Discipleship: the practice of following Jesus.

 
 

Discipleship

One of the most important roles we have as a church is to equip you to live as a follower of Jesus, and live in friendship with God. Our heart is to foster direction, development and create a culture that equips you in your relationship with God and the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in your life. We have some ideas of where to start and we share those below.

Where to start

At Hillside we are invite everyone who calls us home to pay attention to discipleship and becoming more like Jesus. We are highlighting three transformative spiritual disciplines that are available to each of us: 1 slowing down (Sabbath, silence & solitude, small group community), 2 Scripture and 3 Prayer. Below we have listed each one and how you can participate. We wholeheartedly believe that as we are rooted in community through the local church, and are personally implementing these spiritual disciplines we’ll become more like Jesus and show His love to the world around us. We are so glad you are looking to grow in your relationship with God - it is the abundant life that Jesus has invited us into.

PERSONAL DAILY DISCIPLESHIP

Anyone and everyone can participate in daily discipleship. We want to encourage you to focus on 3 distinct spiritual disciplines as you grow in following Jesus. They are:

1 Slowing Down

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

There are 4 particular ways we encourage you this year to slow down: implement Sabbath into your weekly schedule, spend time in silence and solitude, and participate in small groups.

Sabbath: We hope you’ll join us in slowing down this year. Let’s focus our energy and effort in an excellent and efficient way, and then slow down to enjoy life through trust and delight with God. God created in 6 days and then enjoyed the 7th day as rest. He set it apart as Holy. Rest is a beautiful thing.

Silence: Take 10 - 20 minutes each day to pause and sit in silence. This is a wonderful habit to put on the front end of your daily quiet time or at the end of the day. Focus in on a Scripture or theme the Lord is revealing to you. You’ll be amazed at how these short minutes influence the rest of your day and make you more aware of the people you are encountering and the way you can love them like Jesus.

Solitude: This goes hand in hand with the silence. We don’t mean isolate. We mean: pause and get away for a moment during the day to give attention to Who matters most (God). Maybe it is as simple as putting your phone down once the kids are asleep or your physics paper is done and becoming aware of the Presence of God.

Small Group Life: if we can slow down and create space for small group life we will experience a greater level of community. Truly, discipleship happens in community. No one is an island and through community we are encouraged, challenged, uplifted and cared for. Our groups run through 3 semesters: winter/spring, summer, and fall.

2 Daily Scripture Reading - we encourage everyone to read the Scriptures. As a church community we are going through the Bible by using the Bible in One Year APP. It’s completely free and offers a 25 minute & 10 minute option for Scripture and devotion. Here is the link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bible-in-one-year/id504133402

3 Daily Prayer - Prayer is the bedrock of our relationship with God. Through prayer we discover God’s love for us and experience His peace that surpasses all understanding. Prayer is a learned habit. We encourage people to participate in prayer on a daily basis and start out with a prayer plan. Here is a link for a wonderful prayer app called Lectio 365 (daily prayer app): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lectio-365/id1483974820

THERE IS MORE

Growth Track - We recommend attending our Growth Track at Hillside for all those who want to connect further with us as a church.

Groups - Our small groups are a critical part of discipleship within community. Each spring and fall we offer specific small groups that cultivate God’s renovation of our heart. In the spring we encourage everyone to attend our Freedom Small Groups. And, in the fall we encourage people to attend the Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Small Group (Pete & Geri Scazzero curriculum). These two small groups are an additional layer of discipleship for individuals that equip you to mature in Christ and influence your daily life.

ARE THERE MORE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES?

Yes! Spiritual disciplines are simply habits and rhythms that lead us to becoming more like Jesus. Below is a list of spiritual disciplines leaders & members of our church practice on a regular basis:

  • Giving through tithes and offering

  • Fasting - giving up food or drink for a day or prolonged season.

  • Serving - using our spiritual gifts and/or talents to strengthen the body of Christ, as well as the community

The key with spiritual disciplines is to know that they lead us to greater freedom and prosperity of our soul. We don’t fulfill spiritual disciplines to walk in pride but to walk in love. Please email (info@hillsidechurch.us) or speak with someone on our leadership on a Sunday if we can help you in anyway.

BOOK RESOURCES

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer (slowing down, Sabbath)

The Blessed Life by Robert Morris (giving)

The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan (Sabbath)

Prayer by Richard Foster (prayer)

The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard (discipleship overview)

The Life of the Beloved by Henri Nouwen (prayer and discipleship)

The Generosity Ladder by Nelson Searcy (giving)

How to Pray by Pete Greig (prayer)

The Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster (solitude, silence and several other disciplines)

Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard