prestige, power, fame, and so on
belief that they are as good as anyone else so they don’t need a Savior
belief that they have done too much wrong so fear they can’t be saved

Needs

a secure relationship with a more mature believer
a picture of the real Jesus lived out in front of them
answers, evidences for Christianity
an explanation of the Gospel message
an invitation to receive Christ

What You Hear People Say

“I don’t believe there is a God.”
“The Bible is just a bunch of myths.”
“Evolution explains away a need for God.”
“I am not a Christian because Christians are responsible for all the wars in history.”
“There are many ways to get to God.”
“I am a Christian because I go to church and I am a good person.”
“I have been a good person, so I will be okay.”

Infant

Characteristics

ignorant
confused
dependent

Behaviors/Beliefs/Attitudes

ignorance about what they need and what the Bible says about life and the purpose of a Christian
ignorance about or frustration toward Christianity and the Church
belief that Christians make no mistakes; unrealistic expectations of themselves
belief that they are defined as the culture would define them
worldly perspective about life with some spiritual truth mixed in

Needs

individual attention from a spiritual parent
protection
an explanation of the truths (new truths) found in the Word of God
an explanation and modeling of the habits of a growing believer

What You Hear People Say

“I believe in Jesus, but my church is when I’m in the woods or on the lake.”
“I don’t have to go to church to be a Christian.”
“I gave my life to Jesus and I go to church, but I don’t need to be close to other people.”
“People have hurt me, so it’s just me and God.”
“I don’t have time to be in relationship with another Christian.”
“My spouse is my accountability partner. I don’t need anyone else.”
“I pray and read my Bible. That is good enough for me.”
“My ministry is my work. I provide for my family. I don’t have time for church.”
“I didn’t know the Bible said that.”

Child

Characteristics

self-centered, self-absorbed
idealistic
prideful
low view of self
interdependent

Behaviors/Beliefs/Attitudes

excitement over having deep relationships
disillusionment because of their high expectations of others
lack of wisdom about how to use what they are learning—for example, too aggressive when sharing their faith, or too legalistic in their approach to dealing with their friends and family
belief that people are not caring for them enough
tendency to mimic mature Christians’ behaviors in order to look good and gain praise
tendency to serve others in a ministry as long as the benefit outweighs the cost
enthusiasm about new teachings
confusion and unyielding nature regarding complex issues because they have an incomplete view of biblical subjects
more knowledge about what Christians say than what the Word says

Needs

a spiritual family
help for how to start feeding themselves
teaching about who they are in Christ
teaching about how to have relationship with Christ
teaching about how to have relationship with other believers
teaching about appropriate expectations concerning other believers

What You Hear People Say

“I love my small group; don’t add any more people to it.”
“Who are all these people coming to my church? Tell them to go somewhere else!”
“I am not coming to church anymore. It has become too big; it has too many people.”
“My small group is not taking care of my needs.”
“I don’t have anyone who is spending enough time with me; no one is discipling me.”
“I didn’t like the music today. If only they did it like…”
“I am not being fed in my church, so I am going to a church that meets my needs better.”

Young Adult

Characteristics

action/service-oriented
zealous
God-centered
other-centered
mission-minded but incompetent in his understanding
independent

Behaviors/Beliefs/Attitudes

desire to serve others for others’ good and the glory of God
tendency to feel responsible for how others respond to the message; possible pride if a person accepts the message and possible discouragement if he or she doesn’t
desire to serve but not strategic about how to train others
naivety about other believers – for example, they believe that others are on fire for Jesus because everyone seems to be “fine” at church
tendency to be black and white about what should happen in a church

Needs

a place to learn and serve
a spiritual parent who will debrief them about ministry experiences
ongoing relationships that offer encouragement and accountability
help for establishing boundaries
guidance regarding appropriate expectations of people they will serve
help in identifying their gifts
skills training

What You Hear People Say

“I love my group, but there are others who need a group like this.”
“I think I could lead a group with a little help. I have three friends I have been witnessing to, and this group would be too big for them.”
“Look how many are at church today—it’s awesome! I had to walk two blocks from the closest parking spot.”
“Randy and Rachel missed group, and I called to see if they are okay. Their kids have the flu, so maybe our group can make meals for them. I’ll start.”
“In my devotions, I came across something I have a question about.”
“I noticed that we don’t have an older adults’ visitation team. Do you think I could be involved?”

Parent

Characteristics

intentional
strategic
reproduction-minded
self-feeding
mission-minded
team-minded (unity matters)
dependable

Behaviors/Beliefs/Attitudes

ability to think in terms of what a team (rather than an individual) can do
a coaching mindset
desire to see the people they work with mature and become fellow workers who love them but aren’t dependent on them to complete the mission

Needs

an ongoing relationship with co-laborers
a church family
encouragement

What You Hear People Say

“This guy at work asked me to explain the Bible to him. Pray for me.”
“We get to baptize someone from our small group tonight. When is the next 101 class? I want to get them plugged into ministry somewhere.”
“Our small group is going on a mission trip, and I have given each person a different responsibility. Where do you think we should go?”
“I realized discipleship happens at home, too. Will you hold me accountable to spend time discipling my kids?”
“I have a person in my small group who is passionate about children. Can you have the children’s ministry people call me?”

Conclusion

Based on Putnam’s appendix, where do you find yourself in the life cycle of the believer? Do you agree with his categories? Did the categories make you angry? If so, why? Regardless of Putnam’s categories, we all have room to grow and work to do. One of the first things Jesus said in his ministry is to “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” We are to follow Jesus, grow in Jesus, and make disciples. The first mandate in Scripture is to be fruitful and multiply. The last thing Jesus said before ascending was to “go and make disciples,” in other words, “be fruitful and multiply” spiritually. Are you growing? Are you multiplying? Are you nurturing?

Rev. Rebecca Mihm
Discipleship Pastor

Rebecca has served as our Associate Pastor of Discipleship since October 4, 2021. Prior to serving at FPC Lakeland, she served in various ministry roles in West Virginia, Massachusetts, Southeast Asia, and New York. Rebecca went to Geneva College where she earned a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Arts degree. Upon graduation she worked in urban ministry in New York City. Then she worked for US Airways for several years before sensing a call to go to seminary. She graduated from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and spent several years doing ministry in Southeast Asia. Once in Massachusetts, she worked in Christian education, in crisis services, and with high utilizers of the emergency room. Before coming to FPC Lakeland, Rebecca served a congregation as a solo pastor in West Virginia. Rebecca enjoys hanging out with family and friends, walking/hiking, traveling, eating chocolate, and spoiling her fat cat, Oreo.

The Life Cycle of a Believer